Sealed with a kiss

Lawyer-turned-designer Michele Bohbot brings her well-loved Bisou Bisou label to India. She tells Asmita Aggarwal that her design paradigms will suit Indian culture and women

Born in Morocco, married in Paris and living in Los Angeles, USA. This is the dream that Michele Bohbot is living out. She started her fashion brand, Bisou Bisou ('a little kiss' in French), in 1989, and after 24 years she is bringing her label to India in a tie-up with Reliance Trends.

"India is a fashion-conscious market, an upcoming one, the label has a good future here, and Reliance Trends has a cult following so it seemed like the right time to launch," says Bohbot.

The pricing will be affordable, says Akhilesh Kumar, COO of Reliance Trends, which offers a vast product range from dresses, sportswear, blouses and tunics to tee-shirts and track pants. "We start below Rs 700 and go up to Rs 1,999," says Kumar. "So people from varied income brackets and age groups can wear Bisou Bisou products." Eighty per cent of the manufacturing will happen in India, and the rest in China.

Bohbot believes fashion is all about the right cut, style and finish. "We have incorporated all the current trends like high-low (mullet) dresses, cropped tops and palazzos in our line for India; for us, prints and colours are an important part of this year's trend story," says Bohbot who studied law at the Sorbonne in Paris.

With focus on silhouette and adding newness with each line, Bohbot believes fashion is the art of self-expression, a great way for a new-age working woman to express herself, feel good and happy.

"I am targeting women in the 20-40 age group - mothers and daughters can both shop at Bisou Bisou. Women are so fit and fabulous these days that they look amazing at any age. Our clothes are meant for them, as they are fun and wearable," says Bohbot.

A mother of seven kids, Bohbot feels that Indian culture is a lot like her own Moroccan traditions. "We are a vibrant, family-loving, spice-enjoying people, a lot like Indians," she says, before adding, "There are Moroccan and French influences in my clothing - the former because it's in my blood and the latter due to marriage." She could also point out that, like Indian women, she too stood by her husband, Marc, through his failing business, before starting her own label with almost no seed money. "If you have faith, you can do anything. You must believe in yourself," she says. While in the US she does clothes, shoes, handbags- keeping in mind, fickle trends and changing tastes - ,in India, Bohbot is starting with clothes.

Tying up with Reliance Trends was crucial for Bohbot. She fully endorses the views of Kumar, who talks of "the democratisation of fashion, of it not being premium, but value-for-money and, of course, trendy".

The label will be launched in Mumbai and will slowly spread to the company's 35 stores across India. "It is the right fit for me, as it is a kind of mass merchandise," says Bohbot.

Few know that the American design retailer loves India for another reason - yoga. She now has a yoga line called Electric Yoga, which she intends to bring to India soon. "I have seven children, and I have been able to find the perfect work-life balance through yoga, it is a game changer," she says.