It's back to the basics for Mathilde Cabanas. After several years in Paris, the French designer and illustrator with a fresh and offbeat style has moved back to Nantes, her hometown. We embark on a sensory and colorful journey through Nantes to rediscover its local flair with eco-friendly businesses, organic gastronomy, and botanical collections.
Maison Arlot Cheng, organic bakery
Organic sourdough breads, natural pastries, specialty tea or coffee, there's nothing like a stop at Maison Arlot Cheng to start the day off right. This is where Mathilde Cabanas' journey to Nantes begins. Located on the island of Nantes, near the Machines de l'île, this creative bakery satisfies the appetite of foodies who love local and healthy products at lunchtime, snack time or brunch.
Andrée Jardin, craftsman-brushmaker
Artisan brush maker based in Nantes, the Maison Andrée Jardin creates eco-friendly and contemporary home goods and accessories, a local expertise handed down from generation to generation since 1947. Massage brushes made of beechwood, hair brushes, face brushes, vegetable brushes, and crumb trays, the Andrée Jardin factory store is located in the city center, treat yourself to an abundance of functional and decorative products.
La Fraiseraie, sweets and vitamins
If you like red berries grown in France, full of sunshine and childhood flavors, you should find what you are looking for at La Fraiseraie, a strawberry and raspberry producer in the Pays de la Loire since 1970. After a visit to the Château des ducs de Bretagne, take a break, like Mathilde Cabanas, at the tea room located in the courtyard. You'll find homemade sorbet or sweet crepes depending on the season and your craving. Get your dose of vitamins and opt for the jams, syrups, fruit jellies, coulis or Christmas yule logs! You can find the goodies is La Fraiseraie's 16 stores in Nantes, Pornic, Noirmoutier or Guérande.
Jardin des Plantes of Nantes
At the Jardin des Plantes in Nantes, a 7-hectare green oasis just a stone's throw from the city center, one can find plants, lots of them: 50,000 flowers, including an impressive collection of camellias, and 10,000 natural species, some of them rare. There are also goats, which are a great success with young visitors... Even more surprising is the presence of monumental and permanent works of art from the Voyage à Nantes, including those of Jean Jullien playing hide-and-seek with nature.
Sain, locavore restaurant
Mathilde Cabanas' trip to Nantes ends as it began - at the table - but not at just any table! A well-informed connoisseur of eco-friendly businesses, the designer recommends lingering a bit at the restaurant Sain, located near the Nantes Museum of Art. It's a café, a canteen and a grocery store, this gem run by the sons of market gardeners from Guérande is very popular with those who like short circuits thanks to a menu resolutely turned towards local and organic products. Try it out!
About Mathilde Cabanas
From Fashion accessories to stationery, clothing for adults and children, umbrellas, bags, and even doormats, since 2013, Mathilde Cabanas brings laughter and joy with her collection of everyday objects with a fun and quirky style, popularized by the acronym "bisou" or "kiss" in English. A breath of fresh air from the west of France, blowing all the way to Paris, the artist has secured collaborations with major brands such as Balzac, Veja, Aigle, Le Bon Marché and Citadium. As an illustrator brimming with creativity, Mathilde Cabanas believes in ethical and sustainable fashion by favoring environmentally sound materials: organic cotton textiles, posters and stationery made of recycled paper...
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By Kévin Bonnaud
