THE STORY BEHIND OUR NAME : WHY CHARLOTTE SY DIMBY & L'ÎLE AUX FÉES

You may be wondering why our handmade garments and smocked dresses have a “Charlotte sy Dimby” label… Is it the designer’s name? What does Dimby stand for? 

You may also have come across the name of our Parisian boutique “L’Île aux Fées” and be curious to know more about its meaning.

Here are the answers to all your questions.

Charlotte sy Dimby is our brand name. Chosen by our designer, Monique Ramahay, each word is meaningful and has a story of its own.

Charlotte :

Classic French girl’s name, popular in France since the fifteenth century, Charlotte holds a special place in our hearts. Indeed, Monique has had the honour of dressing two princesses named Charlotte.

First, whilst collaborating with Bonpoint, one of the most elegant French children’s brands, for whom the atelier made smocked dresses during several years. Working with the founders, she created a special design with little boats for Princess Charlotte of Monaco, who was at that time 2 years old. The picture was published in the magazine Point de Vue and had a huge success!

While working with a British partner, the atelier also had the great honour of making a smocked dress selected and worn by Princess Charlotte during her trip to Canada in September 2016. What a joy to dress a member of the British royal family. You can learn more about it here.

To allow each and every little girl to live her princess dreams, we have made a new edition of the princess Charlotte dress. See here.

Last but not least, Charlotte has become the nickname of Sybille, in charge of the Parisian boutique and online store. Frequently being called so by mothers and children alike, it is now her second name! She is fond of it!

Sy :  

Sy is a symbol of union as it means "and" in Madagascan, mother tongue of our atelier and birth island of Monique. We like to consider Charlotte sy Dimby as a big family, in which all are united to celebrate childhood! Our wish is to create bonds through our collections : trustworthy relationships between the atelier and families, links between generations with dresses passed down as precious heirlooms, ties with children by taking part in their special moments and many more... 

Dimby :

Dimby is part of our designer's full last name "Ramahay – Mandimby". It also means "he who has the wisdom to come after". Linked to the notion of heritage, this term perfectly matches with our values. Keeping the art of smocking and traditional couture alive is at the heart of our brand philosophy.

L’Île aux Fées is the name of our unique children’s wear boutique located in the heart of Paris. It translates as "fairy island" in French. 

Île : (meaning island)

Bringing to mind faraway adventures and fantasy tales, we like to think of our boutique as a magical island, a place out of space and time in which to dream! It is also a subtle nod to Madagascar, known as the red island.

Fée : (meaning fairy)

In French, the saying "doigts de fée" is used to describe someone who is extremely skilled with their hands. Such is the case of our team members who bring to life all our collections thanks to expert know-hows and traditional craftsmanship. 

We also consider each and every little girl entering our universe as a sweet and delicate fairy!

Be it in our Parisian boutique L’Île aux Fées or through our e-shop and social media Charlotte sy Dimby, please feel welcome! “Alone we are a mere petal but all together we can create the most stunning bouquets!”

Learn more about our Parisian boutique

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