Maison Mollerus: It Bags in Switzerland

The Woman Behind The Craze

Would you like me to buy you a coffee? Then let’s do this little experiment: try to spend a day in the centre of Zurich without seeing a Maison Mollerus bag – if you manage, I’ll buy you one!

I have met Mimi Mollerus, CEO of Maison Mollerus, some years ago at a dinner party, through common friends, and I confess I was a bit star struck: Mimi has model looks, entrepreneurial success and is quite known in Switzerland.  So I was delighted to get to know her better and finally interview her at her flagship store last week – here is what we talked about.

A Chat With Mimi

Beatrice: Let’s start with a bit of history. How old is Maison Mollerus?

Mimi: It was founded in 1984 by my father, Ernst Mollerus. My dad and my mum had 15 luxury stores in Germany. The only thing they didn’t have was bags, and they had a very clear idea of what customers wanted, so they decided to make them themselves. They started to produce in Switzerland, and the production has remained here since.

Beatrice: How was the logo born?

Mimi: Initially, it stood for my mum Monika Mollerus, then my dad decided to call the company Maison Mollerus – the idea was of bringing our family name around the world. The Logo, a flying Icarus, represents freedom.

Beatrice: Do you find it hard, as a woman, to be the head of a successful company?

Mimi: Here the issue is quite neutral, because we are a small company. There is just us, the customers and the banks – so I don’t really see a difference.

Beatrice: And do you employ more women or men?

Mimi: Actually 90 percent of staff is female. Not because I prefer women, but because when we look for new people, normally it’s mostly women answering. Men don’t identify with bags.

Beatrice: Do men find our obsession with bags weird?

Mimi: I think so. They don’t have that. I don’t have it either: normally I only use a clutch, a pochette. I have everything in there – see? (she starts emptying it).

Beatrice: Let’s check: do you have make-up? Documents?

Mimi: Sure, I have everything I need – I could go to America with this! Actually, the only problem I have is at the airport: sometimes I want to grab a bag because I feel they all belong to me. I once took one, and a lady told me excuse me…this bag is mine. I needed one minute to understand it wasn’t mine. My kids also notice when someone else is wearing one of our bags and tell me: mummy, wear your hair down – can I tell the lady you make the bags?

Beatrice: Talking about your kids, does your daughter have a bag?

Mimi: She is only 10 and having a personalised one done by her grandpa! We have started to make these beautiful, hand painted bags you can have personalised with your initials on. The are made by artist Super 250 for  Maison Mollerus.

Beatrice: I think this one is my absolute favourite. I love the feathers and how they draw attention – this should be in my collection! Am I the only one who has a Maison Mollerus bags collection?

Mimi: Not at all. Every month we receive photos of ladies with their bags – sitting on the sofa surrounded by their favourite pieces, or showing us their closets, filled up with Maison Mollerus. It’s very sweet and they have new models and old ones they keep for many years. They like to share that with us.

What other job would you have liked to do?

Mimi: My job! If I really have to choose another one, then maybe I would work in a chocolate factory. But I would be very fat (laughs).

Beatrice (also laughing): That’s what happens when you always go the extra mile! 

Mimi: There are moments where I make sure I keep behind…

Beatrice: You don’t look like one who stays behind at all; when does that happen?

Mimi: When we have our sales day. There are women rushing in and they hit each other, I tell you!

Beatrice (laughing): I hope you don’t put all bags on sale – I have seen you have quite a big warehouse near the shop.

Mimi: Oh no, just some samples. We have 25’000 bags in the warehouse.

Beatrice: Impressive…tell me; if  you could choose any testimonial in the world for Maison Mollerus, who would you pick?

Mimi: I love if people really love the brand – I am an authentic person and don’t like any kind of fake. There is a person I really admire, though: Melissa Etheridge; I follow her around the world to see her concerts. She has so much power – I love her music.

Beatrice: could you be a blogger?

Mimi: To be a blogger you need time, so that wouldn’t be for me. But today one needs to be very close to customers and to know what they want…being in the Internet a lot is necessary.

Beatrice: Do you know your customer?

Mimi: When we opened our flagship store here in Erlenbach, I decided to throw a party. So I talked to my former CEO and asked if he could give me some addresses of our customers. He answered that we had no addresses. I said: we don’t know one person who owns one of our bags? He said no. I called all retails and asked for addresses – same answer: they had none. So I called my friends and asked to invite friends, and the party was great and we had a lot of press. Still, I decided to do something about this. Now in every bag, brochure, and online, there is a Become a Friend section. If you leave your name and address, you can win a voucher of 1’ooo Swiss Francs, or a lunch with me. We receive 50 cards a day thanks to that. We can invite a lot of people now!

Beatrice: Thank you Mimi – it was a pleasure being here and hearing about your story, now let’s have a look at the hand made feathers!