As part of the blog "Conscious People" by Venitz, we interview the actors of the green transition to find out more about the behind their commitments. Today, here is the story of Aude Penouty.
Hello everyone, I am Aude Penouty, lingerie and swim stylist; child of the Mediterranean, I live in Hyères les Palmiers. I had the chance to spend 12 years abroad and do what I love every day! 7 years ago, I founded a fashion consultancy dedicated to sourcing and innovative and sustainable design. My real job today: cultural broker, I am an intermediary and try to convey messages using concrete data, by being a bridge between buyers and sellers and by using intuition as data.
Today, I dedicate a large part of my daily life to working and indulging my curiosity! I work on intuition so I'm curious about everything. I like to work, and that's why it's important for me to take care of what I do and the people who do it with me. I couldn't collaborate with people and on projects that I don't like and whose meaning I don't understand.
At the risk of disappointing you, I had no trigger or awareness, everything has been infused and diffused since childhood, thanks to travel, meetings, professional experiences, through being confronted with cultural gaps that require putting oneself in the shoes of others to adapt, the realities of production and the working conditions of those who make our clothes... All of this took place in my life little by little. Also, I grew up by the sea and I am very sensitive to this element.
In this sense, I support the living - nature is everything that is alive. Without falling into disapproving philosophy or science: everything is linked; I believe that this is the first step to raise awareness, and in my job “design concerns aesthetics, sourcing concerns the way the fabric hangs, both are intimately linked to the body and therefore to nature”. In addition, whenever I can, I try to support the Explore & Preserve association which contributes to the preservation of the Var coasts by raising awareness through education to prevent our seas and oceans from being considered as invisible subcontinents where we can leave our waste, which has just been ratified by the recipient association of 1% For The Planet.
Since we are focusing on Vietnam, let me tell you an anecdote: I have worked with different cultures, and during a collaboration with an Indian company based in Saigon, I was the only female manager and I had a lot of difficulty being integrated among my colleagues. One day I realized that I had to play the game of Indian culture, so I showed them a Bollywood dance choreography that I knew how to dance, and overnight I gained their respect. It's not all about strength...
However, adopting a more ethical and responsible lifestyle is not a linear process; I still take the plane myself, but for longer journeys. Travel is my foundation: my clients and suppliers are scattered, part of my family and friends live abroad. So I would still fly a little while avoiding unnecessary journeys because I can't do without them, I love them too much!
The orange rays of the setting sun run over the steep rocks that border the ocean, the shells coo - lulled by the swell -, the hubbub of the city falls asleep behind the light mist that rises. The wind whispers a word in my ear: BREATHE, BRAKE AND LISTEN.
He whispers to me that every day is unique, that we can't control everything and that every wave is useful. As Joël de Rosnay (one of my mentors) wrote, “You can't surf them all, you have to choose one and surf it to the end.”
The water brushes against me, I raise my head in a sigh and my eyes meet the stars which shine with their beautiful pale glow. I am overwhelmed by a wave of feelings, even resentments. Dear Nature, you are right to mistreat us, to constantly alert us so that we are aware that you are the boss! So dear boss, thank you for all the learning opportunities, for the surprises, for being caught off guard by dolphin jumps, for the light and the reflections on the sea. I will do my best to evolve alongside you and build a sustainable and living environment, to support everyone towards the understanding that we will do everything together and not one without the other.
To support Aude, here is the link to Entada Textile !