Narjess Khalfallah, then aged 36, is the founder of the Narcisse Senteurs Créatives project. A passionate woman entrepreneur, she was on the cover of an issue of La Sultane. Portrait of a creative who became a company head.
Who is Narjess Khalfallah?
"I am creative by nature, and I have been since my earliest years. I like to bring my creativity to the fore through several forms of expression: whether through my candles, my dress style, my humour, photography, dance, cooking, my stories… I am not very talkative, but I express myself otherwise, in my own way! What characterises me most is my joy of living.
I would describe myself as an independent woman, who works very hard and with a great deal of passion. I have a dual training as a chemist and biologist: a Maîtrise in Biology at the faculty of sciences of Tunis, then a first Master's in Chemistry of Biomolecules and a second Master's in Cosmetic Engineering, both at the Université de Montpellier 2. So I am a cosmetic development engineer, specialising in formulation — I create the chemical formulas of beauty products, which I develop at laboratory level and then on an industrial scale."
How was Narcisse Senteurs Créatives born?
"I began by working in a French offshore cosmetics laboratory in Béni Khiar for 6 months. Then I followed on with 3 years in the pharmaceutical industry in Kalaat l'Andalous, and in 2011 I decided to leave it all behind to launch into a personal project. Hence the birth of Narcisse Senteurs Créatives!"
Narcisse "sc" is a workshop making artisanal scented candles, which unfolds across three strands: subcontracting personalised candles and creating olfactory identities for brands; developing its own ranges, poured into containers from Tunisian heritage — Sejnan pottery, stoneware, copper, olive wood; and creative workshops for children, built around candle-making, drawing, singing and dance.
How did the project take shape?
"I ordered a kit on the Internet and began to familiarise myself with the raw materials. In this way I taught myself over a few months, in my kitchen. Following that, I developed my logo, which I had already had in mind since secondary school, and I created my Facebook page. I began taking part in small sale-exhibitions, until the day I found myself, somewhat by chance, at the crafts fair. There, I was spotted by the marketing director of the crafts office, who allowed me to make the birth of Narcisse Senteurs Créatives official through the creation of my trading licence.
After a few years, I was able to fit out a "real" workshop, and a few years later, I managed to build my own showroom. Today, Narcisse Senteurs Créatives can be considered one of the great Tunisian names in quality candles. We have a loyal clientele, many high-end subcontractors and several sales partners on a national and international scale."
A collaboration especially close to her heart
"My greatest achievement is the collaboration with the women potters of Sejnan, because it is a project especially close to my heart! I met them at their first exhibition at the crafts fair, and I fell instantly in love both with these courageous women and with their magnificent work. I then had the idea of pairing my candles with their lovely pottery. For several years, I have been collaborating continuously with 3 women potters, with whom I have woven bonds of friendship."
On her daily challenges, she is direct: "My greatest difficulty consists in wearing two hats, that of the artisan and that of the woman entrepreneur — managing both production and all the logistics of the business. It is certainly exhausting, but above all it is very motivating!"
What advice does she give to women entrepreneurs?
"Being a woman entrepreneur in Tunisia is a real challenge! In my case, it forged my character. I was very shy a few years ago; today, I am a real lioness. It is certainly not easy every day — you often feel like dropping everything. But with a little distance, you realise that it is all these difficult moments that will make success even more beautiful! If I have one piece of advice to give, it is to define clearly what you want to do and to do it properly and intelligently. It obviously takes a great deal of patience, will and perseverance. And above all, above all, you have to believe in yourself!"
On the future of Tunisian craftsmanship, she concludes: "Tunisian craftsmanship has enormous potential. The know-how as well as the ideas are there. Our products are modernising while keeping a traditional character that belongs to Tunisia."
Other Tunisian craftswomen and creators also tell how their passion became a profession — to be discovered notably through the portrait of Fatma Rekik.
