Today we’d like to introduce you to France Malvar.
Hi France, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My brand, Lu France Interiors is actually a pandemic pivot. I used to be an early childhood educator- preschools, developing curriculum, and teaching children was my world for 14 years. When the pandemic shut schools down in 2020, I started my journey with natural dyes and textile work and then launched a home decor brand later that year. I’ve always loved design, even when I was in the Philippines where I was born and raised, I’ve always gravitated toward design in one form or another even throughout the years of teaching both here in the US and back in Manila. I’d take workshops and classes in different forms of design as my refuge from the stress of teaching, a break from all the lesson plans. I’ve had one on one classes and workshops with florists, wedding stylists, natural dyers, and other creatives. When the pandemic hit, I also enrolled at the New York Institute of Art and Design online. So, while my journey to being a natural dye textile artist and small business owner was never linear, I think it was always a path I’d take sooner or later. I guess in my case; it came later- 13 years after university.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not and I didn’t expect it to be especially on the business aspect of running my home decor brand. There have been learning curves and mistakes made from learning how to manage inventory and keeping the right amount of stock for cash flow to be more efficient, to finding ways to ride out the low seasons, and losing a significant amount of money on shipping along the way. These things can be discouraging and have kept me awake at night, and then I guess you realize you just stick with it, you get a hang of it, and it does get better.
As an artist working on my textiles- this aspect of my brand has been more easy flowing. It has been my respite in a lot of ways, working with the raw dyestuff I use, experimenting with colors and different fabrics- this work has sort of been my escape when I’m trying to figure out how to navigate running my business. Whenever I get overwhelmed, I just simply go back to my dye work and create. Every textile I make has a story; it is inspired by a word, a memory, a moment that births my silks. I think it’s therapeutic to me in a lot of ways and it reenergizes me to get back on the business aspect of things.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’d say I juggle multiple roles, but it comes down to the main 2- I am both an artist and a business owner. I am a natural dye textile artist and owner of Lu France Interiors, an online home decor brand. I create naturally dyed pieces like silk scarves, dyed fabrics for others to work with, or textile wall art using flowers, leaves, and kitchen waste on natural fibers. I carry these pieces online along with different collections of curated home decor.
I’ve always loved styling and decorating spaces. Interior design and beautiful architecture have always fascinated me. Thoughtfully handmade objects that seem to tell a story draw me in. I think there is much beauty in the way a tangible piece of decor represents someone else’s journey, and so I curate pieces in this manner, decor from different parts of the world, pieces that speak to me. Lu France Interiors has a collection of work made by other makers and artists whose stories, aesthetics, and of equal importance- whose values resonate with me. I also have collaboration collections with other small business owners and artisans from here in the US and my motherland, the Philippines. If you explore my website, you’ll find one of my bestselling collaborations- an exclusive Philippine-inspired scent collection inspired by my memories of growing up in the Philippines. I also have a collection of pillow covers that I’m so proud of. These pieces were made by artisans in the Philippines in collaboration with social enterprise Anthill Fabric using handwoven Philippine textiles.
The textiles that I make, the home decor pieces that I carry, and the work that I do with other creatives and small businesses have one thing in common- they all represent a memory, a story, and values that are important to me. I think that’s what sets LFI apart and it’s what I am most proud of. That I offer pieces that truly mean something. They aren’t mass produced; they are handmade in small batches by different people who have equally important stories to tell and who believe in values that I also fight for. That’s something I’m really proud of because while Lu France Interiors is first and foremost a design brand, it’s important to me that it stands for something. It is rooted in a wabi-sabi inspired, lived-in, handmade, minimal, calming aesthetic AND also on values of sustainability, all while being a steady voice for issues that resonate with me.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think being true to myself. Authenticity is important; I always say this- LFI is me, France in brand form. It’s a business that represents my values and my aesthetic. It’s my voice that is out there on its social media platform, and I feel like that helps me stay true to what LFI is and why I started it in the first place. I wanted a design brand that had my aesthetic but also one that would tell the stories that matter to me. I think having that as my why and also my guide has helped build a community of followers who truly support me and want the brand to grow and succeed. The community-building aspect of LFI came as a surprise, I was scared of putting myself out there, but I knew I could never put on a mask to represent a brand that I own. The community I found online through my work has constantly felt like an encouraging hug, and I’m so grateful for it, for all those who continue to support me and LFI’s growth.
Pricing:
- My naturally dyed textiles start from $50.
- My scent collection is at $15 to $25.
- Home decor starts at $25 to $300.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lufranceinteriors.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lufranceinteriors/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lufranceinteriors
Image Credits
Ariel Min Photography
We Are Origami
Sandra Chau HMU
Stacey Triplow
