Almé, the Avignon brand that is a hit, dressing women from sizes 36 to 54

“ Over time, I’ve transformed myself into a real Vaucluse tourist office , I sell the region like no one else,” jokes Emmanuelle Sokolowski, founder, in 2018, of the Almé Paris brand, which, despite its name, is not based in the City of Lights , but in Avignon. This burnt-out former investment banker has indeed managed to convince a good number of her current thirty-five employees to move down to the South. “ Overall, we attract profiles who, like me, wanted to live in the provinces to simplify their lives . I’m a native of Avignon. When you’re not from Paris, when you don’t have family ties to Paris, a nursery place, a parking space, etc., everything is complicated.”

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Still, launching a fashion business outside of the fashion capital is no easy task. " It's true that this personal choice doesn't only have professional advantages. It took persuasion, particularly from investors ( the entrepreneur...