Rencontre avec Matthieu Guégan (BBA EDHEC 2019), founder of TAFANELLI

Matthieu Guégan (BBA EDHEC 2019) is the founder of TAFANELLI, but he has temporarily moved away from the brand’s usual production to support the French Red Cross in the current health crisis. This entrepreneur launched a crowdfunding campaign (link here) linked to the sale of a recycled 100% cotton T-shirt available by pre-order in just one model. All of the money raised will be paid directly to the Red Cross. This is his way of putting his expertise as a supplier and his ideas to good use in the fight against COVID-19.

Who are you?

I graduated from the BBA EDHEC programme having specialized in entrepreneurship (Class of 2019 – Lille).
At the end of my studies I did an internship with Louis Vuitton as an events project manager in France. That experience put me in direct contact with various stakeholders, in-house staff, suppliers and other service providers with whom I built up close links.
I later had the opportunity to continue my education at EM Lyon, where I completed an MSc in Luxury Management (Class of 2019–2021).
At the same time I signed up for a course at UAL (London College of Fashion) on the Saint Martin campus, where I learned about fashion business and developed an understanding of the challenges inherent in responsible and innovative fashion.

Can you tell us how your business came about?

In London I had a chance to work on my idea, which was to launch a brand of trench coats with a loose fit, inspired by the know-how of Persian rug production as part of a class entitled “How to Start Your Own Fashion Label” run by Alison Lowe (decorated by the Queen of England for services to the Crown). My trench coats are made in France and sold under the TAFANELLI brand name. This is a brand with a family heritage, as it was my mother’s maiden name. But now we have to face up to COVID-19, which has compelled us to act! And so temporarily we have switched our project so we can support the fight against the virus.

To put it briefly: TAFANELLI is a committed clothing brand whose launch has been disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis. And it is this crisis which has inspired our current project: the sale of a T-shirt, with all profits going directly to the French Red Cross to combat the virus.

Tell us about your business:

The product: an oversized trench coat only available by pre-order and with a single model, inspired by the know-how of Persian rug production.

The market: high-end coats/jackets. Responsible, innovative and committed luxury fashion market. We aim to compete with clothing designers generally, but also brands like Burberry, APC, ACNE Studio, Gant and others.

Target customers: late millennials (Generation Y) and HENRY millennials.
(HENRYs: “High Earners, Not Rich Yet”. This is a generation who are beginning to be well-off and are selective in the products they buy, products made using craft skills, with a history and a journey written into them. This generation is looking for authenticity.) Another target is Generation Z, who are mindful of the way clothes are made.

For the T-shirts (operation COVID-19), we have of course broadened the spectrum of our target market.

The team: so far I am on my own, running Tafanelli as a one-man operation, but with significant support from my friends and students at EDHEC, as well as receiving encouragement and advice from former managers at Louis Vuitton. As for future development, I expect the team to expand with digital and PR units, a personal stylist, and more if the adventure proves a success.

Originality: the products are made from Persian rugs, with a single model and only available by pre-order, with a business model based on solidarity. Our signature is also unique.

Our signature: the Persian rug and the drop in our logo, a reference to the history of these rugs.

What is your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure? 

This entrepreneurial adventure has been driven by the desire to see through my idea and continue to persevere in the effort to create value. Switching direction and adapting to face this crisis is an opportunity to put my work and my research to the benefit of an inevitable struggle. I’m very lucky to be able to contribute to this cause in my own small way. To invest knowing that the fruit of our work will go to the Red Cross is a wonderful objective and in line with my life project and my values.

What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs?

You have to take the plunge: “100% of winners tried their luck”. You can’t doubt your project for one second. One way or the other, your efforts will pay off. “Prototype as if you were right and test as if you were wrong.” It’s important to use the network we have. Feeling supported by your classmates and friends is also what allows you to take a step back. It’s about having a 360° vision of what is happening to cope with the challenges of the world as best you can. There’s no telling what the future holds, as COVID-19 has shown us: when we graduated none of us could have imagined that we would have to go through all this. It’s important to rally together with a broad spectrum.

What's next for your project?

The next phase in the project is to pursue this adventure and donate the biggest possible sum to the Red Cross. I hope to reach 200% to 300% of the initial goal so we can make our community even stronger and more united. It is important to consolidate the “TAFANELLI Connection” so our future messages can be heard and acted upon.

My hope is that my family brand can have an impact while respecting its values and ethics: authenticity, sharing and know-how.

We are planning to make a commitment to offer the Red Cross a donation of 15% on each sale of our trench coats in the longer term to send out a strong and authentic message and continue to support our values of unity and sharing.

What are your expectations from the community of graduates?

I hope they can use their networks to spread the word about the campaign and our message to as many people as possible. Many thanks!

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