A story of passion
The career of a fur pioneer
Written by Place de la Cité | November 1, 2021
In this series, our contributor Julie Blondin goes out to meet the entrepreneurs who make up the soul of Place de la Cité. Between laughter and confidences, they open up to share their story and that of their business with us. We invite you to dive into their world too, one conversation at a time.
Fashion one day, fashion forever
Fashion has been a long-standing love affair for Diane. She tells us how she has accumulated years of experience by dabbling in different aspects of the field.
How did you get into the field?
Her story began at a very early age, on an old pedal sewing machine, under the fearful and protective eye of her mother. “Ever since I was young, ever since I was about 5 or 6, I’ve loved fashion. Even then, I was already starting to draw and make things with my mother’s old sewing machine.” Diane would spend hours on it, just for fun. And how did she end up in the fur industry specifically? “It turned out to be like a challenge for me,” she says. And challenges don’t scare this go-getting director, quite the contrary! “Back then, and I’m talking about the 80s, there were no women in the field. I thought to myself, ‘There are no women, so I’m going to be the first!'” she says with a laugh. Challenges? Bring them on!
Priority to customers' needs
Diane is proud to offer an excellent personalized service to every person who enters her shop.
What makes you stand out?
“What is important for us is the service. It is personal to each person: a person arrives at the shop either for a garment, a repair or a purchase, but [the service] is personalized.” For Diane, her job goes much further than sales: her mission is to provide advice that perfectly meets the needs of her customers. And the quality of service is very important to Diane. The secret of success in the field, according to her, “is to listen, to know what people want”. For this dynamic manager, there is no greater joy than satisfying customers by meeting their unique needs!
What is it that still keeps you so passionate?
Both in fashion and in customer service, Diane is perfectly in her element. The proof? There are a host of aspects of the job that motivate her. First and foremost, what keeps her passionate is “the work that gets done,” she says. The greatest motivation for her, “is to see the customer leave happy because they have been well advised,” explains Diane. There is also innovation and discovery that keeps her passionate: “You have no choice but to always be on the cutting edge of fashion, because if you want to share it with someone else, you have to know it [fashion].” And what she finds most stimulating is the contact with customers.
Adapting to new realities
Change is always present in the field of fashion. From her many years of experience in the field, it can be said that Diane has become a master of adaptation!
What is the biggest challenge you have faced?
According to Diane, the biggest challenge in her job is having to constantly adapt. Even though she finds it stimulating, it takes time and effort, which is not always easy. “The clientele is always a new generation: the new generation does not necessarily think like the old one, but you have to adjust to that,” she says. Her secret? Through trials and tribulations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the shop relocations, she continues to make the customer base her priority. “If we want to keep our customers, we have to make them feel the same as before. [We have to] continue to provide good service all the time so that the customer always feels good,” she says. Even if it means quickly improvising solutions, Diane is always ready!
What is your best kept secret?
“Our secret is the workshop staff who do our repairs and make our clothes. They do miraculous things!” Diane says with admiration. She adds, “They make accessories, cushions, handbags, and more out of old coats.” A well-kept secret that deserves to be shared!
