“It all started in Bali… and with a passion for shopping!”
– Aurore Laroche
In the trunks from Bali
The boutique was born from a simple calculation: we were already shipping containers from Bali for the campsite. And with a container, the aim is to make the most of the available capacity. So we started adding clothes, jewellery and items that simply couldn’t be found in France to fill the remaining space. And then it became a real business. Together with Véro, we opened boutiques on the French Riviera and elsewhere in France for several years. We also created a brand called “Yemoja”, the Princess of Pearls, with a former senior designer from Christian Dior as our advisor.
We fancied ourselves as fashion designers for a while. We created our own designs, made our own jewellery and recreated dresses inspired by major fashion houses. I remember one dress inspired by Louis Vuitton, made from thick openwork lace and tailored to my measurements. Except we had forgotten to pre-wash the cotton. After the first wash, what had once reached my knees turned into a long shirt. Quite a funny experience as a fashion designer!
The adventure lasted as long as it lasted. Fashion is a real profession. We learned from the experience and kept what worked best: the Esterel Caravaning boutique, which had always been the most successful.
The whole world as our supplier
Since then, our approach has become more refined. Every trip is an opportunity to source new products. In October, in Bali, I put together a consolidated shipment of around a thousand items: home décor, jewellery, clothing… A three-day stopover in Delhi on the way back from the Himalayas? Genuine cashmere pashminas brought home in our luggage and sold for €45 each. In Morocco, baskets. Then came Covid, and the closure of travel routes to Asia. A Corsican friend pointed us towards Italy, to Prato, near Florence. A four-hour drive, impeccable quality control, and beautifully made cotton and linen fabrics. We still go there today.
In Paris, trade shows such as Maison & Objet and Who’s Next are also opportunities to uncover hidden gems, like sunglasses from a Spanish designer. The idea is always the same: to offer products you won’t find anywhere else.
A men’s collection
For years, the boutique catered exclusively to women. Then Hanna, my daughter-in-law, created the men’s collection, with Bermuda shorts and shirts in linen and cotton. It has been incredibly successful. We now also offer matching parent-and-child outfits: a shirt for Dad with a matching shirt for his little boy, or a dress for Mum with a matching dress for her little girl.
There is also the Esterel Caravaning collection, launched for our 40th anniversary: beach towels, pouches, bags, goodies… Another souvenir to take home, alongside the bag guests receive on arrival and the umbrella they receive when they leave. Families go home with a little piece of Esterel.
Winter too
Three years ago, we added a Winter Collection to the boutique. It is another way of staying connected with our families during the low season: knitwear, pashminas, cardigans and jumpers. And at the end of every summer comes the big clearance sale: the entire collection at 50% off, while stocks last. An event our regular guests know very well!
Between us: Caravaning takes to the catwalk
Fashion shows at Esterel Caravaning began around thirty years ago. Back then, they took place around the swimming pool, featuring brands such as Panzeri and Soraya. The models? Members of the entertainment team and our guests. Even then.
The fashion shows disappeared for a few years before returning to the boutique in 2020: new collections, different themes, and outfits brought back from Asia, Italy and Spain. Staff members walked the runway, along with a few of our guests. For five years, the Patio was transformed into a fashion catwalk for one evening.
This year, the fashion shows are taking a break. They require a great deal of work and preparation. Other concepts will come along. That is how Esterel Caravaning has worked for fifty years: we create, we experiment, we evolve.
– Aurore
