Mauvais Marie

“Big noses, great personalities”, is the motto of the animals sewn by hand by Elsa Boucinha.

Text: Ana Dias Ferreira

The noses stand out and are, as Elsa Boucinha says, a sign of the personality of these animals. A mother of two, the architect began sewing the first dolls for her children, until she realized that she had in her hands the idea of ​​a good-humored brand, which she called Mauvais Marie – the French version of our so Portuguese “mau Maria”.
His “craft adventure” started in 2018 with original toys and sustainability concerns, but not only that. “Through play, I wanted to convey the value of craftsmanship, respect for time – especially the time needed to create something from scratch – and love for natural materials,” she says.
Made in 100% cotton fabric and with various hand-embroidered details in the founder’s sewing studio in Lisbon, the first animals to come to life were inspired by La Fontaine’s fables, with a small description of her unique personality – in some cases adapted to modern times. If William the Wolf “has completely given up on being an early riser”, Harriet the Hare “is a hostess and travels a lot”, while Stella the Stork “is a famous food blogger” with a blog called Dinners in a Bottle.
The brand also includes other “peculiar things”, as Elsa calls them. In this case, also handmade rocas, lavender bags to perfume the drawers and wardrobe (in the shape of bananas and mushrooms), or even a “sleeping lion”, ie a musical box for babies to fall asleep to the sound of Brahms .

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