Changes of fortune No. 3 - Marie Laffont

When thinking about contemporary women, I always think to myself that we live in an extraordinary time where “women” are able to decide, choose and have a voice. I can’t imagine living 50 years ago and having to be a certain way to fit societal standards.

I started this new project called  “Voyage marked by changes of fortune” to share the story behind the people whom I am inspired by. Their journey in life and the unpredictable turns it had to get them were they are. I ‘ve always found fascinating the context around how they got to where they are, because the past is what shapes you to the now.

For this second interview, I thought of someone who is an odissea inspiration, so I picked…

Marie Laffont.

We met through friends in common back in 2020 and I instantly felt like we were going to be good friends.

Marie to me represents a contemporary superwoman - she is a daughter, sister, mom, wife, designer, friend and entrepreneur. I became very impressed by how she managed to live her “mom” life in such harmony with her social life. If any of you know Max, her oldest kid you would understand what I am talking about. Max is part of her life and all of ours, he hangs out with adults and he's the funniest little guy to have around and last year she was pregnant with her second child, Gaspard. Having witnessed her pregnancy, I was absolutely inspired to be a mom myself one day. She never set her life apart, and of course some things do change as you become a responsible adult. Goodbye smoking, drinking and a late night social life, but Marie has always been the one to be around and bring joy to the small “New York family”.  

O: Marie, what does it mean to be a woman for you now?

M: Nowadays, women need to be strong and manage to juggle everything at the same time. Before chores were limited to taking care of the children and being “moms” but now you are a mom, wife and business woman - either working for a company or for yourself.

O: Last year was a very hard year, with a lot of things going on - as a business woman and a mom, what did you learn?

M: The world is in danger and as moms it's important to think about the future. Our kids and the future generations will have a very hard time co-existing on our planet if we continue as we are right now. 

A take on I had from last year is time management. I think it  is something a lot of people underestimate, but with my second baby I’ve realized it is critical for us to be able to focus on what makes us happy and what is important for us, which inevitably is what inspires our creative practice. 

Since last year I’ve allowed myself to “dream”.  

I started paying more attention to my needs - a wake up call telling me to take care of myself. Managing the time to eat well, drink well and enjoy life because we never know….

O: What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who want to do the same as you?

M: Never give up.

O: What is your strongest inspiration?

M: Think more about quality than quantity. When creating Marie Laffont I wanted to create a brand which translated high quality & simplicity. All the homogeneric brands that mass produce have a very negative impact on our planet in terms of consumption, production and creation. People often think of high quality as too expensive and not worth it, but in the long run high quality products are an investment, and a long term one. My shoes are the highest quality, and they are crafted by Italian Artisans using their age-old techniques, making our shoes one of a kind. 

As a small brand this is what I would like to convey: “Quality over quantity”.

O: What is the most important message that you want people to take away from when buying a pair of Marie Laffont? 

M: As I said previously, my main priority for Marie Laffont is quality.

O: Where does your inspiration come from?

M: My collections are inspired by women artists whom I imagine wearing my shoes. For instance, my collection “Georgia” was inspired by Georgia O'keeffe and Frida. My boots are named after Frida Kahlo. 

Later S/S 21 collection was an inspiration of the nostalgic feeling of missing the South of France, where I grew up going in the summers. During this time I hesitated if I would ever go back to the place I enjoyed as a kid so all the memories, the textures, and colors inspired me for this collection. 

F/W was difficult because I lost my mom so the one pair of shoes I designed was GIGI, naming it after my mom. 

Bon, that comes to an end of our interview with Marie Laffont, a superwoman odissea is very inspired by. Head to her website to learn more about her brand www.marielaffont.com and stay in touch for her upcoming releases!

Changes of fortune No. 2 - Caroline Lucia

Credit: Nathalie Mtz.A

Caroline and I met back in Paris in 2016. We were introduced by a common friend since I was living there at the time and she needed a place to stay for a couple of days. Since that first time we met at La Banquette Cafe - cute little coffee place in Le Marais a couple of blocks away from my old apartment we became good friends. We shared a lot in common, since she started her career in New York and then moved to Poland, LA and eventually ended up in Mexico City.

She now works for Zii Ropa and is an amazing photographer that captures life and moments through her lense.  

O: So, I’ve introduced a little bit about yourself and how we met which has been for almost 5 years. Do you want to tell us a little bit about your jumping around the globe?

C: New York City is a transit city where I met so many people from other places that when my time was up, I wanted to see those friends so I took myself to Europe and traveled a bit to Barcelona, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin and around. By the end of that summer, I wanted to stay in Europe but somewhere where I spoke the language and that's why I ended up in Poland. Both of my parents immigrated to the US and I grew up speaking Polish - I had this desire to live in the country where my parents grew up and understand their story and my heritage. I lived in Gdansk for about a year, going to school and taking on freelance projects like the one that took me to Paris, where I met you, Nathalie! After almost a year, I felt like I needed to progress in my career and with some influence from a new love, I moved to LA. I worked in wholesale and even got into styling! I really liked it there but never was enamored by the city so when my boyfriend at the time said he wanted to move back to Mexico City, I was all in for it.

I had visited Mexico several times before this big move and through a very special friend of mine, Marina, I met a lot of people from here throughout my 20s. So when I finally moved, it all felt very, very easy and harmonious to settle in. And now, I am coming up on 3 years of living here and can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. Since leaving Chicago, Mexico City is the city I have lived in the longest and where I feel the strongest ties to.

O: I think we have in common the fact that we’ve moved around cities looking for new opportunities. What would you share, you’ve learnt about this?

C: Say yes to those opportunities that might give you a little bit of fear or doubt in your respective career. There were so many times when I felt uncomfortable going to a new place or taking on a new job but always at the end of the day, there's a takeaway. May it be a new friend, a new place discovered or something about your capabilities and what you need to work on. With all the random jobs I have taken, I can confidently say I know what I DON'T want to do! Sounds silly but it's brought me closer to doing what I want to do. People just need to get out of their comfort zones!

O: I know you’ve mentioned feeling like Mexico is home. How so? It’s such a different culture to where you grew up.

C: Oddly, my Polish culture shares many similarities to Mexican culture. It is hard to describe but there's something familiar and I also think being surrounded by my closest friends and their families' being so inclusive has made this place feel so much more like home than NYC or LA. NYC and LA can sometimes have a little bit of a pretentious attitude, it's hard to find genuine people (not always). In the end, my community here loves to have a good time and are there for you. That's what I want home to feel like.

O: I have been a huge fan of Zii Ropa since I got introduced to it by you! what would you like to share about the brand so more people know?

C: I am so proud to be a part of this project and seeing it grow the way it has. Observing fashion in Mexico, it sometimes lacks simplicity and functionality in its design and ZR is just that. Our founder and designer, Bridget, has such a solid vision and isn't influenced by the fleeting trends and has created a space that works for her and the rest of the team. And I think opening the store was very important for us so that our customers can see a physical location that encapsulates ZR's ethos and identity. Doing that during a pandemic year was nerve wracking but it has been successful so, it feels like anything is possible! We have many plans in the pipeline and will stay true to our core and grow organically.

O: Where do you think the world is heading to with fashion and the retail world?What do you think is important to know about brands when buying from them - specially if they are emerging brands?

C: I try to buy from brands that are authentic, maintain integrity, and have fun. I dont think fashion needs to be politicized and instead it should be a space to explore yourself and have fun. The world is so crazy as it is, so to me, I want to shop with brands that give me a little bit of escapism. But above all, knowing what you are wearing, how it was made is always important. At the end of the day, fashion is a huge polluter and we need to be more conscious of what we are wearing, who made it, who benefits from it etc., hence, I think second hand/vintage is huge right now! We have enough "stuff" in the world to keep going round and round!

O: What are your three favorite brands

C:

1. ZII ROPA

2. Chloe

3. my mom's closet ;)

O: What is your favorite thing to do?

C: Having a moment to soak up some Vitamin D

O: What is your favorite restaurant? (it can be anywhere!)

C: I'm not a big foodie but I love to go to restaurants for a good time with good friends and obviously good food. So I will have to say a place I frequent because their pastries, sandwiches and fresh sourdough are deli! SAINT in Condesa

O: What is your favorite city in the world?

C: Mexico city <3

Natural Beauty, Victhoria la Carioca

“I was raised as a wild soul, always barefoot feeling the soil and the sand. ”

— Victoria

By Ingrid Azeredo

To be born and raised in a city like Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has many advantages - I can easily name a few ones:

For example, Rio de Janeiro’s climate is tropical Atlantic, the city has important parks and ecological reserves, such as the Tijuca National Park, considered "Environmental Heritage and Biosphere Reserve" by UNESCO, plus Rio has paradisaic and most famous beaches in the world - this amazing se connects us cariocas (term used for those born and raised in Rio de Janeiro) to nature in every way. Victhoria is a great example of a Carioca girl, with her unique beauty, style, daily care routine, and definitely, her tan.

When I was thinking of how to describe a perfect beach girl, Victhoria was the first girl in my mind, therefore, I invited her to talk us through her details and secrets of her beauty care.

I: What is your relationship with nature?

V: My relationship with nature started when I was a kid. I was born in Rio de Janeiro, however, my childhood was in Bahia. I grew up in a beach house with a garden full of fruits, and the beach was right across the street. We used to go fishing, and we´d cook and eat what we had just fished right there, on the boat.-I was raised as a wild soul, always barefoot feeling the soil and the sand. When I moved to Rio de Janeiro this connection did not change. Still to this day, if the sun is out, I will sure be there, on my own.

There are a few things that I feel the most pleased to do. A perfect day for me would be going to the beach, swimming,  feeling the sand sticking to my feet, drinking coconut water and eating a traditional carioca snack “ the hot cheese”- it cant get any more carioca than that. It feels so renewing when the sun is burning my skin. That feeds my soul, who I am, my story. My connection with  soil,  even though I don't have a regular yard, I do have a garden and I love watering my plants - it's very therapeutic, right? Right now in the current moment we are living in the world, this is what brings me daily energy: watering the plants, while listening to good music and sunbathing.I couldn't imagine myself without having all these in my life.

I: Do you feel a relation between your connection with nature and the use of natural/homemade products that you make?

V: Definitely, there is a connection between my skin care routine and nature. My mother’s family is from the interior of Bahia, Maragogipe. My grandma always lived with us and raised us (we are 4 siblings).Farming, freedom,  manual work, my grandma´s homemade culinary natural recipes,  have always been part of my life. I am sure that it influences me without even realizing - it makes me believe in the power of nature. If we analyzed that all the industrial products have within natural factors, why then not use the material in raw?Although, I do use industrial products too and believe in their results - I would be lying if I told you not. However, I do believe that results from raw materials are as satisfactory or more noticeable when I use them in my skin and hair.They make me feel good and energized!

I: Tell us a bit more about  your beauty care routine? 

V: I don't consider myself a strict person about my beauty care routine, but I do have daily essential care with my skin, that definitely makes a difference,  and sunblock is one of them.  Is either a regular one or a foundation that has SPF. Also every day,  I moisturize my lips and skin with a message technique - it's so quick and simple that it became the best way to do it.Furthermore, I  never sleep with makeup on, I make sure I wash my face properly with a facial soap, moisturize with coconut oil (my favorite product actually) before going to bed. Lastly Iapply some cream I am into right now - the “Copaíba” cream ( made out of a famous tree from Amazon with functions such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and healing.) It helps my skin to feel smooth and soft.About my hair…well, it has always been a love relationship. It's part of my personality since I was a kid, I was always very scared of having it cut and when I started to learn how to take care of it, our love intensified.It started when my grandma braided my hair everyday before I left to school, while growing up this made me appreciate it. Eventually it was a big part of me while growing up,  I learnt and had preferences of  beauty esthetics. I have never washed my hair more than 2x a week - And when I heard that it was good not to use shampoo every single day, I just kept this rule .

I started working at 17, and I looked for alternatives to take better care of myself without spending too much money - I found natural methods. I discovered cool recipes that to this day, I keep trying and testing  many things,  but not everything works for me.

I: Why do you prefer homemade products to industrial ones?

V: As I said before, the industrial products always have natural raw ingredients in them but add many other things, here its were it looses its simplicity. For example - I.e: the avocado hair mask with honey. Why not use the avocado and honey instead? Right? It's cheaper and more efficient,  definitely it will not damage your hair.But industrial products? I do use too -I am not always willing to prepare those beauty blends and plus there is also the specific component I need to get at the pharmacy.Yet, if I had to choose, it would be natural. After all, what can be better than what mother nature offers us, right?

I: With what  frequency do you use them? What were the results that you encountered, did you see any difference from what you used before?

V: I would say that I use facial  moisturizer the most - varies from 4 - 5 times a week - but I am always switching the mascaras and exfoliator every two weeks. However, with my hair once every week.

I feel more energized, overall.- My hair and skin feel fresher and healthier. Besides, making recipes from scratch is very pleasant for me.

I: Which one is your favorite homemade product? Could you share the recipe?

V: The ingredient that I use the most to make homemade recipes  is the Coconut oil. I can make up 20 recipes and always add coconut oil in all of them. It's incredible! It has so many uses, something so simple I carry everywhere. Also, it is a good Lip Balm - very moisturizing.

I: What can't  you live without?

V: The beach, 100% ! I miss the beach so bad right now  in this quarantine times.