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Louis: Hello Nicolas, can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do for a living?
Nicolas : I am co-founder of PLAQ, with Sandra Mielenhausen. We started the activity in September 2019, after two years of training, gestation and finally the implementation of the project.
L : PLAQ, what does it mean to you?
N : It's a chocolate factory, "bean to bar", a somewhat vulgarized term. It's a chocolate that we master from A to Z, from the bean to the slab. We prefer this term that we have re-appropriated. We want to rediscover the taste of real chocolate to epicureans, because it is a product that is very distorted by manufacturers. 95% of chocolate is manufactured by manufacturers and it is difficult to know its origin. I had eaten a lot of chocolate bars but I had never made one. So it was quite cheeky, especially when you wanted to set up on rue du Nil, in Paris.
L : What did Rue du Nil represent for PLAQ?
N : Rue du Nil is a quality label for sourcing, for the requirements for products. It set the bar quite high, where Sandra and I wanted it. We were ourselves customers of shops on Rue du Nil, with people ready to pay the price for quality.
We weren't wrong, because 6 months after opening, Covid hit and it created a stir. We barely remember it today, but people had an hour to do their shopping within a one-kilometer radius. On Rue du Nil, there was a queue in front of the shops and many people not necessarily interested in chocolate came to treat themselves at PLAQ. We immediately said to ourselves "we have to be able to open during this period, otherwise we're dead". We had barely been in existence for 6 months, there were four of us in the shop and we looked each other in the eye. We said to ourselves "let's go for it, we have no choice".
At home, the big girls looked after the little ones and we went into commando mode… People asked us if we were an essential business. Of course we were! We participated in a movement that anchored us in the neighborhood. We brought chocolate fans to Rue du Nil. What's magical about this street is its proportions that create its crazy charm. It mustn't become too caricatured though!
The PLAQ boutique located at 4 rue du Nil, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. It is run by Sandra and Nicolas, who make chocolate from A to Z, from bean to bar. @plaqchocolat. Photo credit: la Grande Epicerie de Paris
L : What about PLAQ’s other projects?
N : We opened a pop-up store in Paris on Rue des Martyrs and we also had a presence at Lafayette Gourmets last Easter. Everything went very well. Customers who knew us were delighted to find us closer to home, others were happy to discover us. That's actually our next step: to make ourselves known outside of Rue du Nil.
@plaqchocolat
L : What does entrepreneurship represent to you?
N : Yesterday I was speaking to Réseau Entreprendre, of which we were laureates and which we joined as members. One of the qualities of the entrepreneur is audacity. We said "qulotté" with a "q" in the values of PLAQ. We made a post-conception acronym: “Pur Libre Artisan Qulotté” which is written in the shop.
I remember presenting the business plan to bankers in which I was going to sell X thousand euros worth of chocolate bars. "Have you made them before?" they asked me. I replied: "No, just in my kitchen."
Behind it, it is a total investment of the couple. It gives strength but it requires a balance in one's personal life. It is very absorbing. We thought we were experts when we were in reality beginners. We tasted bars of chocolate and compared things that could not be compared.
L : And if we talk about clothes now, will that seem a bit far away?
N : Oh no, not at all! It's funny, that's how we projected ourselves in a certain way. We asked ourselves "how are we going to dress? What will the uniforms be, the visual identity, our new jobs?"
There are codes in chocolate making and we came from the world of luxury and graphic design. We had to reconcile the two. The choice of our La Laboureur jackets, in which material, which color? It's our packaging! We had to find a color. We didn't really find ourselves among the three colors of the profession: white, black and blue. We then chose gray which was more in keeping with the packaging.
For the materials, we realized that the different functions of the company would require several uniforms. So we have four distinct uniforms! For example, the chocolatier needs a material that can be washed at high temperatures, so we had to go for technical materials like polyester. For sales, we were able to make choices that were primarily aesthetic, so we chose a simple but well-sourced t-shirt with our logo.
L : What is your relationship with everyday clothing today?
N : It has changed a lot. Changing my job and my life has made me change my clothes.
There are things I don't wear at all anymore. For example, I don't wear office clothes anymore. Already, in my previous life, there was total freedom because I worked in the creative world. And I still tried to keep a certain elegance. I just had to take a small step back from the very traditional style. Now, it's an additional step back. I'm really more in a search for comfort because I have to move around a lot more: I have to wear looser clothes. It's the fashion at the moment but it also fits my needs.
In recent years I have drastically reduced my purchases. Now I am updating my wardrobe slowly, very thoughtfully. Here I have some Australian chef shoes from Tasmania Australia . They are quite cool and quite technical.
I bought my jacket at Blouse de Lyon, a retailer of the Le Laboureur brand. I wear Japanese jeans, which are not cheap but very comfortable. I buy from brands that have the same concerns as me: practical, can be washed at high temperatures and remain elegant.
I used to buy Vetra suits, a workwear brand that had ventured into suits. Today, I go to these brands, very heritage and authentic, and I go there to look for a real technical and functional garment from the start. I find that it has its charm.
L : If we came into your house today and opened your closet, what would we find there?
N : There you can find my wardrobe that dates from before 2017 that I hardly wear anymore. I updated my jeans, expanded my wardrobe with sweatshirts, t-shirts and overshirts.
L : The suit, you never really wore it actually. But now it's over?
N : Actually I had some, for weddings, special occasions. I already had Vetra suits in cotton moleskin. Today it is no longer my daily life.
By "Tasmania Australia", we think Nicolas is talking about Blundstone! It is indeed an Australian brand based in Tasmania. We talked about Blundstone here in particular.
L : You participated in our costume shooting and we thank you for that. What does the costume represent for you?
N : For me, the suit is more of an office or representational function. Seeing myself in a suit when it had been a long time since I had worn one reminded me that I like them. The one I wore for the shooting, I said to myself “hey, I would be happy to wear this one to go to an event.”
It's a light, comfortable suit. I can see myself wearing it for a wedding, but also for everyday wear: casually with cool shoes or a t-shirt, I would wear it at work. I can twist it, by mismatching the jacket with a t-shirt and jeans, or the pants with something else. It's the coordinated side that doesn't suit me anymore. If I go to the office like that, people will say to me "are you going to see a banker or are you going to a wedding?"
L : Thank you Nicolas. A final word, perhaps?
N : I was pleased to do these fittings and this photoshoot with BonneGueule. I found quality pieces that correspond to my concerns. Marc Beaugé says that the best clothing is the one you don't buy. It's quite hard for the fashion industry but it still makes you think. The right purchase is the one that is reasoned. It's like chocolate in the end!
