INTERVIEW WITH SIDONIE DUMOULIN, CO-FOUNDER OF THE THELMA ROSE BRAND; A WOMAN WHO DARES!

In 2018, we seized the opportunity to change our lives again and moved to Nice. Since then, I've been discovering your region, which I didn't know at all, and which I find absolutely stunning. In other words, I'm continuing to settle in, meet new people, build a professional network, and marvel at these spaces between the sea and the mountains.

• Tell us about your background in a few words.

I have a background in communications. After completing a two-year technical degree, I felt it was important to take a break from my studies to learn English. So, I packed my bag and moved to London with nothing. The idea was to stay for six months, but I ended up staying for two years. After that, I went backpacking around the world. A completely crazy trip! When I returned, I started getting involved in environmental activism: volunteering with Greenpeace, freelancing as an environmental journalist, and creating a newsletter called "La Minute Ecologique" (The Ecological Minute). At the same time, I joined a Parisian communications agency, working in a B2B role focused on strategic thinking. Then, I co-founded Kapital DS with my sister. We independently created two women's ready-to-wear brands made in France.

• Where did the idea for your brand Thelma Rose come from?

Thelma Rose has a long history. When I left Paris in 2008 to settle in the Fontainebleau region, my sister Stéphanie shared her project for a maternity clothing brand with me. It's important to know that we have a strong family business culture. My father worked with his brother. However, becoming an entrepreneur wasn't my goal at all, but I saw it as an opportunity to create a company with strong values. So, we launched De Mois en Moi in 2010, based on a concept of timeless, ultra-comfortable, and very feminine clothing. The brand is made in France, the high-quality materials are sourced in France and Italy, and they are Oeko-Tex certified. From the very beginning, we encouraged women to consume less, but better.

In the years 2010-2016, the idea of ​​responsible consumption in textiles was not at all developed. And we were easily compared to fast fashion.

But because our customers were asking us for postpartum dresses, and because women without baby bumps found our clothes amazing, we decided to launch Thelma Rose . It wasn't easy! In fact, we stopped after one season. It was by observing a shift in attitudes towards "less is more" and continuing to hear that our quality was remarkable that we decided to relaunch Thelma Rose . We therefore redesigned it as a pure online retailer, completely reimagining the concept. We are blown away by the reception it has received today.

• What do you like most about your job?

I love creating, writing, drawing, raising awareness, and telling myself that we are right, aligned with our values. I find meaning in what I do!

• What motivates you on a daily basis?

I have two driving forces every day: first, the feeling of being part of a great human adventure. Thanks to our DNVB (Digitally Native Vertical Brand) business model, we're in close contact with our customers. I really enjoy interacting with them. I could almost call some of them by their first names. Their feedback gives us incredible energy, especially when they tell us that they feel feminine and confident in our clothes. I feel like we give them that little something extra that makes all the difference.

At the same time, working with my sister is great. We complement each other very well and are very close. We share the same vision and the same standards.

My other driving force is this desire to move towards a sustainable world by offering a "slow fashion" product: versatile, high-quality, locally sourced, primarily bio-based, and durable! But also by continuing to sow seeds and raise awareness: explaining our actions, the concept of fair pricing, the impact of our consumption, the need to consume differently, to restore value to our purchases…

• Do you practice any sport? If so, which one, for how long, and what do you like about it?

You should know that I grew up in the world of horses. As a child, I participated in all the horse shows and the French championships through my parents' company… I had a pony, spent my life in the forest with my grandfather, galloping on the large Normandy beaches or riding my father's competition horse… until a horse accident followed by a ban on riding again.

Today, I mainly do yoga and capoeira. I put my running shoes back on during lockdown, much to my delight.

What I love most, I think, is the playful aspect, the feeling of well-being, and the aesthetics of the movements (among my childhood dreams: to become a prima ballerina). On the other hand, I'm not (anymore?) at all focused on performance.

• What other activities do you do in your free time?

The hikes that allow me to discover fantastic places in your beautiful region and the aperitifs 😊!

• Where and how did you discover the Noliju brand?

Since arriving in Nice, the reaction from everyone I meet in my professional network has been: You have to meet Norah ! It was obvious to everyone in a region not exactly known for its textile industry. And now it's finally happened!

• As a mom and entrepreneur, you're a true everyday champion! How do you manage to organize yourself between your work, your personal life, and your other activities?

I'm constantly juggling things, even more so with the Covid crisis and looking after my children at home. My daughter criticizes me for not being available enough. She's right. I envy those who only sleep four hours a night…

• A project for the future?

Absolutely not 😊! I still feel like I only moved to Nice yesterday! And we relaunched Thelma Rose last year. In a way, for me, every day still feels like a new project, bringing its own surprises and discoveries.

• One last word?

THANK YOU !

• A quote/mantra that belongs to you/that is dear to your heart?

Yes! #allresponsible!