INTERVIEW #90 BALOU
Based in: Switzerland
Founded in: March 2021
Founded by: Louise Boulet-Alips
Stores: Shipping Worldwide directly through our website (https://www.shopbalou.com ), clothes are also available at Free People, Staiy and Maisonette.
Price range: 65-325 euros
Instagram: @shopbalou
BALOU, Welcome to A Sustainable Closet! Tell us about your colourful brand and why you started.
Our reason for being : reprinting the future with positive motives. We are a part of this first generation that will have to fight for its survival. This reality is hardly tangible, but it is genuine. The waters are overflowing; social peace is waning; climates are intermingling. But if the future turns out to be pessimistic, we want to believe in it and contribute to a new optimism. So we created Balou, amid a pandemic, to combat this gloom by imagining a line of products inspired by a joyful 70’s era with an eco-responsible value: zero waste and produced locally. We printed a universe of our own, optimistic, positive, colourful, responsible, and benevolent.
Our team :
- Louise, founder and designer.
- Camille, brand manager.
- Elina, operation intern
And soon, a marketing intern will join the team!
Our mission is: We provide the highest quality printed clothing and textiles with an eco-responsible value: zero waste and produced locally.
How did you come up with the bubbly name, BALOU?
BALOU is the surname of our Founder, Louise: Boulet-Alips Louise.
Where do you source the material from and how does the printing process work?
We source all the materials on different French suppliers websites, for example, 3b-com for all the furniture. About the printing process, we work with a great producer in the Netherlands. They have unique recycled and eco-friendly fabrics, and they print them per meter, which works perfectly with our zero waste value.
Which is your best-selling product?
In 2021, our best-selling product was Anna denim. In 2022, many prints are becoming our bestsellers, but we would say the organic shirt + pants are the most sold.
We are curious about where the products are being produced, spill the beans!
Until July, our production was all around France, with our freelance seamstress working on all the orders. Since this month, We are producing only the exclusive pieces in France (coming in the next few months) and our primary production (five seamstresses) is located near Lisbon in Portugal.
Who is the typical BALOU customer?
We have customers from 25-60 years old, mostly women, who love mood-boosting pieces and nostalgic prints. Our clients generally have a sustainable lifestyle and buy from brands that are eco-friendly. There is « no » typical customer in terms of nationalities, as the orders are coming from all around the world.
Where do you find inspiration for these lovely creations?
Our founder Louise is also the creative director; she is the one behind the prints and designs. Her inspiration comes from the 60s and 70s styles. Colors, prints, timeless shapes, comfortable clothes, island life, and home textiles have always been her passions, and Balou is a mix of all of them.
What have been and are the major challenges of starting your own business?
There are a lot of challenges! But they are all worth it, to grow and become better at what you do and understand what you want and your primary goals. To name the significant challenges:
Money,
Find a good team - it really makes the difference (Louise was alone until 2022),
Everything legal but it's manageable if you are organized,
Find suitable suppliers and production
Be authentic to your values: It must be true if you say you are doing zero waste.
What has been and is the largest gain?
To be transparent, it has not been the most significant financial gain. Since the launch, all the money we are gaining goes back into the business. Building a brand is hard and takes time, even more, when trying to improve things. For example, producing locally and using zero waste makes production much more expensive. You need to be patient.
However, it has been the best experience for growing. We have never learned so much before BALOU. Entrepreneurial work is challenging; you need to keep the motivation and accept mistakes, but the learning experience makes it worth it. Also, when you work hard and share what you love - it pays off: for example when we were published in Vogue one month after the launch, best surprise, and motivation.
The best thing about BALOU?
Balou is a social project, a new entrepreneurial vision driven by the desire to do better for his generation and the next. The best thing about BALOU is that we minimize the environmental footprint, take good care of our seamstresses, produce our fabrics by meter and on-demand to avoid waste, use materials as natural as possible, and learn from past mistakes. Through vibrant prints and eco-responsible value, the client can make a statement while living the nostalgic freedom of the 60s. Fashion is a statement; choosing a brand means choosing to support a social project. It means a way of doing and a way of being. Balou is (literally) made for you: we don't produce until you order.
What's up next?
At the moment, we are working on a new approach and website. It will launch in November 2022. We are always aiming to change for the best and for the satisfaction of the clients. We are very open and flexible to change. We will be closing our website in a few months to re-open it with a brand-new concept! We are super excited about this new chapter!
