Meriem Peillet was born in Algeria, North Africa, in 1957.
She moved to Paris, France in 1961 where she grew up and was
educated. After a BA degree in Science and Math, she studied
philosophy for two years at Nanterre University. Meriem was
always fascinated by street theater and the circus so she
dedicated one year to the study of acrobatics, dance and singing.
She joined an acting troupe at the Conservatoire de Theatre
in the south of France. During this time she also studied
the visual arts, sculpture, enrolling in the l’école
des beaux-arts. In the early 2000s, Meriem launched Pantai
and Quidzy which create and distribute high quality clothing
for women of all ages. The company was selected as one of
the 50 fashion designers chosen to participate in the Ethical
Fashion fair in Paris last October. Meriem and her family
moved to Bali in 2002.
Where do you come from?
I am French. Both my father and mother were French. My father
was a Christian and my mother is the daughter of a Muslim
woman, Turkish-Mongol by origin, and a Hebrew father converted
to Islam.
What kinds of jobs have you had in your life?
I left home early, but my mother agreed to finance my studies
(including books - I was a great reader!). I paid for all
my other daily expenses - room, food, electricity, but no
telephone (too expensive). I have held many kinds of jobs
from maid and actor to singer. For five years I worked in
an ad agency, photo art gallery and publishing house called
Accent, then for 20 years as foreign rights manager at Red
Studio redazionale, an Italian publishing house.
Have you done a lot of international travel?
I know almost the whole of Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Egypt,
North America and Nepal. The world is so wide…Before
I close my eyes and cross the river, I would like to see black
Africa and also visit Mongolia, the land of my ancestors.
I would also like to get to know and understand Asia better
since we now live in this part of the world.
How did you end up doing business in Bali?
When I lived in Italy, world events were so confusing to me,
creating so much anger inside of me. I was fed up. The world
was going too mad. I dreamed for a quiet place to live with
our three children. Was there a place where we could wake
up without being afraid or feeling upset, where our children
could feel good about being alive? We decided that Bali and
Indonesia could be this place, even after the October 2002
bomb. Pantai, the fashion company I was involved in, was already
producing in Indonesia. Two partners living in Bali were seeking
help. This provided the reason to move here.
Who works in your companies?
My partners resigned for personal reasons and returned to
Italy seven months after we arrived in Bali, so now I run
the company by myself. I work mainly with the local people.
I have decided to live in this country so it is with Indonesians
that I want to share my life. There are so many things I can
learn from them and there are also many things that they can
learn from me. As a French citizen I grew up cherishing the
ideals of liberty, friendship and equality. I try to base
my relationships with people on mutual respect and understanding.
I am very proud of the people who produce my products.
What makes the Pantai and Quidzy brands different from other
brands produced on Bali?
Pantai garments use mainly silks and other sophisticated hand
woven materials like colorful tulis and cap batiks. The Quidzy
collections, on the other hand, make use of all kinds of cotton,
mainly stretch, in black and white. The woman who wear Pantai
seems to be more mature, yet someone looking for trendy, comfortable
and sophisticated clothing. Pantai is the perfect balance
between ethnicity and western design and elegance. This is
the main reason why the brand is so successful in Italy, France
and Australia. Women who wear Quidzy are looking more for
fun and funk. She is girlish in many ways, she likes clothes
easy to wear, at any time (morning, afternoon or evening)
and anywhere (at home, at the office in town or indoors) and
easy to wash. What makes them both unique are their quality,
elegance, and the fact that they are made with love, self-respect
and self-esteem by skilled crafts people.
What are the most difficult aspects of the fashion business
on Bali?
Distribution. Shipping the goods is very expensive, too. Also,
the western standard of quality in many fields is different
than the current Asian standards, for cultural reasons mainly.
Indonesia and Bali cannot compete with China or India and
so we have to work hard to provide better quality. This is
the only way to keep competitive.
Do you have any plans for the future?
This year we built a bigger atelier. I am now happy to see
the 25 women who work for us smiling because now they have
enough space, light and music. Next year, I would like to
create a health clinic for the workers and their families
which would also be open to people of the neighborhood. Doctors
and medicine are expensive for the common people. This service
will be free, open half a day twice a month in the beginning,
then weekly when the clinic is up and running. My main problem
is to find a doctor that speaks good Indonesian and Balinese.
A woman would be the best. This is a project I am currently
working on...
To learn more about Pantai and Quidzy, check out their websites:
www.pantai.it <http://www.pantai.it/> and www.quidzy.com
<http://www.quidzy.com/> or contact Meriem directly
at: Meriem@peillet.net.
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
contact : <pakbill2003@yahoo.com>
Copyright@2006 Al Hickey
You can read all past articles of Siapa at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
