Meeting #10 Guillaume, founder of Maison Sérieuse

L'Exception goes to meet its customers. Today, we meet Guillaume Robin, founder of Maison Sérieuse and customer at L'Exception.

Could you introduce yourself?

My name is Guillaume Robin, and I'm a Parisian by heart and birth. I'm the co-founder of an agency called Maison Sérieuse, where we provide musical services for events, including DJ and live-band performances. We also create customized playlists for boutiques, hotels and restaurants to match their brand identity. This professional activity grew out of my passion for music from an early age.

How do you come to define a musical style for a brand or venue?

It's based on three elements: - The current or desired clientele, which is important, you need to know the target, the age range, the socio-professional category
- The brand's own DNA, whether a brand wants to be friendly or close to people or on the contrary quite sharp.
- The employees who will be working on site, as they are the ones who will be living the musical experience, they need to feel good in this environment as music is a very important vector of emotion. In terms of style, there isn't necessarily a predefined style, like jazz or French variety, it's often something quite mixed and eclectic.

Has technology changed the way you work?

Yes, technology has changed things, in two ways:
- Firstly through consumer education, because today people consume music through spotify or deezer. People are used to a high volume of music.
- Within the agency, we have set up a technology based on what we call web radio, in a more elaborate way, with professional decoders that are available in stores. Indeed, technology plays a very important role, notably with the standardization of the music, which is very linear, with no variations in volume between tracks, something we can complain about on other music listening platforms. Technology has taken over enormously from the work of musical selection. Music has always been rocked by technological evolutions, the making of the piano, the arrival of the cassette, the CD etc., it's a logical continuity.

You have a lot of vinyl, is it a passion for you? Do you think vinyl is a fad?

Vinyl allows you to appropriate the artist in a more concrete way. When you put on a vinyl, you take the time to listen and immerse yourself in a story. Technically, it's the best sound there is, because there's no digital conversion; vinyl is analog, and you find something very warm. There's this culture of the object in music, it's something that endures and comes back strongly for the pleasure of the link we have with the artists. there are more and more limited vinyl editions. Technology means that music can be remastered and rediscovered with better audio definition.

What artists are you listening to at the moment?

At the moment I'm listening a lot to a singer called Jorja Smith, I've discovered another jazz singer in her twenties called Samara Joy with extraordinary talent. I also really like the American rock band Paramore.

You've been a customer since the early days of L'Exception, what's your relationship with fashion?

I've always found that you offer a balanced range, the fact that there are mainly French brands is extremely interesting. In terms of looks, the pieces are accessible, meaning you can be both a little extravagant if you like and classic while still having quality pieces with a touch of exception in the cuts. I also like the idea of being able to try on pieces in the boutique to get a feel for the product. I was able to find the offer that suited me for each season. The products are also affordable and allowed me as a DJ to have a look and a certain presence.

What brands do you currently love at L'Exception?

I like your brand L'Exception, because it's basic with touches I like, your sweaters are pleasant to wear, very comfortable. It's a brand that plays on the same level as APC, Kenzo, Ami. I also really like the Ami brand with its accessible fashion side.