SUPPORTING WOMEN-RUN BUSINESSES
SUPPORTING WOMEN-RUN BUSINESSES
So I have long decided to start a blog but always finding good excuses to step away from it. Well today, here comes the Studio’s first article and I love that it is about womanhood and my very first client: Duverger macarons!
There have been a lot of talk recently about supporting women-run businesses and I wanted to share with you a couple of my own stories on the blog as all my clients happens to be women. The first one being about the Duverger team, and more specifically about Claire, the owner and here is why. Four years ago, as I timidly launched what has become Alexia G. Studio and still being a student at UCLA in photography - I got my first contract. I still remember that day and how rewarding it was. I secretly felt like an impostor, but I was determined to give them as many shots and ideas as I could.
Before I share with you some of the work we have done together with Duverger, let me introduce Claire and her team to you. Claire Becker is a French Chef who originally started baking, back in France, for her friends, neighbors and family. She was then caught by surprise by her success when she arrived in California. I remember her telling me she had to deliver 7 palettes within a week to Whole Foods, baking in her small kitchen. Yes, Whole Foods was one of her first clients. And yes, she delivered! To that day, what makes her baking so special is her resilience and creativity - an endless numbers of colorful flavors you can taste now. Her macarons please the American palette while staying true to the authentic French recipe. What makes her a genius in my eyes in the culinary industry is how she drew inspiration from her past career as a painting conservationist. Throughout her macaron line, she delivered a delicate color palette with great taste appeal solely from natural fruit and vegetable extracts. Oh… and these delicacies are also gluten free.
I later met Claire in person and over the years got to work a bit more closely with her vision of the brand, her products and how they should be visually represented. Here are some of her words : light yet rich, gourmet yet an accessible treat, beautiful, colorful, pastel, symphony of flavors, crispy shells, an enticing filling - in brief, a visual delight. We yet had to put that in visuals… I remember one particular project, where she needed an ad presenting her best-sellers. Claire accompanied me in the process of making that visual, while being long distance. I would send her some shots and we would comment them together “try adding some greens, choose some greeneries… maybe in the top left corner.’/ “ok how about changing slightly the angle”/ “maybe add some mess, some petals and bits and pieces”. We also added a piece of textile… adding some texture to the visual. We also, of course, talked about colors. I always love to have her sense about colors. It comes so naturally to her, it feels inspirationnal.
To see all the images we created together here, on their newly launched website: www.duvergermacarons.com
What you should also know about Claire is that she is the sweetest to all her feminine co-workers. Moms and none-moms. She gets it and know the struggles. I remember she decided to have a breastfeeding room for her employees. Just trying to make our every day as woman and mothers more livable. Which brings me back to working with women-run businesses and why I love it. I feel we understand each other so much better. We get the struggles, the challenges but also have a special way of sharing appreciation to each other.
And today, I wanted to give start my blog thanking these Duverger women! I am so appreciative of our collaboration. Thank you to the marvelous and oh so supportive Claire Becker, owner of that delicious brand. Go check them out at Whole Foods, in California!
Looking forward to sharing more recent projects with you, stay tuned!
In cahoots :)