Anyway is challenged to walk in Paris without crossing a Cabaia backpack. They are everywhere! On social networks, many videos account for these bags during the day. Its fair price (89 euros the adventureur medium) conquers all generations. It has become a real mass product as Havaianas flip flops can be. Their name is Brazilian sound, yet these bags are very French. In 2015, Bastien Valensi was only 18 years old when he embarked on an entrepreneurial adventure by creating cups with three interchangeable pompoms (thanks to a magnetic button) offered in a shaker, which he sells in pop-ups of shopping centers just before Christmas. The success is immediate. A year later, with a start-up incubator, he met Émilien Foiret, ex-engineer in the nuclear industry. They join forces and continue to sell cups, but realize that this seasonal product is not enough. After going through a very good idea of socks (the inseparable) which are put on to the machine, they decide to create a perfect bag.
The two partners perfectly share the task: Bastien focuses on the product and distribution, Émilien is more on the digital and marketing part. Their secret? Ask customers what they want: shape, size, pockets, colors … The community contributes to product design. Result: a huge attachment. There are even two Facebook groups of fans. “From the start, creating a fashion band has been our goalsays Bastien. We don’t want to treat them as customers, but as partners. We made them participate from A to Z, from design to features. There is a whole prototyping and test phase with the community to validate that the product appeals and has a real interest on the market. All this arouses an attachment. They have the impression that the brand belongs to them a little. We create a real relationship with them, some send us postcards from their vacation places. When they order on the internet, they are sent emails with small jokes. »»
A recognizable bestseller
Sympathetic and practical, the Cabaia bag was thought of urban mobility (although we have a lot in all of France) and has this wide angle opening on the bestseller (the adventurer) which makes it very recognizable. He is also water repellent. You can personalize it with different pockets on the front (it is sold with two pockets), but you can also choose the material, the color and thus make the accessory of its dreams. The bags are produced in China. Normal, because it would have been impossible to make in France at such a price. “” And above all, we must not forget that the know-how for this kind of product is in Chinaspecifies Bastien. Many luxury brands will also produce there without shouting it on the roofs. But we do not sacrifice anything about our sustainable development policy. And above all, we began to calculate our carbon assessment and we realized that the real subject is not transport, but overproduction or overconsumption. From the moment you select your factories well, when you have the right environmental labels, when you pass the good audits to factories, and especially where the product is guaranteed for life, we are in the right (Cabaia is B Corp certified). We have thought of a bag as resistant as possible and, if there is a problem, we rely. »»
“Exclusive collections are sold in a week and a half”
“At the beginning, customers did not believe ithas Emilien. But yes, if a closure breaks, we repair it or replace it. No tiny asterisk at the bottom of the invoice, no interminable recommended letters. When we see that the problem is solved in three days with a smile, we talk to everyone. »»
Constantly reinvent
And what do they answer those who criticize on social networks the design of these bags guaranteed for life? “We have biases, whether stylistic or practicality, which cannot please everyoneexplains Bastien. And displease a few people, it’s a little sign of success. »» With 115 million euros in turnover this year, more than 1,400 resellers and more than 40 stores in their own name, the debates on the style of the bags really do not matter. When they establish collaborations with illustrators, the whole collection is sold in a week and a half and the models are then sold four times more expensive on Vinted. For the ten years, a special collection is launched, and another in collaboration with the Smiley brand.
“We are still small internationallytempers Émilien. The objective is clear: to consolidate Europe before trying the American or Asian adventure. »» The two founders recognize it: “The international is putting the ideas back in place. When you end up with a 6 square meter stand in Italy to try to attract buyers, it calms the ego. »» What lesson do they learn from this adventure? “It’s a lot of failures, little success, but you have to know how to capitalize on successes and continue to fail with enthusiasmthey say in chorus. The idea is to reinvent yourself constantly and keep your fingers in the catch with customers, to see how they feel the brand and to capture their desires. »»
Far from falling asleep on their laurels, the two partners have launched many new products that are a hit. The school bags last year, for example, and a few months ago Crossbody Adventurest, which is already one of the bestsellers. They also develop luggage, such as four -wheeled suitcases or travel bags that can be carried on the back. Morality? The Cabaia may not be a luxury bag, but it has succeeded where many fail: it is the object of the desire for a large community that cherishes it with passion.
