Michele Bohbot
Encyclopedia
Michele Bohbot is a Moroccan American fashion designer and retailer.
, Morocco
. At the age of nineteen, she moved to Paris where she studied philosophy and law at Sorbonne University
. When she was 19, she married her husband, Marc, who proposed to her four days after they met.
Michele has been the recipient of multiple awards. In October 2001, she was recognized as the "Best Contemporary Designer" at the Dallas Fashion Awards. In April 2002, she was honored as one of "The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World." In February 2008, she was named as Esteemed Entrepreneur of the Year at The RAW SPIRIT AWARDS in Los Angeles.
Michele currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband Marc and their seven children.
In 1987, Michele left France with her husband and then three young children and settled in Los Angeles where Marc had a business selling French jeans. The business failed, the Bohbots lost everything, and Marc wanted to move back to France. But Michele, who was pregnant with her fourth child, preferred to stay and convinced Marc to stay with her. After the delivery of the baby, she convinced her husband to set up a business with the vision of bringing Parisian street fashion with a modern style to American women. Although she knew something about designing, she had no expertise with sewing or the construction of a garment. With a total of $6,000, she teamed up with a seamstress from her husband's failed jeans business, bought fabric, rented a 100 square feet (9.3 m²) studio, and launched her new line "Bisou Bisou", French slang for, "a little kiss."
Creating "Bisou Bisou" was a labor of love. Due to the lack of start-up money, the easiest and most cost-efficient way for Michele to brand her new line was to put on lipstick, kiss a piece of fabric, hand-sew the label onto each garment and use a rubber ink stamp to press "Bisou Bisou" over each logo.
Michele introduced the clothes using stretch novelty fabric as a new way of dressing sexy without being vulgar which was immediately successful. Over time, the collection grew to incorporate sportswear, denim and dresses. "Bisou Bisou" became an international brand and added licensees for shoes, outerwear, handbags, and accessories with retail stores across the globe. Today, "Bisou Bisou" is seen as a brand for the mass retail market.
In 2003, a licensing agreement was signed with J. C. Penney
, giving exclusive distribution rights to this retail chain. "Bisou Bisou" is currently in its seventh year with JCPenney and still going strong.
Michele and her "Bisou Bisou" story have been profiled in multiple business and fashion publications including the likes of Fortune
, People
, and Elle
magazines.
Michele lectures with the Learning Annex, giving motivational workshops for those in need of guidance. In addition, Michele teaches YOGA classes and established the first-ever children's YOGA program at the Boys and Girls Club of America. Similarly, participates in several Step-Up Women's network events throughout the year.
Michele's favorite leisure activities include yoga and painting.
Biography
Michele Bohbot was born in FezFes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. At the age of nineteen, she moved to Paris where she studied philosophy and law at Sorbonne University
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. When she was 19, she married her husband, Marc, who proposed to her four days after they met.
Michele has been the recipient of multiple awards. In October 2001, she was recognized as the "Best Contemporary Designer" at the Dallas Fashion Awards. In April 2002, she was honored as one of "The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World." In February 2008, she was named as Esteemed Entrepreneur of the Year at The RAW SPIRIT AWARDS in Los Angeles.
Michele currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband Marc and their seven children.
Bisou Bisou
Michele started her fashion career in Paris where she opened her first fashion outlet called "Micky 1." Michele went on to open and manage a number of retail stores that she and Marc owned around Paris.In 1987, Michele left France with her husband and then three young children and settled in Los Angeles where Marc had a business selling French jeans. The business failed, the Bohbots lost everything, and Marc wanted to move back to France. But Michele, who was pregnant with her fourth child, preferred to stay and convinced Marc to stay with her. After the delivery of the baby, she convinced her husband to set up a business with the vision of bringing Parisian street fashion with a modern style to American women. Although she knew something about designing, she had no expertise with sewing or the construction of a garment. With a total of $6,000, she teamed up with a seamstress from her husband's failed jeans business, bought fabric, rented a 100 square feet (9.3 m²) studio, and launched her new line "Bisou Bisou", French slang for, "a little kiss."
Creating "Bisou Bisou" was a labor of love. Due to the lack of start-up money, the easiest and most cost-efficient way for Michele to brand her new line was to put on lipstick, kiss a piece of fabric, hand-sew the label onto each garment and use a rubber ink stamp to press "Bisou Bisou" over each logo.
Michele introduced the clothes using stretch novelty fabric as a new way of dressing sexy without being vulgar which was immediately successful. Over time, the collection grew to incorporate sportswear, denim and dresses. "Bisou Bisou" became an international brand and added licensees for shoes, outerwear, handbags, and accessories with retail stores across the globe. Today, "Bisou Bisou" is seen as a brand for the mass retail market.
In 2003, a licensing agreement was signed with J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
, giving exclusive distribution rights to this retail chain. "Bisou Bisou" is currently in its seventh year with JCPenney and still going strong.
Michele and her "Bisou Bisou" story have been profiled in multiple business and fashion publications including the likes of Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
, People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, and Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
magazines.
Personal life
Michele resides in Los Angeles and is married to Marc. She has seven children, two grandsons and one granddaughterMichele lectures with the Learning Annex, giving motivational workshops for those in need of guidance. In addition, Michele teaches YOGA classes and established the first-ever children's YOGA program at the Boys and Girls Club of America. Similarly, participates in several Step-Up Women's network events throughout the year.
Michele's favorite leisure activities include yoga and painting.