Bleu Cobalt, Boldly Different, Unapologetically Authentic

Handcrafting, texture, authenticity—they’re all making a comeback. But when Maud and Coralie picked up their brushes in 2015, it wasn’t a guaranteed success. How do you convince people with original designs created using woodblock prints in a world dominated by digital? Ancient techniques like suminagashi or encaustic painting outdated? Hardly. These women were simply a decade ahead of the trend!

THE BRAND

Bleu Cobalt was born from the desire of two former fashion stylists to explore their creativity in a more traditional, tactile manner: "We wanted to focus on pure drawing before thinking about the product, to blend innovation and tradition." The originality of their creative studio, founded after leaving their fashion jobs, lies in reworking designs by hand to enhance the depth and vibrancy of the patterns and selling clients a digitally reproducible service. "We are the only ones offering originals alongside digitalization." It’s essentially artisanal craftsmanship transferrable via computer. This innovation for fashion, stationery, and home decor led to the creation of twelve wallpapers with Les Papiers de Ninon. The success of this collaboration resulted in a second collection, set to be showcased at Maison&Objet Paris in September https://www.maison-objet.com/en/paris , featuring warmer, more clay-like colors compared to their signature cobalt blue. "Our large, textured prints fit perfectly with interior architecture, which is the sector we aim to prioritize, but since my taste in fashion is similar, I’m also thrilled with our fashion collaborations!"

THE ROCKY START

Maud Péneau and Coralie Camarassa: "Returning to hand-drawn textile design in 2015, within an almost entirely digital environment, wasn’t an easy positioning! We looked like fine artists unwilling to sell original boards and unsure how to complete the design product. Instead of embracing our return to craftsmanship, fearing to disappoint with our brushes, we presented digital files and ended up indistinguishable from other creative studios."

THE OPPORTUNITY

Maud Péneau and Coralie Camarassa: "When our arguments didn't resonate with prospects, we decided to showcase only our manual work—even if the final product remained a digital file. To preserve every grain and hue of the hand-drawn designs, we invented a painstaking method that can be termed digital craftsmanship! Teaching this meticulous skill to our apprentices, we realized how astonishing this expertise was. This year, we finally invested in a professional software (Ava) that saves us precious time and marks a significant milestone in our success."

THE MORAL OF THE STORY

Maud Péneau and Coralie Camarassa: "Fully embrace who you are, even if you feel very (or too) different. Dare to remain yourself when your pitch to potential clients elicits doubtful reactions. Our debut at Maison&Objet Paris in March 2021 with original boards changed our lives. We showcased our wallpapers even before the Pattern Lab existed. And this difference that we hesitated to assert initially is why architects and decorators seek us out today."

Discover the brand Bleu Cobalt on MOM