Here at House of Coco magazine we’re always searching for cool fashion brands to level up our wardrobe for all of our adventures and recently we found out about a brand called Laveau.
A business that was created after a low point in life, it really proves that from darkness there can come light. The label was designed to help you remember to have gratitude for the small things in life. We spent some time with their founder to find out more…
Tell us about the journey that lead you to launching your brand, Laveau…
At the age of 6, I decided I had to choose a career, and at 14 I had decided that designing was my passion. I’ve always been someone who lives within the rules and the lines of life but designing was the only thing I refused to let go of to conform. Laveau came about when I was at my lowest point in life, mentally and physically. At one point, when you start to deteriorate, you realize how important the small things we used to take for granted are. Why wait until we retire or die to celebrate life.
Rather than resenting my childhood and body, I retraced my roots and kept to my original philosophy in life I made as a child but forgot as life and society closed in. I promised myself that I would retain the vibrancy in life I saw as a child, back when the world seemed more vibrant, and so did the colours I saw. Laveau’s philosophy is being ok with being ok; you don’t have to be great to celebrate the little successes in life. You don’t have to know everything to enjoy life; enjoy life through discovery. You don’t have to be perfect to live life, be “Confidently Lost.” Laveau is someone I aspire to be.
Where did your love for fashion come from?
I’ve always been very conscious of people’s opinions and sometimes those opinions drown out everything, including yourself. But there are some things that each person is unwilling to yield. Designing was the only thing that I felt was mine and as I grew older and understood myself much more, I realised how unconsciously stubborn I was with only one thing in life, and that was designing.
Looking back since launching the brand, is there anything you would do differently?
Yes, to sum it up, stand your ground, especially when you’ve built a solid foundation to be unwavering on your path.
Do you plans to launch new products in the future?
Yes, Laveau intends to continue to expand to different lines. Still, we prefer quality over quantity, and “colour is king,” so we want to ensure that whatever we produce in the future, we hope to maintain this principle.
How do you want people to feel when wearing your designs?
Laveau’s prints are designed around inner demons and imaginations; they are deconstructed for people to wear their battle scars of life proudly. The prints are also designed in an organic placement to celebrate the imperfections in life. Laveau is all about celebrating life and for our customers to see the beauty in imperfections and continue embracing life’s vibrant colours.
For anyone interested in launching a fashion business, what advice would you offer them?
My advice would be to lay out your philosophy in life and business, stick with it, and treat your failures in life or business as an experience. This will add to you as a person, almost like adding seasonings that add a depth of flavour to your character and ideas.
Talk us through an average day in your life…What do you do when you are lacking creativity?
I tend to design in seclusion but when it comes to ideas I watch documentaries, read books, manga, cookbooks, make a playlist, travel and I go to the park. Honestly, anything goes. Laveau is a celebration of all walks of life, including things we consider mundane, but look up and around, the colours of life surround you.
How much has social media played a role in the success of your brand?
Since Laveau is currently strictly online, social media is a significant player in spreading our brand to more like-minded people.
Our readers love to travel, what destination is on your must visit list?
I’d like to revisit Guangzhou; the people are very friendly to my handicapped mother due to their large population of elderly people. I love their food, and they specialize in healing soups. Their food follows a philosophy that food can also be a type of medicine.
What does self care mean to you?
It means to love myself; for a long time, I thought self-care was just physical care and hobbies, but I realised I had to ask myself, “do you love yourself?” I think everyone should ask themselves at least every three months. Because if you don’t, then maybe it’s time for a change. It could be not enough alone time, self-pampering like skincare, are you satisfying your cravings, have you allowed people to ignore your boundaries, or have you done something that goes against your principles?
Where do you see the brand in the next 5 years?
I’ve always liked to plan ahead and not go in blindly but to follow Laveau’s ethos of being “Confidently Lost,” which helped us dearly through the pandemic. My Goal is for Laveau’s operations to grow bigger than the current situation and expand to other product lines, but at this point, who can predict the future with the current climate?
Where can people find out more?
You can find us on our website or our Instagram.
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