We had the good fortune of connecting with Audrey Tasiaux and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Audrey, how do you think about risk?
I am an optimist. Plan A didn’t work? There are 25 other letters in the alphabet! “Tout ira bien!” as we say in French. I see risk as an opportunity to explore the unknown, as a necessary component to move forward to something good – with the delicious adventure goosebumps that come with it, per favore! I see risk as the highway to where I feel the most alive – a trigger to draw out one’s unexpected inner power and to think out of the box to find solutions.
And why is that? Because change never came out of comfort zones – and going through great trial & tribulation is part of the process. I’ve chosen to leave a stable career path in geopolitics to start a sustainable luxury brand with no background in the fashion field – topped up with macro ‘risky’ conditions to launch a business (economic stagnation, covid, – vibes….!). That was a risk. I also risked the “what if I become an embarrassment who didn’t make it”. I’ve recently re-discovered Mary Schmich’s 1997 column in Herald Tribune ‘Wear Sunscreen’ which remains among my top 5 mood-boosts when things get spicy!
“Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.” I couldn’t agree more. In France especially, there is a fear of the unknown & of failure. We are a culture that doesn’t value trials (and therefore risk of failure) as an opportunity to learn and thus doesn’t encourage entrepreneurship & its associated exponential exposure to risk. Of course it is easier to stay safe on shore – but there is so much to explore & experience out there! The biggest risk one can take is taking no risk at all, watching opportunities pass without being able to seize them.
The obstacles we all face is fear – the fear of trying new things, the fear of others judgment, the fear of failing. To succeed is to take the risk of failing. To love is to take the risk of being heartbroken. To run is to take the risk of falling. Good things come with their bunch of trials & tribulations – they don’t magically pop up like BOOM you have it all! By nature we turn towards stability & security, whilst change is scary – but better to live with an ‘oops’ than a ‘what if’! I’ve stopped being afraid when I released myself from my own mental blockages & people’s judgment – and surprisingly enough… so far so good!
HOWEVER! (a little disclaimer to you, dear reader! Let me please clarify) : By risk I do not mean oblivious flirting with danger with unrealistic random gambles – especially when it comes to keeping a business afloat & the people depending on you onboard ! By risk I mean smart risk, as a way of disrupting routine & status quo towards positive change. And this is why contingency plans are phenomenal – in-depth analysis of a risk then allows room to improvise, adapt, overcome! – sprinkling a little fantasy over it if you feel like it (because why not!). And that is the whole beauty of it – because nothing goes as planned anyways! There is a mantra I’ve read on a wall at a survival camp in Scotland my parents sent me to when I was 15 “Keep going stay strong make it a laugh” – 10 years later it is still with me everyday. We’re on Earth for a limited time – let’s make the most of it! Head high, chins up, andiamo! And zero regrets.
What should our readers know about your business?
Diana d’Orville is a sustainable luxury couture brand based in Monaco. We craft unique/limited editions pieces in the South of France, pieces of traditional tailoring heritage through graceful drapes. Our modus operandi is a wearable objets d’art approach, bringing tailoring into a new breed of smart casual, a post-modern approach to the ancient language of luxury.
We specialize in Made in France craftsmanship, from high-quality fabrics (natural, biodegradable, recycled, traceable) selected from family-owned suppliers in France and Italy. This passion for provenance consitutes our starting point behind our sophisticated collections – an hommage to illustrious centuries-old couture heritage that is disappearing under mass delocalization pressure since the last decades. We are mostly known for our vibrant colour palettes and signature ‘palazzos’ looks bringing perennial allure convenient for any situation.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Plans for an ideal weekend: Early morning swim in the sea with a yoga session celebrating awakened skies at Plage de La Mala in Cap d’Ail – a little gem of a bay 10 minutes away from Monaco! Then going for a cappuccino & fresh croissants straight out of the oven on a terrace next to the flower market next to the port.
Going then to Saint Paul de Vence to visit Fondation Maeght’s wonderful exhibitions before heading to lunch at La Colombe d’Or under the trees – surrounded by Chagall, Matisse, Braque’s art pieces. Heaven on earth! We would stay there until mid afternoon before joining friends for aperitivo at La Vigie watching sunset over the Mediterranean with jazz music in the background (and why not one last dip in the sea!).
We would then either go for open-air cinema next to the Prince’s Palace on the Rocher, or go for a big candle-lit dinner at La Petite Maison in Nice old town – finishing off singing Gipsy Kings and dancing around the tables under the stars!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Friends & family of course! And a shoutout to Mary Schmich’s 1997 Herald Tribune column ‘Wear Sunscreen’ that I strongly encourage everyone to read once in a while! Puts things in perspective 
Website: www.dianadorville.com
Instagram: @dianadorville
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-tasiaux-82991382/
Facebook: @dianadorvillemontecarlo
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXtziiSbngrKHUsUzOfQbew
Image Credits
Photo credits: Julia Jaeckin & Stephanie Lou
LINK TO SHOUTOUT L.A MAGAZINE INTERVIEW CLICK HERE.