Caroline Rey and Amélie Delacour, 17:10
Power Girls
Caroline and Amélie are the creators of 17H10, a brand of suits and costumes that wants to offer women the clothes that will make them feel powerful and invincible.
Following the creation of the company of two female entrepreneurs in almost real time, celebrating their victories and sharing their day-to-day problems, this has never been done before. This is the brilliant idea that Caroline Rey and Amélie Delacour had when they created their podcast "Start", in parallel with the launch of their women's tailoring brand 17H10. When they created their brand and their company, they wanted to see what was really going on behind the official discourse of freedom-loving entrepreneurs "who have a blast every day". Caroline and Amélie are constantly recording themselves and take us to the front row of their financial meetings as well as their production meetings and family lunches. "Beginning" is the podcast equivalent of a good addictive series on Netflix: you can't wait to hear the next episode!
Since the podcast aired (spoiler alert), 17H10 launched in October 2018. With colourful, ultra well-cut ensembles, 17H10 is a decidedly modern brand, in tune with the active women of the 21st century. Just before the launch, Amélie and Caroline emptied their bags for Bar-Da on a sunny terrace in the 9th arrondissement.
Who are you? Caroline and Amélie. We've been best friends and roommates for 5 years. We've been wanting to work together for a long time and have had all sorts of ideas. But last year, we felt we had something real when we decided to focus on a single-product brand of women's suits. There is a real need for active women, and all too often, a suit is a thankless purchase because it's very difficult to feel comfortable and feminine in it. We aim for empowerment through tailoring. Our models will be made to measure in order to best fit the different morphologies and to have a great result!
Which bag(s) do you use on a daily basis?
Caroline: an unbranded tote bag, found in a concept store. I'm not a big "it bag" person. It's very practical, because it can carry a lot of things.
Amélie: I have a small APC handbag that my friends gave me last year. And usually I have a backpack as well.
What do you take with you?
Caroline: I take a lot of stuff with me and I've noticed a real evolution compared to when we were employees, where I sometimes left everything at the office. Now, my bag is a bit like my desk drawer. I'm still carrying a tote bag, I can't seem to make the leap to a backpack. I've had to lighten up a bit, so I've given up my make-up bag, for example, I've got a microphone instead. Of course I still have my computer, my files... I prefer one bag because I'm often very busy, especially when I have to carry prototypes or rolls of fabric in the metro (in this case, we're in "exceptional convoy" mode and Amélie does the traffic lights, otherwise I can put people's eyes out).
In Caroline's bag
Amélie: It's true that working from home means we have to carry a lot of weight! Like Caroline, I have my computer and my files in my backpack. I carry the little bag over my shoulder, with my phone, credit card, travel pass and keys inside, in short, everything I need at hand, without having to dive into my backpack.
In Amélie's bag
What items do you always carry in your bag (your essentials)?
Caroline: the microphone! I also always have a labello.
Amélie: I always have a lipstick, it's the equivalent of stilettos for me. I apply it with my iphone to avoid any misapplication ;)
How do you find your keys?
Caroline: As we approach the flat, the first one to find them is the one who draws! Of course, with the bag, it's hard to find them. So I start looking for them as soon as I get out of the metro. I find them when I hear them, because they are attached to a bell, a small lucky charm brought from Japan.
Amélie: I'm usually the fastest thanks to my bag carried in front. It's very easy for the phone to ring and for me to get the keys out in 2-2. I also have a nice key ring from the Jean-Paul Gaultier exhibition which is quite big, so I can spot them quickly!
An anecdote (a (mis)adventure with your bags ...)?
Caroline: I must admit that I lose a lot of things (and bags). One evening when we were both on the metro, still heavily laden with rolls of fabric, I was carrying a bag over my shoulder. As we got out at our station, the strap slipped, the bag fell into the carriage on the floor and...the carriage doors closed. I saw the metro leave and I was already mourning the loss of my bag. My credit card was in the bag, I decided to cancel it... well no way, because I didn't have a phone anymore, it was in the bag too...
Amélie: ...and then my phone rings! A couple who were in the metro had found the bag, with our business cards in it and called me! We met at the next metro station and they gave us everything back! Really honest and nice people. This kind of situation restores our faith in humanity!
What do you take on holiday?
Amélie: always my backpack and a small bag. I'm happy to give up my computer and my navigo card, but then I'm the kind of person who likes to plan everything in advance, so I take with me sun cream as well as my swimming costume, a pair of shoes (in case we go hiking), an opinel (in case we eat a melon), etc etc...
Caroline: I always have 2 cameras : a digital one (for landscapes) and a film one (more for portraits), I also always have a backpack... I put everything in a bag so that I can have them at hand...
Do you ever go out after work, how do you deal with your bags?
Caroline: I take the smallest one possible! with inside: a mascara, my mobile and my credit card
Amélie : I also try to have just a small bag, but it's rare... We often arrive an hour late to parties, so I don't really take the time to drop my bag off at home. I keep everything and it's a real stress, I can't afford to lose anything, especially not my computer. I went to a party where I even danced with my backpack on my back...
Caroline: Oh yes! I danced around my bag to watch it! In fact, we do all this to avoid having to carry a fanny pack!
In your opinion, do Parisian women have a specific relationship with their bags?
Amélie: No more than other French women, except that they don't have a car, so they make up for it with their bag and that's probably why you see so many cotton tote bags in the metro.
Your self-portrait
Caroline: I would say "work hard, play hard. We're hard workers, but we have a lot of fun. Our adventure is as serious as it is fun. Fun and work, everything is mixed together and that's great!
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