22 minutes with Elissa Regnier-Vigouroux

NOO is a brand created in 2014 by Anaïs Laurent and Elissa Regnier-Vigouroux. Their ambition was to offer lingerie that meets the desires and needs of all women.

Once this challenge had been met, the brand expanded with homewear, swimwear and ready-to-wear lines. Pieces in which you feel comfortable and beautiful, at home or out and about. To sum up: lace, sequins and cleavage, at NOO, we dare!

We invite you to discover the portrait of Elissa Regnier-Vigouroux, co-founder of NOO.

What's your zodiac sign?

So I'm a Taurus (born on April 22 ;)) and I think it's a sign that's a lot like me! It's said that they're all about construction (bearing in mind that my particularity is having a thousand projects at once), that they're reliable, faithful and, of course, very stubborn. I think it's all true!

As an anecdote, we have 4 bulls out of 5 in our family, and only my eldest son swings, and sometimes I think that it must be no mean feat for him to live with so many horned animals.

When are you most productive?

At the end of the day, of course! Between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.! That's when all the meetings are over, the office is quiet and I can get on with my work without being interrupted. And of course, just when it's getting late and I need to get home, much to my boyfriend's dismay.

Sea or mountains?

Definitely sea. It soothes me in every season, and all I have to do is hear it to change modes, slow down and breathe. In 2022, we decided to get even closer to the sea and buy an old house to renovate, just a few minutes' walk from the sea.

YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE?

Let the wave go, it always comes back! :)

Do you prefer Paris or Marseille?

So, in my eyes, Marseille without a doubt! I discovered this city 18 years ago, at a time in my life when nothing was going right. While I was finishing my "classe préparatoire" in Toulouse and my classmates had all gone back to school and were having the time of their lives, I came for the vacations to visit a friend who had started school in Marseille.

Love at first sight for this city! It was as if I'd known it all my life (perhaps my Lebanese origins had something to do with it). I found that it had a very special, sunny, Mediterranean atmosphere. I discovered the panisses, the daily flip-flops, the strong character of the Marseillais, the Prophètes beach until November and the hikes in the calanques. I remember thinking to myself, "How lucky Marseillais are to live here all year round! 15 years later, we landed here from Paris with our 3 little boys, and frankly, we feel we've gained everything, and lost nothing.

Movies or TV series?

Series! When I start one, I'm the kind of person who negotiates with my husband to keep going until noon. And if I can laugh in front of it, that's it, I'm won over! Lately, it's been the latest season of Sex Education that's been giving me the last laughs.

LET'S TALK JEWELRY, Necklace or bracelet?

Both of them! I love jewelry! I'm more interested in a slender necklace that I never want to leave and a more extravagant bracelet that I change according to my outfits.

Your favorite Poinçon 22 jewel?

I love the Épis de Blé medal, or the Éternité necklace, I find them beautiful and timeless. Engraved of course with the initials of the four men in my life.

A wardrobe essential?

We're not going to lie, as soon as it sparkles I'm won over. I have a collection of sequined leggings, jackets and dresses that I combine with my everyday casual style. And I have no problem wearing them on Monday mornings to take my sons to school or nursery.

What's your morning routine?

Since we've had our twins, there's no room for slow living - our mornings have become military! I get up at 7.15 a.m., get dressed and get ready. Then, while my boyfriend gets our big one up and prepares all the breakfasts, I dress the little ones one after the other (with the strong impression that I'm doing the same thing 100 times over). Then we sit down together for a quick breakfast. It's 8.15 a.m., time to brush teeth and head off to crèche for one and school for the other. The twins are starting to grow up, and I can see the end of this endless tunnel, when they'll finally be able to dress themselves and be potty-trained!

Bodysuit or bra?

I love bras! I wear them in winter under an open shirt or sheer top, and in summer with high-waisted pants. And if it's glittery, it's even better.

How did you choose the name NOO?

Behind NOO, there's "Us", the women. It's a brand for everyone, a brand that embodies and sublimates the diversity of today's women. In fact, our customers range from 20-year-old girls to 55-year-old mothers. There's something for everyone at NOO.

Why a lingerie brand?

Because we wanted to create a brand that was different from what was available on the market. A brand that saw lingerie and homewear as real pieces of fashion. One that speaks directly to today's women, not through the eyes of men. To make them feel beautiful, cool and sexy.

Is it possible to combine style and comfort?

We're convinced of this, and every NOO piece is designed with this in mind. Every material, every lace and every lurex must be as soft and resistant as they are beautiful. Add to that an eco-responsible dimension whenever possible, and you've got a winning combo!

By the way, how would you define NOO's style?

Cool and sexy, who likes to mix the simplicity of a beautiful cut or lace with a more assertive touch like lurex or a colorful print.

What's your favourite NOO product?

Personally, I have a bit of a passion for our printed pants. I have a small collection, and as soon as I get home, I slip one on, it's my uniform at home, or even outside in the summer, with a bra, I love them. Especially the ones with animal prints!

What are the brand's main sources of inspiration?

Anaïs and her team often start with a love at first sight for a particular material. From a print, lace or lurex, they then imagine the range, and brick by brick, they build our collections. Finally, NOO is a brand that aims to bring lingerie and fashion together. So it's also the PAP codes (décolleté, cross-back, etc.) that NOO pieces take up.

What makes NOO different from other lingerie brands?

In my opinion, NOO pieces have a real DNA and are recognizable. A more assertive style than many lingerie brands. Strong prints. The touches of lurex, present since the beginning. A different tone too. Full of humor and confidence. We want to get away from the soft, poetic, romantic language that is attributed to the world of women and which, in our view, doesn't necessarily correspond to today's woman.

In a few words, what is Buy For Her?

It's a program we set up in early 2020, one day after reading that clothing donation associations were suffering from a lack of underwear, for obvious hygiene reasons. It clicked, we had to contribute to this. We decided that day to commit to donating one pair of new panties for every NOO order to a woman in need. In 2021, we'll be working with the "restos du cœur", and that makes a lot of sense to us.

What NOO product should every woman have?

The one that makes her beautiful. And that depends on each individual and each morphology. For smaller breasts, I'd suggest daring the plunging neckline of our Hot Black bodysuits. For larger breasts, our corbeille bustiers (to be paired with a so-cool 90s tanga) are absolutely gorgeous! And for all, our incendiary Deep Black dresses, slit to the waist. Some wear it at home, others dare to wear it over a swimsuit for the beach. Either way, it's just wow.

Is sustainable development important to NOO?

This is at the heart of our concerns. We're taking things one step at a time, because above all, we want to remain an honest brand that doesn't sell green by accident. We prefer to have total control over our production circuit, which remains short and local, rather than buying "eco-responsible" materials from Asia. For us, it's all about balance. And of course, whenever possible, we choose the greener option, even if it's more expensive. For example, all our packaging is made from recycled and recyclable materials. For the past 6 months, we've been offering customers the option of choosing an order without bags or cards (which 30% of them choose). We're on a long road, and we're making slow but steady progress.

THANK YOU ELISSA

Through this portrait, we wanted to highlight a bubbly, ambitious woman driven by the desire to enable all women to feel beautiful! We'd like to thank Elissa for her time and insights.

22 minutesGuest UserJanuary 13, 2022Noo, woman, entrepreneur, startup, interview