010: Discovering Your Sexuality, Confidence, and Empowerment with Jennifer Zuccarini of Fleur du Mal

Mar 31, 2021

Jennifer Zuccarini is the Founder and CEO of the luxury lingerie and ready-to-wear brand, Fleur du Mal. Inspired by women who are powerful, chic, and celebrate their femininity & sexuality, Fleur du Mal explores the notion of desire and artful provocation, while maintaining style and wearability.

In this episode, Tracy dives into Jennifer’s journey of launching a fashion brand - beginning at just eight-years-old, when Jennifer knew that she wanted to be a designer and got her first sewing machine. From there, Jennifer deepened her experience of corporate business and the importance of having an exit strategy. Tracy also digs deep into the process of starting your own business with details on how Jennifer built Fleur du Mal from the ground up.

In This Episode:

• [00:40] All about Jennifer Zuccarini and Fleur du Mal. 
• [05:40] At eight-years-old, Jennifer realized she wanted to be a designer. She speaks about her journey.  
• [13:50] What it’s like to have an unraveling partnership arrangement.
• [17:30] Making the pivot from Victoria’s Secret and creating Fleur du Mal.  
• [22:30] The process behind starting your own business. 
• [31:35] Jennifer walks us through the Fleur du Mal branding. 
• [36:25] Everyone gave Jennifer the advice to narrow her brand. Jennifer wishes she listened to that guidance earlier. 
• [44:45] Learn more about Jennifer Zuccarini.  

Key Takeaways:

• When starting a business with a partner, invest in advice before making the deal. 
• Always moonlight when starting a business. In other words, have a day job, take a paycheck, and then do your work on nights and weekends.
• When launching a business, put in the work, build the models, and understand what you're really going to have to do to launch your company. 
• As entrepreneurs, you need to carve out time for vacations – it should not be optional. 

Bio: 

In November 2012, Jennifer Zuccarini founded the luxury lingerie and ready-to-wear brand Fleur du Mal. Feminine, chic and powerful, the brand embodies a woman’s strength, confidence, and sexuality. Founded on extensive industry experience, exceptional design, and an untapped market opportunity, Zuccarini has built a high-growth, digitally driven brand unique in voice, value and product execution. Fleur du Mal inspires the art of dressing up and undressing. 

In 2008, she joined Victoria’s Secret as Design Director of Intimates. Her experience with Limited Brands established critical operating knowledge, while gaining important manufacturing and sourcing contacts worldwide. In 2005 Jennifer Zuccarini co-Founded Kiki de Montparnasse, the first luxury brand surrounding intimacy. As Creative Director, she oversaw all aspects of the branding, collection design, retail and online environments.

Born and raised in Toronto, Zuccarini moved to New York in 2001 where she studied Fashion Design at The Fashion Institute of Technology. Prior to FIT, she studied Art History and graduated with a Fine Arts degree from Montreal’s Concordia University.

Links:

Website: https://www.fleurdumal.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferzuccarini/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fleurdumalnyc

CONNECTIONS:

For more Jennifer Zuccarini,  follow her on Instagram. Also be sure to check out  Fleur du Mal.

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Until next time… High Five!