BaByBrand – the annual Smiley Company-backed competition devised to accelerate local, sustainable businesses in France – has announced its 2024 winners, this year shining a light on two companies reinvigorating ‘nearly lost craftsmanship in artisanal production.’
Leading the charge at this year’s awards, the French bespoke shoe brand, Chamberlan Paris has been celebrated for its work towards the reindustrialisation of the local footwear sector in Perigord Vert thanks to its ongoing production project, Art Workshop 4.0.
Founded in 2017, Chamberlan Paris boasts a 1,000 square-metre workshop housing over 100 machines and a team of ten skilled craftspeople. Conceived with the mission of keeping the nearly-lost craftsmanship of shoemaking alive, the business currently produces around 2,000 pairs of bespoke shoes a year.
Also celebrated this year was Apple & Cie, a French beverage company specialising in crafting artisanal alternatives to the mainstream selections found on café menus around France. Nestled in Val-d’Oise, its team of brewers and cellar masters reinterpret traditional techniques to present a diverse array of beverages, including ciders, sodas, and beers.
As a part of their winners prize, both businesses will be granted access to the Smiley brand’s intellectual property license with a one-year waiver on the license fee. As a part of this, both brands will actively participate in the Future Positive programme – a project launched by the Smiley Company to drive the sustainable development of manufacturing across all product categories and partnerships.
Nicolas Loufrani, ceo of The Smiley Company, said: “Congratulations to the 2024 BaByBrand Award winners Chamberlan and Apple & Cie. I love meeting entrepreneurs developing unique projects with a passion for what they do. Even better if they’re passionate about sustainability. And in this year’s Awards we saw a selection of the new generation of sustainable brands actively shaping France’s eco-friendly landscape.
“I am excited to work with both winners through our mentorship programme. We love young, talented entrepreneurs and this is an opportunity for us to launch new sustainable Smiley products as part of the Future Positive initiative.”
The mentorship – a prize worth the monetary value of €100,000 – will encompass tailored advice to help develop each brand, foster collaborations, and create a ‘positive halo’ around their products. The winners will also receive free access to The Smiley Company and Future Positive IP without any mandatory guarantee or royalty payments. They are also granted a complimentary booth at Impact.
This is all supplemented with further access to support and mentorship from this year’s BaByBrand panel of expertise.
