The "Mom Edit" in Paris: Art as an act of resistance with Clemence Dumont

I am so happy to have a very special guest for this “Mom Edit” all the way from Paris.

Clémence lives in Paris with her three-year-old son, Virgile. Her path to motherhood has not been an easy one, and I admire her so much for everything she has been through with grace and resilience.

We met at Chloé where we were both working in Merchandising back in 2015. She is a great friend, an amazing mother, and an incredible artist with impeccable taste.

She studied textiles at Duperré, fashion design at La Cambre, and fashion business at IFM. After working in the luxury fashion world for many years, she joined Simrane as Creative Director in 2018.

Obsessed with 18th-century fabrics, she began collecting them in 2017 and started creating textile artworks called “La Vague”. transforming antique fabrics into unique pillows that feel like pieces of art.

Tell us about your work at Simrane

I am creative director and I oversee the collections, creative image, and partnerships of the brand. Since the beginning, we have worked with the same families of printers, which makes the project incredibly meaningful on a human level. I’m also lucky enough to spend one month every year in India working closely on the creative process there.

For the past 55 years, the house has been dedicated to preserving the craftsmanship of traditional block printing through textile collections created in India.

What are your passions outside of work?

I spend a lot of time in museums, eating good food, and trying to drink a little less. I draw, paint, work with watercolor and ink, and I’ve recently started embroidering again, this time using my own drawings. It’s a medium that is deeply calming to me.

Embroidery still fascinates me the same way it did during my schools years in 2007, when I created pieces around bodybuilders, and later with my “media jungles” series in 2017. In a way, embroidering in 2026 almost feels like an act of resistance.

How do you balance work and life. What are the things you’ve prioritized? And how do you make time for yourself?

I am lucky enough to work freelance, so I manage my time around my son.

I am a single mom, and on the days he is home, I am with him 100%. I try to do things together that I also enjoy. We went to see an exhibition on fashion costumes from the 18th century the other day, and he loved it. I will buy fancy paints and art materials, and we draw together, and this is my little pleasure.

I like to go to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs library to get inspired and to the public swimming pool. I stopped pressuring myself to see friends just because I am too tired and I can’t commute across the city; I also know it is a season of my life.

I create and paint a lot at home, or I go to the countryside to my best friend’s house; where I like to walk in the forest for hours.

For work, I have to go to India twice a year, and it’s hard to be separated from my son, but when I am there, I can fully focus on my creative work.

Any mom struggle at the moment?

My son is 3.5, and his sleep has always been really hard. Last year, he was waking up at 4 a.m. every day, and now he doesn’t want to go to bed, so he falls asleep at 10 p.m., but at least he sleeps until 7 am. It’s been really hard on my mental health; the lack of sleep really drives you nuts, but I have decided to let it go and not try to put him to bed earlier because the stress it causes is not beneficial for anyone.

One Advice to give to mothers?

Everything is a phase. And it’s important to enjoy even when it’s hard because they are so cute and so funny.

Something for Mama:

• I don’t really buy clothes anymore, maybe just a pair of trousers from Officine Générale from time to time.

• One day, I’ll treat myself to a ring from Griegst.

• Favorite Pajamas from Tekla.

• A restaurant Freddy’s in Saint Germain and a wine bar le vin au vert in the 9th.

• This Chanel foundation over the Weleda skin food cream is my everyday beauty routine.

Something for Bebe:

• This little airplane craft punch might genuinely be the thing that has brought him the most joy in his entire life. Personally, I prefer the giant flower shape, obviously.

• I could buy absolutely everything from The Animals Observatory, and they just launched a collaboration with Zara, which is making it very difficult to stick to my “no mass market” mantra.

• I adore Pain d’Épices Paris for traditional toys, dollhouses, miniatures, and felted wool treasures.

• I found this vintage Elmer tea set suitcase secondhand a true victory.

• Blessing or torture? For the past six months, he has been completely obsessed with L’Hiver de Barbapapa. My son doesn’t know Paw Patrol, but we read this book every single morning and every single evening, so naturally his birthday theme this year will be… Barbapapa!

Something for Casa:

• I love the large Goto glasses from Laguna~B.

• These rhubarb-colored ceramic plates from Jars Céramistes make every meal feel special.

• My linen sheets are from Volga Linen.

• I found a set of 1930s French stools at Drouot (a famous antique auction house) they work as side tables, coffee tables, stools, etc. Everything has to multitask when you live in 45 square meters.

Something to Read or Watch:

I have now fully embraced spending so many evenings at home. Here are a few favorite books and movies from the past three months. I also love packing an entire suitcase of books whenever I travel to India.

To Read

• The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing

• Wellness by Nathan Hill

• The Tree of Man by Patrick White

• On Women: Essays and conversations by Susan Sontag

To watch

• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

• The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray

Something to Eat:

To be perfectly honest, since I am a mother, I don’t cook a lot of elaborate recipes anymore; I just eat very healthy meals. I usually make a lot of salads with many things inside and quinoa bowls. I don’t give much sweets or chocolate to my son which feels like a big win.

My favorite go-to cooking inspiration source is Elvira Masson; she has great everyday, easy recipes and also wrote a cookbook specializing in perimenopause and menopause to help women get all the nutrients they need to go through these hormonal changes.

Thank you so much for sharing your magical world with us, Clémence. I know what I’’ll be reading next!

Personally I have always been obsessed with Simrane since I am in my twenties, especially their pareos and beauty case that are my two travel essentials forever!

July’s theme will be about celebrating Summer wether you are traveling or staying home. Stay tuned!

Much Love,

xxx

Marina