Who are you?
I am a passionate, I hope to be a creative and open-minded 29-year-old person, I have two nationalities, I speak four and a half languages. This is surely how I would like to define myself! And of course surfing takes up a lot of space in my daily life, I moved to do it every day, I travel for surfing, I meet friends there, I share it with my loved ones.
I like to try new things, keep learning… I trained in yoga in 2019, I take language classes, I took a lot of surfing lessons, now I would like to learn the ukulele, I am not at all good at music and I have a whole list of things to learn still!
Marion, you were born and raised in Madagascar, what place does this culture have in your life?
I am very happy to have two cultures, at the moment my French culture is dominant, but I was born in Madagascar and spent 18 years there, I did not know the French winter, and it was a real shock when I arrived! It is a really special island, the history, the rites, the language, and the people in general are really fascinating. And especially to be able to have these two points of view is very enriching. On one hand a very sophisticated world, and on the other a world that teaches me not to get attached to the material. Madagascar is an extremely wild and beautiful island, but we keep in mind that it is one of the poorest countries in the world and that the population suffers a lot from it.
Since then, I've lived in Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, and Lisbon, but I can still stay in the bush for weeks, with lots of insects, no running water, and humid heat. I like both sides of my personality!
What inspires you on a daily basis?
My travels give me new ideas. My friends who have great projects, and the meetings in Biarritz, here people believe strongly in their projects, I find it great, I think of @jazzclubstudio , @graineclothing @thesunandthemoon___ , @casaviel and many others. Social networks give us access to so much inspiration too, design, architecture, fashion, beauty…
Tell us about Compotier Studio, which you founded with one of your friends.
I love food, good things, being at the table, and entertaining has always been something I loved. I started hunting for dishes for my home, then finally I wanted to share it. We find real treasures that have been abandoned, that were no longer used, and we give them value, finally I love chipped plates, and I try to imagine who these objects belonged to. At the first request for a wedding, I asked my friend to join me on the project, she has great taste and loves originality, and it's more fun to hunt together when you go on a mission!
We are really very happy with this project which allows us to express our creativity, which teaches us a lot of things, makes us meet great people and then after having set the table on a shoot, we often also eat good things ourselves.
https://www.instagram.com/compotierstudio/
What is your latest crush?
My latest Compotier favorite is these 3 super colorful flower-shaped dishes that we found. They're cheerful, colorful, and feel good.
What is your relationship with beauty?
It's very natural. I don't wear makeup because I'm lucky to have very natural skin; I simply moisturize morning and night. And thanks to the Basque Country sun and surfing, we naturally have a luminous complexion almost all year round.
I mainly use natural products or products with mainly natural ingredients ( mango & avocado soap , summer garden radiance balm ).
Beauty itself is very subjective, and it's a way to have self-confidence, to boost yourself when you're feeling down, but it's primarily internal. I hope the beauty world continues to try to be more inclusive and show all different types of beauty.
How would you define Alaena?
It's truly a modern brand, focusing on natural and organic products. The products are truly exceptional; they truly embody French simplicity and beauty. I really like the family feel, and I immediately connected with the team, with whom I had a great time!