"It was like picking up a torch." In 2014, Charlotte de Fayet, then Brand Manager at L'Oréal, developed a genuine affection for Molli, the small boutique in her neighbourhood where newborn knitwear had always intrigued her: "Do Parisian boutiques still exist? Four years ago, there were no more shops, no more production, just stock... and I'd gathered information." This observation, combined with her desire for something new, particularly delicate and refined, took shape at that moment, fuelling her interest, and pressing the enormous potential that this Maison held. She took over the shop. She reopened two boutiques, closed the third, leased a fourth, opened a blanket shop offering little in the way of models or colours but which could be fully customised, she recounts. "Her curiosity drove her to delve into the archives and reconstruct the history." "I spent hours researching and came across a blog on heritage style that Molli clients followed. We documented everything about the history of the brand's industrial revolution, the revolution of clothing and the revolution of retail." The adventure of a century-old manufacturer founded in 1886 in Switzerland and specialising in hand-knitted lace then takes on its full meaning. "The path of existence began at that time and when a line was traced on a swatch, an imprint was left, because that's where the magic lies. A model that has been on the racks for 40 years, that's what makes up the history, that defines and transcends its great decades. The brand specialised in babywear for newborns." At a time when the women themselves were knitting their newborns' entire wardrobes and knew their great-aunts, Molli invented ready-to-wear knitwear and rapidly became a reference, inventing a new market in its field.
"It's all a question of yarn count, available colours... One creates the material one needs and then imagines the shape."
Today, whilst Charlotte has maintained the iconic heritage line whose models are permanent, "the women's ready-to-wear line accounts for 95% of our business." The women's line offers two collections per year which are presented in January and June. "In each collection, we present the models that work really well because there's no reason to change them: a structured knit top with a couture effect, a multicolour skirt with laid thread effects, a fine roll-neck or V-neck jumper, a lovely pair of trousers. These pieces are there to last, to mix from one season to another." Creativity unfolds through stitch patterns and colour variations. "That's what makes the collection desirable." Each colour is meticulously chosen and often dyed by the brand's teams.
Molli now has five boutiques in Paris. But Charlotte's ambition doesn't stop at commercial development. She works "very, very closely with the knitters" and is preparing a significant evolution of her organisation. "We work in offices that are like a small two-storey house. Molli occupies the first floor and we're soon going to take over the ground floor level which opens onto a lovely garden, previously occupied by Bottega Veneta, to install our entire creative studio there. We continue to work with yarns and stitches to remain creative in knitwear because that's what interests us and what sets us apart." In July 2025, a major turning point: the LVMH Luxury Ventures Fund I (LLV) acquired a stake in Molli. This marks the first opening of capital since Charlotte de Fayet's takeover in 2014, with her remaining the majority shareholder at the head of the brand. The arrival of an investor of this scale validates the strategy pursued for more than ten years and opens up new prospects. "We're going to grow the brand, develop our network, raise the brand's profile. It's also reassuring to know that we're working with experts." This new stage doesn't alter Charlotte de Fayet's vision, it amplifies it.
Keeping a century-old expertise alive whilst projecting it into modernity, working closely with remarkable knitters and building a contemporary fashion brand: such is the delicate balance she maintains. In her hands, Molli remains a living manufactory writing its history, stitch by stitch, colour by colour. A torch she carries high, with the conviction that true luxury lies in the absolute mastery of craft and respect for expertise.
