Today, we’re delighted to interview Sara, a young woman from Alsace who has set out to reinvent the men’s wardrobe with products that are as trendy as they are responsible. Discover how Monsieur Mimosa, a timeless wardrobe, came to life, and the 100-mph life of a committed entrepreneur.

It’s entrepreneurs like Sara who get things moving and find lasting solutions to reduce the environmental impact of textile production. Let’s follow Sara’s journey as she builds her clothing brand, Monsieur Mimosa.

Sara, founder of her own clothing brand

Hello, thank you so much for interviewing me on the LAO blog! My name is Sara Khbaizi, I’m 29 and I’m from Strasbourg. I grew up and studied in Strasbourg. I followed a path in finance and specialized in auditing, and then joined a firm in Luxembourg, where I worked for 3 years.

Then I left it all behind to embark on this entrepreneurial adventure, full of challenges! I had a thirst to create and to start something, and above all I needed to build a brand with a positive impact on the planet.

If I had to describe myself in a few words, I’d say I’m a creative, entrepreneurial person with at least 100 ideas a minute!

I built my brand on my own for a year and a half, then I grew my team by bringing in Catherine and Mathilde, who both help me enormously to move Monsieur Mimosa forward every day!

Monsieur Mimosa, a timeless wardrobe for men

Monsieur Mimosa is a Strasbourg-based menswear brand that is ethical and responsible. I design the entire timeless wardrobe myself, and have it made by family-run workshops close to home in France, as well as in Scotland and Portugal.

It’s a clothing brand for all men who want to dress less but better.

What defines Monsieur Mimosa is timelessness, durability and ethics.

A Slow Fashion brand

As we head into 2022, the textile industry is the second most polluting in the world after petrochemicals.

Every means exists today to produce less AND better, and more locally, by focusing on a cleaner way of making things.

The committed slow fashion movement is driven by brands like Monsieur Mimosa, which are rethinking the textile production chain we all know through better sourcing of raw materials, a focus on local production and a smaller ecological footprint throughout the production process. For example, we avoid very polluting steps such as dyeing the fabric.

An entrepreneur’s life

The best decision I’ve ever made was to take the leap into entrepreneurship. I learn every day, and I’ll never stop learning about my industry, about others and about myself. Entrepreneurship pushes me to give my best every day and to step out of my comfort zone.

My best memory of this entrepreneurial adventure is the arrival of my first prototype: my ÉMILE shirt, which has become my signature piece!

In my view, the essential qualities for building your own clothing brand are being passionate, creative and persistent.

If I can offer a small piece of advice to anyone still hesitating to start their own business: GO FOR IT! Don’t be afraid of failure, because there will be some, but without failure, there is no success.

Thanks again to Sara for this wonderful interview!