Background
Michele Bohbot was born in Fez, Morocco to a Jewish family.
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Michele Bohbot
Edit ProfileEducation
At the age of nineteen, she moved to Paris where she studied philosophy and law at Sorbonne University.
Career
Michele has been the recipient of multiple awards. In October 2001, she was recognized as the "Best Contemporary Designer" at the Dallas Fashion Awards. Michele started her fashion career in Paris where she opened her first fashion outlet called "Micky 1." Michele went on to open and manage a number of retail stores that she and Marc owned around Paris.
The business failed, the Bohbots lost everything, and Marc wanted to move back to France.
Although she knew something about designing, she had no expertise with sewing or the construction of a garment. With a total of $6,000, she teamed up with a seamstress from her husband"s failed jeans business, bought fabric, rented a 100-square-foot (93 m2) studio, and launched her new line "", French slang for, "a little kiss."
Creating "" was a labor of love.
Due to the lack of start-up money, the easiest and most cost-efficient way for Michele to brand her new line was to put on lipstick, kiss a piece of fabric, hand-sew the label onto each garment and use a rubber ink stamp to press "" over each logo. Michele introduced the clothes using stretch novelty fabric as a new way of dressing sexy without being vulgar which was immediately successful.
Over time, the collection grew to incorporate sportswear, denim and dresses.
"" became an international brand and added licensees for shoes, outerwear, handbags, and accessories with retail stores across the globe. Today, "" is seen as a brand for the mass retail market. In 2003, a licensing agreement was signed with J. C. Penney, giving exclusive distribution rights to this retail chain.
"" is currently in its seventh year with JCPenney and still going strong.
Michele and her "" story have been profiled in multiple business and fashion publications including the likes of Fortune, People, and Elle magazines.
