Valentine Gauthier
Portrait
Founder, President and Artistic Director of her fashion brand
I design high-end women's ready-to-wear clothing with conscience and commitment. I am proud to work with partners who share my values and those of sustainable development. The pieces I create are made of luxurious materials chosen for their natural value, recycled or ecological, and made in France, EU, or India, following an ethical approach
Tell us a story about your brand / service?
Our shoes are made in my companion's and his family's artisan bootmaker workshop: four generations of exclusively male artisan bootmakers. We are the exception in this workshop.
Our shoes are therefore made in a traditionally masculine way. The vegetable tanned sole is hand sewn.
What major challenge did you face?
Being a businesswoman in a sector that is still very male-dominated. Finding alternatives to harmful materials and polluting prints. Reconnecting with the craftsmanship and handmade products wherever possible.
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Remaining independent on small series in a sector where the race to volume and trend is considered essential to the survival and prosperity of a brand.
Implementing a work ethic for both our own and our partners' lifestyles and choosing complexity over simplicity, when creating collections.
Setting up processes in line with my values in terms of eco-design, sorting, waste reduction and consumption as well as recycling.
Do you have any advice for future sustainable luxury entrepreneurs?
The world is finally changing, producing in this way and trying to always improve, is slowly becoming part of consumer habits.
Being sincere and not thinking too much about marketing allows us to feel freer and opens the door to possibilities.
Our role is to help the consumer to see clearly in the meanders of information.
We are not perfect but the will to change one's habits can only be beneficial.
We must not be discouraged and continue, despite the difficulties, to believe in a more valuable world...
Tell us about your main raw materials...
We use Italian and French wools, recycled wools, cotton and corduroy woven in Yorkshire, ecological or pima cotton whenever possible, linen, viscose and digitally printed silks to reduce the footprint...
We also use natural or recycled dyes, vegetable tanned or chrome free leathers, minimising the use of polyester, sometimes still unavoidable in weavers for a good hold, reuse of existing fabric stock, French supplies in mother of pearl, metal or horn.
Why can't anyone ever accuse your brand of green washing?
Because I don't talk about it, except to those who ask. Our customers come to buy the pieces they like and then discover the process behind it.
I don't use my actions and commitment for marketing purposes.
It is very difficult to check all the boxes when making clothes. We still have a lot of room for improvement but we are doing our best.
We have selected you as a change agent, what is the next challenge your company would like to accomplish?
Going to 100% green energy, continuing to source new and more ecological materials, increasing the percentage of traditional craftsmen among our suppliers...
I am currently interested in ethical banking partners...
To be continued.
