Handmade jewelry
Lou grew up with the boom in low-cost stores. She has consumed, too. A lot. And she has emptied her piggybank in these budget stores. Then there was a documentary. And then another. About what goes on behind the scenes of these monsters of fashion that are springing up like mushrooms in big cities all over the world. Lou has also understood that low-cost can also be a smokescreen. That these two words are often synonymous with poverty and suffering. Always more was overtaken by disgust.
Alongside this sudden awareness there is passion, too, of course. What Lou prefers to do above everything else is create. Working with her hands. Watching pretty things created by her nimble fingers. And seeing the eyes of her customers shine. For Lou, creating is like breathing. Pure, unadulterated happiness.
First came the desire to create. To blossom. This passion then encountered the world of ethical consumption. And over time, Tiroir de Lou was built along these two main lines.
Nimble fingers
Lou offers two different ranges. Amulettes (Amulets) and Pépites (Nuggets). To create her Amulets, Lou assembles small components (pendants, fine stones, etc.), which she sources from around fifteen suppliers in Europe. It?s a work of composition (getting the proportions, textures, colours and shapes right) ? not unlike the work of a stylist or a florist, in fact.
For her Pépites, Lou starts with a blank page. A little sketch in her notebook and she?s off. This range is all about work of a genuine gold and silversmith. She melts the metal, cuts it, solders it, shapes it, sets the stones, etc.
For her Amulettes, her initial range, she learnt everything, by herself, in her little girl's room. For her Pépites, she spent 4 months in Italy learning to master the basic techniques of contemporary jewelry-making. Two passions, two processes, two types of expertise and two different styles.
Today, Lou has more than 5 years of experience in creating jewelry. She is surrounded by a team as passionate as she is. Tiroir de Lou has 6 other creative elves: Anthony, Nora, Caroline, Amélie, Charlotte & Christian.
Quality first
To fight against programmed obsolescence, Lou puts her heart and soul into the creation and manufacture of quality jewellery. Her treasures come with a warranty (one year for Amulets and two years for Nuggets). In the world of costume jewelry, the items created often have a limited life expectancy. Yet women love their jewellery, these little objects filled with meaning. The special relationship that they have with that special item is a key element for us.
Local or nothing
Lou devotes a lot of energy to finding local suppliers. For her packaging, for little shackels of her jewellery, the florist who decorates her workspace for private sales, office supplies, etc. Her attractive wooden display units are all local and the very best in quality: they?re handmade and homemade. Made with love by her dad. Cute, isn?t it?