Hello ladies!
Women’s Month is always a great opportunity for businesses, creatives and the media to showcase the achievements of women around the world, and this is a great thing! But one thing we can always be proud of on the Madeline Wilson-Ojo blog, is that Women’s Month is year-round. We are dedicated to amplifying the voices of women, particularly black women. Today is no different, as we sit down with a phenomenal woman in business.
Ladies and gentleman, I introduce to you Laurence of La Petite Congolaise. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Laurence for a while, and her company, La Petite Congolaise which specialise in homewares and notebooks made from African textiles is absolute genius.
Find out what Laurence had to say to about business, life, textiles and East London when we stopped her for a chat!
Thanks for stopping for a chat Laurence. Our readers would like to know a bit about you.
My name is Laurence Kanza, I live in London, I am the founder and Creative Director of the London-based home accessories brand “La Petite Congolaise”.
What is La Petite Congolaise?
La Petite Congolaise is an African-inspired home accessories brand offering a contemporary twist on accent colours for the home. We focus on accents and elements that reflect one’s personal style and personality. Our style is about layering and personalising with colour and texture – those touches that transform a plain simple space into a home.
Why the name La Petite Congolaise?
My family is from the Congo (Francophone Africa). “La Petite Congolaise” means “The Little Congolese Girl” in French. Some people may not be aware that there are two Congos: The Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville) and The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo Kinshasa) – some may know it as The DRC, others by the name Zaïre. My family comes from both, hence the choice of name.
Sometimes even after I’ve explained the origins of the name, some people will still ask: “So are you from the Congo?” LOL!
What made you decide to start a business?
I always wanted to go into business for myself. I am an interiors enthusiast and La Petite Congolaise combines two of my passions: interiors and travel. I used to live in New York, and would spend endless hours in design stores like ABC Carpet & Home and show homes around the city, always fascinated by how they would create incredible room settings, beautifully curated vignettes and window displays.
When I moved back to England, I continued to explore my love of interiors by helping close friends with their decor. I had ideas of pieces that I wanted to see in the home but was unable to find, so I took classes in sewing and upholstery to gain the knowledge and experience of creating pieces that I envisioned in the home. The feedback I received from the first sample pieces was impressive, so I decided the time was right for me to pursue my passion through my own brand.
What makes La Petite Congolaise stand out as a business?
La Petite Congolaise offers beautiful limited edition collections for those who enjoy colour in their homes – from bold, rich, vibrant hues to subtle understated earth tones.
Each piece is handmade and the numbers are kept intentionally small, so anyone buying from the collections is getting very special pieces that they can confidently know very few people will have. La Petite Congolaise is very much about the individual’s personality and how they want to reflect that in their space – minimalist, maximalist or somewhere in between.
“The African continent is a never-ending source of ideas”.
Sometimes all you need is one statement piece, other times you just need one piece to make a statement. We also offer style tips for inspiration on how to mix and match. This same philosophy and aesthetic are carried through in the stationery range. Our limited edition notebooks are made using the production offcuts from the studio. I have a major weakness for notebooks and have curated duo and trio gift sets specifically to take the stress and worry out of choosing. So just like our cushions, they work well as a group or separated.
When did you develop a taste for African textiles?
You could say from the womb, LOL! My taste developed early, at home with my mother – she has a great sense of style and an incredible eye for detail. African textiles were very much a part of my upbringing, both in terms of clothing my mother wore and around the house.
What are the best and most challenging things about being in business?
The best part is the freedom of being your own boss, working with incredibly talented and creative people and making our customers happy. The most challenging is running a business – being the boss means that the buck stops with you and that can be extremely stressful at times.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get my inspiration from everywhere. The African continent is a never-ending source of ideas; nature, old family photos, music, art exhibitions, markets, books, magazines, food, people watching, window shopping, travel, even travelling around on public transport. My eyes are always open, and I always have a notebook in my bag.
How involved are you in the creative process?
Obviously, it depends on the project, but generally speaking, I am fully involved in the creative process. I have a group of incredible people who I work with or who I can call upon to bounce ideas off. I also have a select group of friends and family around the world who know what I like and keep their eyes open for me. But basically everything starts and stops with me. So from sourcing fabrics, colour palettes, storyboards, location scouting, etc, I’m the one leading.
What one thing would you like future business owners to know?
Hhhhhmmm … good question. I would say get a mentor. You’re going to make mistakes, there are going to be situations that you are totally unfamiliar with, unprepared for or will feel overwhelmed by, but having someone to help you navigate those unchartered waters, who has “been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt” so to speak makes such a difference.
Outside of making La Petite Congolaise a success, what else do you do?
I like art, music, travel and food. So away from La Petite Congolaise, you’ll probably find me at an art exhibition, out and about discovering new parts of London or in my kitchen trying out beauty treatments or recipes I’ve seen on YouTube or Instagram.
What is next for you and La Petite Congolaise?
Lots of things ahead for La Petite Congolaise. Expanding the range of stationery. Collaborations through a short film series I’m producing called “Postcards from East London”. It’s based around a piece of music called “All These Years” by a musician called Dominic James (Fun Fact: He plays and tours with Angelique Kidjo and also wrote the music for Shaikra’s song “Waka Waka”, the official song of the 2010 World Cup).
Each short features a different East London-based creative and gives a peek into their life and creative process. I’m working on designing my own line of fabrics … it’s taken longer than expected, but I’m excited about it, and God-willing some travel.
So Laurence, you know this is a book blog right? So tell us. what was the last book you read?
The last book I read was Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.
Lastly, where can we patronise your business?
On the website: www.LaPetiteCongolaise.com We can also be found at Saargale Concept Store in Paris (http://www.saargale.com)
Thank you Laurence!
Speaking to her was such a pleasure. I hope if you’ve been thinking of starting a business, you’re motivated to take the leap. Also, you’re now hopefully inspired to add some African textiles to your home decor.
If you’d like to know more about Laurence or La Petite Congolaise, then make sure you follow La Petite Congolaise on socials: Instagram, Youtube and Facebook!
DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored post