Bote Bote from Mademoiselle shop



Bote Bote and Zin Mar are my favorite tailor in town. If you want to know everything about how to make perfect tailor-made clothes, read Bote Bote interview!


When did you open Mademoiselle shop?
I have Bachelor degree of French (I forgot everything…) but I have always been passionate about clothes. So, after my graduation I decided to attend a design school, the same school as my sister. After the school we both wanted to open a family business and created Mademoiselle.

Can you tell me more about how the shop is working?
Our clients come with their ideas of design and their fabrics. We are here to give advice about the design or the fabric to choose. Once we agree on the design with the client and we took its measurement, Zin Mar and I make the pattern. Our employees are in charge of the cutting and sewing parts.
For the past few years, many tailoring shops opened in Yangon. It is more and more difficult for us. So we are making a more strict control of our quality.

Actually, how do you control the quality of your clothes?
We put a specific attention on the staff training. When they join the shop, some girls are already qualified and others are not. We always spend at least one month to train them. We also do our best to make sure that they are happy at work. They are coming from all over Myanmar to work in Yangon. It is difficult for them to be far from their family.



What kind of clothes are you able to make?
We do a lot of traditional Myanmar clothes. We also have some foreigners clients like you asking for western style clothes. We can do everything: dress, shirt, skirt, pants, short… It is challenging for us to do new designs and we like it!
A dress will cost around 18 000 mmk. And we take 3 to 4 weeks to make it.

Is it difficult for you to manage your family time and your business?
It is really tiring. I have two very young sons who need me. So now I am planning to leave earlier from the shop to give them more time. As it is my own family business, I can manage my time as I need.

How would you describe Myanmar women style?
Myanmar women are still wearing traditional clothes: the longyi. Some women wear it every day and others wear it for special occasions. We have a lot of ceremonies in Myanmar and each time women order new clothes. There are different styles depending on the occasion. You will see, Myanmar women love shiny dresses, especially for weddings. It is really important for us to be well-dressed. 

Would you say that the style is changing with the opening of the country?
Yes, women ask for more simple designs. But the majority still wear longyi. The young generation is still interested in our traditional style. For example, they all want to copy Daw Aung San Suu Kyi style who is always wearing traditional dresses when she appears in public.

Where do you advise to buy fabrics?
Bogoyke market is the best! You can find everything. Thein Phyu building, on the right side of the main building, is where you can find the cheapest fabrics and especially cotton. In Myanmar, fabrics mostly come from Thailand and China but also from Japan and Myanmar. We have very nice Burmese silk and cotton. Burmese cotton is really nice for dresses.
My favorite shop are Ever Queen for non-cotton and So So Sen for cotton.


Address: 73 Ayeyarwaddy Street, Alhone township, Yangon

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