We were lucky to catch up with Tarik Koivisto recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tarik thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

I launched the Luxe Provence collection in 2017 as a late blooming fashion designer in my 40’s. I remember being one of the first to coin the term and hashtag “slowfashion” as part of the brand promise as I wanted my production and products to reflect; inspired by the Italian, slow food movement which upheld sustainability and craftmanship as its core values. After spending a couple of years promoting and discovering the amazing artisans of Provence, it was a natural progression to create my own line and I wanted Luxe Provence collections to support the local economy, noble European materials and French savoir-faire. This was a much different production approach from most brands who were producing in Asia, despite being labeled as “French brands”. I was surprised to uncover so little fashion production being centered in France, despite it’s rich history and wanted to be part of a movement to bring it back to France.

Additionally in 2017, there really weren’t a lot of ethically-made independent fashion brands that spoke to the needs of 40+ year-old women that featured, timeless designs and European-sourced, high-quality linen fabrics. I saw an opportunity in the market for an eco-conscious and ethically minded brand for women who sought quality, classic pieces, over quantity and disposable, fast-fashion trends in the mid-luxury market.

With my background in branding and product development, combined with my passion for design and photography, I decided to make a leap to create my own clothing line inspired by the beauty and slow life of Provence. I was definitely fortunate to meet a team of great women here in Provence and Paris, who patiently helped me develop my vision for the collection and deepen my couture knowledge. Not only is my production ethical, but it is woman-run.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I believe I answered in question 1., plus:

I am most proud when women around the world, tag Luxe Provence and send me personal emails and feedback about how much they love their clothing and the values of my brand.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Just after launching my fashion collection, I was bitten. I was quickly tested for Lyme disease, but the test was false negative and my health spiralled for nearly a year while I sought out a diagnosis from over 10 doctors and specialists throughout France. I became very ill, sometimes not even able to leave my bed. I was performing every aspect of Luxe Provence, as a one-woman show, from design to photography, the website to shipping and it was incredibly hard. I cried often because I couldn’t do all of the things in my active-creative mind because my body could not follow and I could only produce a handful of designs. I finally was diagnosed over a year later but the disease had hit stage 5 at that point and it was difficult to function, with lots of pain everywhere, mental fog and exhaustion. Fortunately, I fought hard to find two doctors and read every book I could to overcome Lyme and am now in remission. And in between, there was Covid, which closed down my French atelier for several months. But I am still here, finally healthy and fighting to take the brand to a full collection next year and expand into menswear so stay tuned.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

At the beginning of the Luxe Provence journey, I launched an artisanal box subscription. It was my first idea for what Luxe Provence could be and was able to build a quality brand around this first business and help to fund the development of my own line, however, the margins were very tight as working with artisans and shipping globally. I leveraged my subscription box to pivot to launching my own line by testing concepts and the fashion line was very successful. I still work with many of these artisans and artists I met during the beginning phases of my brand for my home line and accessories, along with textile artists for limited edition collaborations. The full pivot to fashion was also driven by my dream to have my own design and studio, so I was thrilled to be able to make this happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.luxe-provence.shop
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxeprovence/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luxeprovence/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarikkoivisto/

Image Credits
Photography: Tarik Koivisto; Models: Louise Pascal (brunette); Emmanuelle Houvenagel (blond) – Please be sure the credits are listed. Thank you