Behind the brand "Constant & Zoé" is a family story. A sister, Sarah Da Silva Gomes, who has faced the difficulty of dressing her brother, Constant, who has been severely cerebral palsy since birth. From this observation, five years ago, his brand of practical clothes to put on for people with disabilities was born.
What better proof of love than to create a brand of clothing to help a person who matters a lot in his life, his brother. Without being a seamstress or a stylist, Sarah Da Silva Gomes gave birth in 2015 to her brand "Constant & Zoé ". A clothing collection designed for people with disabilities, inspired by the daily life of his brother, Constant, who has had a cerebral palsy since birth. In order to learn more about this great initiative, which is currently going through a rather complicated period like other companies facing Covid-19, we contacted Sarah Da Silva Gomes by phone.
Explain to us the beginnings of "Constant & Zoé".
Sarah : With my mother, we were very quickly confronted with the difficulties of dressing Constant, because of his handicap. It was very tedious to put her clothes on. I said to myself: it is not possible, there must be things to simplify his daily life. It was my teenage resonance. I did my research, I quickly realized that there were initiatives, but the structures were very small compared to the demand. And above all, it did not completely satisfy me. The products were well thought out, very functional but the style was left in the background. It was not the fashion image that I wanted my brother to wear.
How did you set up your business?
Sarah : I did a business school in Lyon and in the third year the speakers suggested that we create a virtual group business. I was hesitant to go on the disability clothing project because I thought my topic was not going to be of interest. But my mom pushed me to do it. So I explained to my comrades how difficult it can be as a caregiver when washing. To my surprise, they were interested. I was raising awareness of a problem they were not aware of. It was very enriching to ask questions about this under-exploited market. And at the end of this study work and after meeting individuals with disabilities, we presented our idea to innovation contests. The jurors were delighted to learn things through our brand and to see solutions to this problem.
Why has this market not been studied by major brands?
Sarah : I have several hypotheses. Already, to get into this market, you must have a real knowledge and legitimacy on the subject of disability and also be able to conduct a business in the world of textiles, making products. It’s really not easy to manage. It’s an environment where there are many interlocutors, suppliers, manufacturers, transporters… You have to look for the right prices… You have to be agile on two rather complex subjects. Large groups have excluded the subject of disability because it is not sexy, salesperson … Things are still moving a bit in fashion because five years ago, it was worse. I'm going to say something that is not going to please, but the stores may not want to see people with disabilities in their stores. There is a parallel to be made with maternity clothing. If you go back 20 years, it was medical. There were some models in store or in pharmacies. Whereas now it's fashion, with brands specific to this field. I think that disability will follow this same development.
What are the differences with so-called traditional clothes?
Sarah : In the way of developing them. The ready-to-wear brands start from the trends, they will look at what will be done in a year. We think differently. We start from needs that are linked to disability. We set up precise specifications based on the difficulties encountered. We will therefore develop functional techniques for putting on clothes. We will also think about "hiding" the adaptation of products. If I take the example of our coat, it has, when we see it, a completely normal appearance but on closer look the buttons which are at the front are completely dummy and in the back there is no fabrics. There is an ingenious pressure opening at the neck. This puts on the coat like a blouse and this avoids making gestures that can be painful for the disabled person. For the shirt, which is the bane of caregivers and caregivers, there will be loose cuts under the arms and very stretchy materials.
Where is the brand today?
Sarah : We are 8 in the team. From July to January of this year, I had to finalize the shareholder pact, the negotiations and get funds. Today, we are working with banks to further invest in the website and in the sales force that will move into medical facilities. This remains our first business model, our first sales channel. We also make ephemeral sales throughout France, in structures that welcome people with disabilities. With this particular context, it's complicated. We make 80% of our turnover in these medical centers and in salons. So between cancellations and confinement everything is stopped. We use our site "Constant & Zoé" for sales and we make regular promotional offers. We never do normal sales because our products are timeless and at fair prices. But with a reduced workforce and less travel expenses we decided to make these price reductions.
"Constant & Zoé" is a very pretty brand full of meaning, which has its place in the world of fashion. Comfort, accessibility, style and modernity are terms for everyone.