Wibes: premium, ethical and multicultural trainers!

Supported by SKEMA Ventures and SKEMA Alumni since its beginnings (and they of course own a pair of these trainers!), the Wibes startup presented a sneak preview of its new collection to alumni in the PACA region, during the Entrepreneurs’ Club event organised at Village By CA on 8 November 2018 by Marielle Dehopère-Porte and Fabienne Buon.

Wibes is a brand of premium, ethical and multicultural trainers made with wax print fabric from Côte d'Ivoire. We launched our brand in January 2018 with a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. We reached our €15,000 goal in 6 days and raised €22,500 in 30 days in February 2018. Since then, we produced our pilot collection and about 600 pairs have sold across our first partner store, located in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and the 3 marketplaces that distribute our trainers online. We’re going to present our new Spring/Summer 2019 and Autumn/Winter 2019 collection at the Who’s Next trade fair in January. An award-winning brand, Wibes has just received the Janus de la Mode 2018-2019 accolade from Institut Français du Design.

Why did you participate in the SKEMA Alumni PACA Entrepreneurs’ Club event? What did you get out of it?

As SKEMA graduates from the Class of 2018, we know the power of the network and how important it is to take part in it, but also to contribute to it. On several occasions we have received help from several network members, and taking part in the Entrepreneurs’ Club event was an opportunity for us to meet and chat with other members of the Club, share our experiences and, why not, help people looking to start their own venture. It was a great evening during which we were able to share our experience but also learn from others and meet new, interesting and inspiring people.

In what ways does the SKEMA Alumni community support you?

Besides the SKEMA community’s support on the different social networks, particularly Facebook, the brand has been supported from the start by two marketplaces, Dream Act and Meotion, where two SKEMA alumni work: Emeric Delalandre, founder of Meotion and Simon Benoit, sales rep at Dream Act. What’s more, Wibes is now participating in the Amazon Campus Challenge from November 2018 to June 2019, with a team of Skemans including Walid, Betty, Diman, Clara and David, who are currently studying for a Master’s.

We're looking to raise about €200,000 to build up our stock, develop our marketing on a large scale and expand to foreign markets, but also to get some help with marketing, advertising and PR.

Contacts:
Aurélie Gisclon: aurelie.gisclon@skema.edu
Nicolas Raudrant: nicolas.raudrant@skema.edu