The brand of our happy days

Our story

It all began with a story of family and friendship, and a desire to create a singular, creative world. Clothes for happy days, where aesthetics meet comfort. Over time, a brand true to its values: poetry, creativity and authenticity.

A hand holds a green Pantone swatch above embroidered collars and a sketchbook

We move forward always seeking the right balance: between beautiful and useful, between creativity and responsibility.
We work with carefully chosen materials: natural fibres wherever possible, thoughtfully sourced and made to last. Because a garment is not made to be consumed, but to be lived in, and ideally loved for quite a while.

Building a wardrobe demands real rigour. Comfort, softness, durability and freedom of movement cannot be sacrificed for the sake of aesthetics alone. A garment must combine all these qualities in order to last and be passed down — which makes creating it complex, technical, yet absolutely thrilling.

“ I dreamed of clothes that would remind me of the sensations of those days and stand the test of time. The desire to dress, to wrap people in warmth and to pass on what I had been taught led me to create my own brand, and Emile et Ida was born ”

Embroidered collar laid on a mustard sweatshirt, surrounded by figs and dried flowers

Delphine painting flowers in watercolor on a wooden table

We believe in the value of craftsmanship. That of the workshops we have worked with for years, notably in India and Portugal, where unique know-how brings to life pieces full of detail, character and soul.

We only produce what is necessary. No more.
We prefer to repair rather than replace, to extend rather than throw away, to pass on rather than accumulate.

And when a garment finds another life elsewhere, that suits us just fine — it goes off to live another life.
Finally, we keep one simple idea in mind: to do better. With sincerity, care, and a certain joy in creating timeless clothes that last.

The designer

I come from Paris. From a gentle childhood, with family summers in Brittany, in houses full of children and animals.

My grandparents, uncles and aunts ran garment workshops.
I grew up surrounded by materials, by gestures, by the time it takes to do things well.
I learned about community, a taste for freedom and movement.
Summer camps, as a child and later as a counsellor, shaped my spirit of adventure.

Then I designed for major brands (Dim, Petit Bateau, Kenzo, Kickers).
And one day, I knew I wanted to do things differently.
So I chose to be free.

To work with family.
To give the brand the first names of my two parents, Emile and Ida.
To create fashion that makes sense
and accompanies happy moments.

Delphine Papiernik

“I am from the country of my childhood,”

said the psychoanalyst Maud Mannoni.

Timeline

Originally exclusively for children, devoted to the carefree spirit of happy days, holidays and the school playground, the house's fashion combines freedom of movement and elegance to dress lively little ones.

Building on its success, the brand extended its creative vocabulary to women from 2017. The clothes tell a story of everyday life infused with poetry and softness: highly crafted timeless pieces (hand embroidery, smocking) blend with a contemporary, casual wardrobe. The collections, made from the finest materials in committed factories, are passed down from generation to generation and accompany every moment of life.

Birth of the brand

Her head buzzing with ideas and desires, Delphine leaves her job to create the clothes she dreams of for children. Supported and encouraged by her father Emile and a friend, the three of them set off on the adventure together.

A time when her home was turned into a workshop-office, where her children and their friends were the first models. A first collection that already benefited from the know-how and quality of “Made in Portugal”.

A little girl kisses a little boy on the cheek, both dressed in Emile et Ida

Trip to India

The team travels to India to discover Mukesh (pretty little dots of gilded metal) and hand embroidery, marking the start of a close collaboration with Vikram, our partner on site.

The time of softness

A specialist in soft materials and cocooning, Emile et Ida offers a collection of sweatshirts for girls and boys from 2013.
Sweats like a second skin, to be worn every day, comfortable, soft, now in organic cotton, made in Portugal.

A curly-haired little boy wears a grey sweatshirt printed with a top hat and a moustache

A little girl in a grey dress and beret, sitting on a table next to a drawn bird

The house grows

Emile et Ida launches its line of shoes in calf leather and natural crêpe.
Accessories make their appearance for the back-to-school season (satchels, pencil cases) and for the home (suitcases, toiletry bags, etc.).

The addresses

Emile et Ida opens its first boutique on the Île de Ré, soon followed by a boutique in Paris, in Les Abbesses.

The women's collection

Emile et Ida launches its first women's line. Same standards, same softness: soft, poetic pieces designed to last, to be handed down, and to accompany everyday life with precision.

A woman in a houndstooth coat, striped polo and wide jeans, wearing a denim hat

Meet us at Le Bon Marché

Emile et Ida settles into Le Bon Marché.

Solidarity

Launch of the first charity sale. An annual event of which 20% of revenue is donated to a charity.

Poster for the Emile & Ida x Imagine for Margo charity sale: two children forehead to forehead

Emile & Ida gets a makeover

The brand calls on Atelier Deux-Cé to rethink its visual identity and its new website.

New Emile & Ida visual identity: three visuals from the redesign by Atelier Deux-Cé

Les Batignolles

Emile et Ida opens a new Women's & Children's boutique in the heart of Les Batignolles. Find all our boutiques here.

A mission-driven company

In an ever more responsible and ethical approach, Emile et Ida becomes a mission-driven company as it celebrates its 15th anniversary!

New horizons

The brand is moving its offices and showroom to the 10th arrondissement and is committing to B Corp certification.

Storefront of the Emile & Ida Batignolles store, a passer-by walking his dogs