Marissa, co-founder of 23 Mai Paris : From children's fashion to nursing wear

We often get to know a brand through its products before we get to know the people behind it. Yet at 23 Mai Paris, the story of the clothing is inextricably linked to that of its designers. In this article, we introduce you to Marissa, co-founder of 23 Mai Paris alongside Éléonore: her journey in children’s fashion, her lifelong friendship, and how her own experience of motherhood gave rise to a nursing wardrobe designed for real life.

Who is Marissa, co-founder of 23 Mai Paris ?

Marissa is one of the two founders of 23 Mai Paris, the French brand of maternity and nursing clothing that she created with her friend Éléonore. If you’d like to learn more about the duo, the page “Éléonore and Marissa, the Founders” tells the story of how they met and how their strengths complement each other.

What stands out about Marissa’s journey is the consistency between what she has learned, what she has experienced, and what she creates today. Trained as a children’s fashion designer, a mother, and then an entrepreneur, she has always held to the same standard: a garment must be beautiful, well-tailored, and comfortable to wear. It is this standard that is reflected today in every piece in the 23 Mai Paris collection, which now dresses more than 100,000 moms.

Her start in children's fashion at Cordelia de Castellane

Before launching her own brand, Marissa cut her teeth designing children’s clothing at Cordelia de Castellane, a fashion house renowned for its elegance and craftsmanship. It was a demanding apprenticeship that profoundly shaped her approach to designing clothing.

An eye for beautiful materials

Working for a brand of this caliber means learning to recognize a beautiful fabric by touch, and understanding how a material behaves, washes, and ages. For a breastfeeding mom, this attention to detail is no small matter: a garment worn day and night, against a baby’s skin, must be soft, supple, and durable. That’s exactly what you’ll find in our basic “Breastfeeding t-shirts ,” designed to be worn over and over again without losing their shape.

Precision in Cutting and Finishing

Children’s fashion is a field where everything comes down to proportions and finishing touches. A misplaced seam or a closure that’s hard to use can turn a garment into a hassle. From this experience, Marissa has developed a true eye for detail—a quality that really shines when it comes to designing nursing openings that are both discreet and easy to use with just one hand. To learn more about how a piece comes to life here, our “Behind the Scenes” page takes you inside the workshop.

A lifelong friendship with Éléonore

It’s impossible to talk about Marissa without mentioning Éléonore. The two founders have been friends since childhood: the kind of friends who understand each other with just a glance and who have shared both laughter and hardships. Their bond has grown into a true family, as they are now godparents to each other’s children.

Their strength lies in how well they complement each other. One is spontaneous, the other is methodical; one thinks big, the other organizes and brings ideas to life. Two different approaches, but a single, shared standard. While Marissa brought her experience in children’s fashion design, Éléonore had created and managed her own jewelry e-commerce site—a first entrepreneurial venture that taught her about customer relations and brand management from A to Z.

It is this combination of creativity and entrepreneurship that made 23 Mai Paris possible. As the “Our History” page explains, the brand is first and foremost the story of a friendship—long before it became a story about clothing.

Motherhood: A Turning Point

Marissa and Éléonore became mothers at almost the same time. That's when their two worlds naturally came together.

Getting Started in Children's Apparel

In the very beginning, the two friends designed children's clothing. For Marissa, it was a natural extension of her profession, and for both of them, it was the world they knew best as new moms. That legacy is still very much alive: you can see it in the kids' collection, in our baby pajamas, and even in our baby "knit " pieces.

Breastfeeding Assessment

Everything changed when they were confronted with the realities of breastfeeding. While searching for suitable clothing, they made a frustrating discovery: there were very few options on the market, and the items they found were often expensive and rarely suited their tastes. It was as if, upon becoming a mother, you had to give up dressing the way you liked.

Marissa and Éléonore didn’t identify with that idea, and they knew that thousands of moms felt the same way. So they decided to create together the brand they would have loved to find back then: beautiful, practical nursing clothes designed for everyday life and affordable. This fight against fashion compromises is, in fact, at the heart of our article, “Being a Mom Without Sacrificing Your Style.”

What Marissa Brings to the Collections 23 Mai Paris

Today, Marissa’s designer’s eye is evident at every stage of the creative process. Her background in high-end children’s fashion is reflected in her choice of materials, the precision of the cuts, and the attention to detail in the finishes.

Openings Designed for Everyday Use

Good nursing clothing should allow you to feed your baby anywhere without feeling exposed, while still being something you actually want to wear. That’s the balance we strive for in every design, from Breastfeeding t-shirtsnursing sweatshirts to Breastfeeding dresses dresses for occasions when you want to feel a little more put-together. To understand the technical considerations behind these openings, our “Breastfeeding Expertise” page explains our approach.

Just one question: “Would I wear it?”

At 23 Mai Paris, no piece is designed without the founders asking themselves this simple question. That is undoubtedly the brand’s secret: clothing created by moms, for moms. This commitment also explains the importance of personalization in our collections—for example, the customizable nursing top, which transforms a practical garment into a one-of-a-kind piece full of meaning.

How to Rediscover Marissa's World in the Locker Room 23 Mai Paris

If you’re new to the brand, the easiest way to start is with the pieces that best embody the founders’ vision. For a core wardrobe that will see you through the entire breastfeeding period, basics are always a safe bet. If you prefer more statement pieces, the printed “Breastfeeding t-shirts ” perfectly capture the desire to stay stylish every day. And to stay up to date with what Marissa and Éléonore are currently creating, the new collection showcases their latest designs.

The brand's mission has also expanded beyond breastfeeding: it now supports women starting from pregnancy and even offers pieces the whole family can enjoy together in the Moms and Dads collection. Finally, to get an idea of what moms who already wear our clothes think, check out our customer reviews page.

In summary

Marissa, co-founder of 23 Mai Paris, got her start designing children’s clothing at Cordelia de Castellane, where she developed an eye for beautiful fabrics and precise cuts. A lifelong friend of Éléonore’s, she became a mother around the same time as her, and it was while facing the challenges of breastfeeding that the two friends decided to create the brand they wished they could have found. Today, her high standards as a designer are reflected in every piece, guided by a simple question: “Would I wear this myself?” A philosophy that has already won over more than 100,000 moms.