Mellikare: Trendy Accessories to Make Daily Life Easier for Diabetic Patients

Hello Manon and Kenza, we'd like to thank you for taking the time to talk to Carenity.  

First of all, could you tell us a little about yourselves?  

We are :

Kenza, 24 years old and type 1 diabetic since the age of 9. I love fashion and spending time with my family.

Manon, 27, married to Kenza's brother who is type 1 diabetic, with whom I have 2 children, a 5-year-old who is also a type 1 diabetic and an 18-month-old baby. I like the simple things in life, outings and meals with family and friends.  

You've decided to launch your own brand of accessories for insulin-dependent people. Could you tell us how you came up with the idea for this project?   

I'm a mom who loves fashion, especially for children, and when we discovered that my son was diabetic at 19 months, I was faced with the challenge of finding accessories for wearing his insulin pump that were both practical and fashionable. So, I came up with the idea of creating a real fashion accessory to match his outfit, just like you'd find in a regular fashion store, but one that met the needs of insulin pump wearers. Kenza decided to follow and support me in this adventure.  

What does the Mellikare range include, and how are these accessories adapted to insulin-dependent people?  

At Mellikare, we offer 2 accessories in a range of colors: the insulin pump pouch and the large pouch for pen patients. Both are isothermal to limit the alteration of insulin in hot weather, waterproof to keep equipment dry, and made in France.  

Small pouch

Large pouch

How long did it take from the birth of the project idea to its launch? What were the different stages in building your brand?   

It took us a year from the creation of our first model, with the search for a stylist, pattern maker and garment maker, to the creation of our visual identity, our social networks, website and administrative procedures.  

Did you encounter any difficulties? 

We worked with unprofessional designers who wasted a lot of time and money in creating our first collection. Then we had great difficulty finding a garment workshop that offered quality work and was willing to manufacture a small range. We contacted countless workshops in France and abroad, to no avail, until we finally found a small one a stone's throw from our home in Besançon.

How do you think Mellikare accessories can change and improve the daily lives of insulin-dependent people?  

Through their practicality and style, we want our accessories to enable people living with diabetes to wear their devices and materials proudly and as easily as possible, to lighten their daily lives.  

What are Mellikare's next steps?  

We'd like to develop other accessories and garments enabling diabetic patients to wear their equipment in different ways, making travel easier.

What would you like to say to the Carenity members who read this?  

We'd like to tell Carenity members that diabetes is not an obstacle to life, that it's not easy every day, but that by seeing it as a teammate, not an enemy, you can achieve great things and come out stronger! 

Any final words? 

Thank you to Carenity for giving us the floor, and thank you to you for reading about us. Don't hesitate to follow us on our social networks and come and chat with us.

Many thanks to Manon and Kenza for sharing their story with us!

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