On y va à Paris

Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the Maison et Objet trade fair in Paris, REFISHED had the unique opportunity to present our upcycling brand on an international stage. This fantastic project was made possible by the ‘International Market Entry’ grant from the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO), for which we are very grateful.

Let's go!

We stayed in a small, charming hotel across from the exhibition centre, which was close to the airport, making our arrival straightforward.The journey began on 3 September 2024. We, Sissi and Fanni, flew from Vienna to Paris early in the morning. By midday, we were ready to take the first steps to bring the parcels sent from Austria (a little tedious, but doable) to the exhibition hall. We began to set up our stand with great enthusiasm.

The second day was characterised by craft activities and meeting Jeanette in person for the first time. She is a friend of Sissi's and supported us at the exhibition centre and with the preparations, as she lives in Paris. Over the next few days, her fluent French and her experience in marketing and working with fashion displays - from her long time at Louis Vuitton - proved to be a huge help.

So, with Jeanette's support, we worked hand in hand to ensure that all the boards hung straight and the bags were positioned nicely. It took a while before everyone, especially Sissi, was happy, but it was worth the effort. In the end, we had created an inviting and open stand that reflected the core values of our brand. In the evening, we rewarded ourselves with a first trip to Paris together and enjoyed a delicious dinner in a nice restaurant in the Parisian alleys.

Here we go!

The day started early on Thursday, at 9am, when we made the final preparations for the trade fair. At 10.30 am on the dot, we were ready to welcome the trade fair visitors and convince them of our fair upcycling brand. Nice conversations and acquaintances followed throughout the day, and the team quickly settled in. The day was filled with warm conversations and inspiring acquaintances. It was touching to see how our sustainable brand was well received. In particular, the exchange with other entrepreneurs proved to be formative for Sissi. In addition to receiving orders and presenting the brand, Fanni also made sure to produce a lot of social media content and we had great fun presenting our colour-coordinated outfits in combination with our colourful bags in the Instagram stories every day.

The following three days were similar - full of energy, creativity and interaction. With each day, it became easier to present REFISHED and we increasingly felt part of the international design community. The conversations with interested people, the enthusiasm for our fair-trade products and the positive feedback gave us a huge boost.

A successful finale!

On Monday evening, after the end of the fair, we dismantled all the boards and pieces of furniture again and packed everything together in boxes, which we then sent back from the hotel. We then said goodbye to our great support, Jeanette, who was allowed to stay in beautiful Paris, and returned to the hotel at around 10pm to share a pizza as a well-deserved reward. It was the perfect end to an intense and fulfilling day. The return journey was on the agenda for Tuesday lunchtime.

To summarise, the trade fair was truly a melting pot of creative ideas and inspiring encounters. These experiences and the intensive preparation phase at home in Vienna brought us even closer together as a team.

All in all, the Maison et Objet trade fair was not only a platform for presenting our REFISHED brand, but also a source of inspiration and exchange. We are returning to Vienna with new ideas and valuable contacts.

Paris, we'll be back!