Faustine is learning to crochet with her friend Paulina Leonor* . Initially a hobby, alongside her studies in Fine Arts, she is quickly captivated by the passion for crochet.

*A BIG thank you to Paulina without whom MYUM would probably not have seen the light of day and the world would have been a very sad place!

Faustine, a student at the Beaux-Arts in Paris, obtained a scholarship to continue her studies at the National University of Fine Art, Tokyo Geidai.

And so she left for the land of the rising sun.

During her stay, Faustine discovered amigurumi and became fascinated by cute Japanese characters: Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, and Pompompurin...

She creates all sorts of fruits and vegetables: carrots, radishes, strawberries, eggplants... And adds eyes and a mouth that sticks out its tongue. It's so kawaii!

Veggy Toys are born! Funny crocheted plush toys with mischievous faces.

Back to Paris to complete her final degree. And surprise! Her creations were spotted on Instagram thanks to another friend, Virginie Muys.

Colette , the legendary boutique on rue St Honoré, loves her creations and wants some! Colette places her first order.

Faustine spent an entire summer crocheting like crazy to be able to deliver this first order, about fifty toys! The MYUM adventure had begun!

Orders quickly piled up. But crocheting is a manual technique that requires a lot of time. A single carrot takes a good two hours of work! Faustine can no longer do everything on her own.

Supported by her brother, Pierre, they set up the company MYUM SAS, created a first website and looked for a manufacturing workshop.

After experiencing some setbacks, they met Jenny and Lin. Together, they got organized. They assembled a team, searched for cotton suppliers and transporters.

Faustine is in charge of the creation, the purchase of raw materials and organizes the distribution from Paris.

Lin assembled a team of women with magic fingers, trained them, distributed tasks, and controlled quality.

Jenny acts as the liaison between Faustine and the workshop. She manages the supply, transport and all the details inherent to production.

The workshop is located in the open countryside of southern China. It is staffed exclusively by women: 30 artisans who work freely and perpetuate the tradition of crochet.

We are proud to have worked together for over 10 years and to show that it is possible to create quality objects while respecting Nature, women and men in China.

We make toys the old-fashioned way, but we can't do without new technology!
From the first year, MYUM launched its website, helped by Georges Chaulet and Bastien Sozeau.

To meet professionals in the children's industry, MYUM is exhibiting at Playtime Paris. This trade show is dedicated to children's fashion with a small accessories section. Their initial stand was basic, but it allowed MYUM to gain access to the Conran shop.

Building on this initial experience, MYUM tried again and entered the big leagues: the Maison&Objet trade fair. This was followed by more than 20 editions, twice a year, for over 10 years.

Off to the Big Apple! After a first attempt thwarted by Covid, MYUM exhibited in New York at the Shoppe Object trade show in January 2023. A successful first experience. Veggy Toys are now in the MoMA collection!

To be perfectly honest, the choice of America wasn't made by chance; Faustine, the designer, met her other half, Régis Krampf, a French-American gallery owner and collector. She joined him and brought MYUM with her.

Exporting to the USA involves a lot of investment: setting up a subsidiary, obtaining a visa, passing ASTM tests, building a new warehouse, developing a production line dedicated to the market, attending new trade shows in Las Vegas and Atlanta...
This challenge is giving the brand a new lease of life. And it feels good!