For the end of year celebrations, we teamed up with the ceramist Cécile Mestelan to imagine a series of unique pieces in stoneware, with soft Minois colors, handmade in Portugal. A collection of treasure boxes, pretty bowls and plates with soft lines and a poetic universe, to discover exclusively in our Parisian shop and in the Lisbon shop of Cécile Mestelan!

Discover the backstage of this collaboration in our cross interview Cécile Mestelan x Hélène Fulchi.

Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

Cécile: My name is Cécile, I'm French and from Biarritz, I live in Lisbon for 6 years where I worked ceramic for 4 years.

Hélène: I'm Hélène, I'm 37 years old. I am the founder of Minois. I move between Lisbon where I live for 3 years with my family and Paris where we have opened a shop Minois last year. I continue to develop Minois with a lot of passion for 4 years now.

How did you meet?

C: We met in my workshop during the sale of my prototypes! Then we met again during a shooting Minois, on the beach of Fonte Da Telha and began to talk about a future collaboration.

H: I discovered Cécile's creations in the Arkhe restaurant in Lisbon. Then, I went to her studio to meet her and buy her some pieces. I really liked her approach, her sensitivity. Cécile is passionate about what she does, she likes simple and elegant things. Then we met again by chance during a shooting Minois on a beach near Lisbon. And it is with a lot of spontaneity, that I have started to talk about a collaboration.

What inspires you the most in the universe of the other?

C: I really like the sweetness of Helen's universe. The harmony that emerges from it, the strong aesthetics she has created and of course the quality of the products.

H: Cécile's universe is very delicate, she explores a very minimalist and poetic aesthetic. And at the same time she uses a lot of color in her work. Each piece is carefully crafted by hand, making her creations unique and authentic. Her work tells a story, that's what I liked.

How did the idea of ​​a collaboration between Minois Paris x Cécile Mestelan born?

C: The idea came more from Helen who knew how to associate our two worlds. I admit having so many pieces to produce that I did not have time to think about a new collaboration! I'm glad Helen took the time to think about it.

H: Very simply, I found that our two worlds together made a lot of sense. I wanted to propose a collaboration a little different, to make the link between Paris and Lisbon. I have always been very appreciative of people who could create with their hands and give personality to everyday objects. This collaboration is born primarily from my admiration for the work of Cécile.

How did you imagine the different pieces of this collab?

C: We first thought of the colors to recall the world of Minois and many forms and formats. We have imagined, for example, plates that can also serve as a soap dish or cup for jewelry. As for boxes, they can find their place in a bathroom to store cotton. The forms already existed but we thought about associations that reflected the world of Minois.

H: We thought with Cécile about very simple and clean pieces that can find their place in a bathroom, a kitchen, a bedroom ... We also worked a lot on the colors to better transcribe the universe of Minois, using a palette of rose, beige and blue.

Cécile, can you tell us about the creative process behind each of your pieces?

Each piece is thought according to its aesthetics and its utility. These are often very simple forms that I visualize before creating them. I do not draw, so shapes go straight from my head to 3D! Sometimes I imagine sets of pieces that work well together and create a harmonious whole.

Is the creative process different when it comes to a collab?

For this collab we mainly worked on the colors. Sometimes it is the forms that make more sense, here the idea was really to retranscribe the colors of Minois in already existing forms. But it's very different, depending on the brand I work with, it depends a lot on its aesthetics and expectations. Pieces initiate a gesture, come with a context that is why it is important to choose them well.

Can you describe this collab in a few words?

C: It is a collaboration that reveals our two universes. The sweetness of Helen and my lines. I am happy because we have really represented who we are.

H: We made a series of pieces that looks like each one of us. The shapes, the colors perfectly blend our two worlds. This collaboration tells a nice story, I am very happy with the result!

Your favorite piece?

C: The small cup to put jewelry or jam. I really like its format and the association of colors.

H: The little box for all sorts of treasures :)

You both came to live in Lisbon, how does this influence your work?

C: It's thanks to Lisbon that I have arrived where I am today. It was in Portugal that I have discovered ceramics and this was the starting point for everything. Today it does not totally affect my work but the sweetness of living here must certainly allow me to find peace in my life and therefore in my work!

H: 3 years after our arrival, I am still under the spell of Lisbon. I love living here. There is a feeling of openness and creative freedom that I love. Lisbon is a source of inspiration in everyday life: light, colors, people, the ocean...

Last word?

C: I hope that this collection will please you and that you will be many to understand it because it is unique and thought for you. We made 30 pieces of each model :)

H: We produced these pieces in a limited edition. Hurry up, there will not be enough for everyone :)