Because some of you might wonder where to start and how to make the best out of an entrepreneurship project, here is the underside of creating a brand and more especially a lingerie brand. Hope that will inspire you and make you understand our journey better!

 

What is your entrepreneurial career and reveal to us the backstage of the creation of your company?

I came from Sydney where I lived before arriving in Bali to launch my lingerie brand. When I got this idea, I looked online for the best place to produce. I had a lot of criteria to take into consideration: minimum order quantity, business partner, sourcing fabrics, sustainable practices in place in the production atelier. Bali was at the time the best place I could go, and this is still where I am at the moment

I always wanted to create lingerie because I always feel like it’s a big part of femininity. It’s the first layer you put on every morning and it’s the last one you take off every night: an authentic gift to yourself to enhance your self confidence & love and face our daily life.

When I put on my favorite set of lingerie, I feel I can go through whatever life brings to me. And most of the time, lingerie is not something you put on to impress someone like a corporate outfit you need to wear to fit in. It is the hidden gem under your clothes.

 

What are the different steps of your entrepreneurial career, was it progressive (you did the steps without really realizing it) or one day you decided to set up your company? 

I was always attracted to entrepreneurship. In my opinion, Bali is a good place to start your entrepreneurial career as you are surrounded by many people with different backgrounds, mindset, and careers.

On the contrary, I felt that in France there are more obstacles in between a young individual graduating her master degree and going into the entrepreneurship journey. Although things are now starting to change. I was at the time considering I needed to find a job in a set-up company and build a skill set through experience.Maybe  after 5, 10, 15 years, entrepreneurship could be part of the journey as I would be legitimate.

It’s by being in Bali and Sydney that I realized that there are many people not afraid of starting a business and willing to go through that experience no matter their background, age.

 

How did you manage to find your production "atelier"? 

I wanted to create a sustainable product as I found that as consumers we have a great power to express our values & opinions. The first step was to ensure the ability of sourcing sustainable fabrics as well as an ethical place of production.

To be honest, it was not a simple process. I needed to find the ideal partner who would understand my product and also the values and mission behind my brand. One struggle was to do it in a country that doesn’t speak my native language, where culture is also very different. Moreover, I would say that Asia is not always the cheapest place to produce, there are many other things to take into consideration than just the production price of your product. Nevertheless,  I’m grateful that I found people that I can rely on: balinese people have a lot of hard work: they are loyal, and always try their best to make you a happy partner.

 

What are your views on the market today and what are the prospects for the evolution of your brand?

Sales wise, the Bali market is a very small market, as my designs are appreciated mainly by expats & tourists.

In terms of online sales, shipping costs are highly discouraging people from buying. they have increased immensely through covid. On the other hand, as sustainability is a big part of our daily challenge, freight shipping represents a contradiction to your value and we aimed to find better options. 

 

We do think that the next big challenge would be to set up our operation in Europe: a place we think that can bring more solutions in terms of sourcing & production ethically as well as for the growth of our visibility & sales!

We are very excited for this new challenge coming ahead!

What advice can you give to someone who wants to start an entrepreneurial project ?

Entrepreneurship might sound complicated and it can be.

When you start this kind of adventure, you are your own boss and you have to take all the responsibilities that come with it. On the other hand, you are exploring your creativity, your freedom, and fulfilling a vision that can be the centerpiece of your  project.

My best advice would be to go for it! You just need to start somewhere, anywhere. Don't hesitate to start even if your project isn’t completely finalized or perfect. You will always have to make some adjustments along the way, this is true even for a properly set up business.  It also can be good for you to expose and discuss your project with other people, entrepreneurs or not. They can give you feedback, maybe even advice and make you see if your offer is well understood.

Be in the action, Be proactive and enjoy the process. At the end the destination is important, but the journey is so much too.