DORÉ

Here at the Atelier, we’ve been longtime fans of Lauren Bush Lauren and the work she’s accomplished with FEED (Garance even starred in their “Come Together” advertising campaign four years ago)! When the opportunity recently came about for us to partner with FEED, we couldn’t have been more excited! They are a brand that seriously walks the walk when it comes to their social mission. They understand that helping others is a 365-day-per-year kind of gig. And in the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, we thought joining teams with them for a project would be the perfect way to help do our part!

A bunch of collaborative conversations, creative decisions, and three women named “Emily” later, together, we’ve come up with the cutest pouch that reflects the ethos of both companies! And we are so thrilled to share it with you just in time for the holidays!

Read on to hear how both teams enjoyed working together, where the inspiration for the pouch came from, and just how many kids you’ll be feeding when you purchase your own!

What does “Femme Extraordinaire” mean to you? Is there an example of a Femme Extraordinaire in your life?

Emily Note | COO, Atelier Doré:
It means extraordinary woman—which to me is a woman who follows her convictions, is confident and lifts others up. To me, this is my mom, who has been a tremendous support for myself and my family. She’s a true matriarch and pillar in our family. She’s incredibly strong, honest, beautiful, and also vulnerable. She has taught me everything about what it means to be an extraordinary woman, a loving wife and partner, and an exemplary mother. I hope that I will continue to make her proud as I grow and evolve in all of these roles. (I know she’s really excited about the motherhood part, but we’ve got a while yet mom!)

Veronica | Managing Editor, Atelier Doré:
The phrase “Femme Extraordinaire” reminds me to tap into my eight year old self, when I believed girls could be anything they wanted, that woman had legit superpowers, and that girls ran the world (Beyonce stole it from me, it’s fine). I think sometimes we need a little reminder that we are all extraordinary females, just like our 8 year old selves would have us believe.

Vanessa | Art Director, Atelier Doré:
When I hear the term, “Femme Extraordinaire,” it’s impossible for me not to think of my grandmother, my mother, and my female friends! My grandmother is the strongest, most fearless woman I know. Along with my mother, whose courage has always been an inspiration to me! And I couldn’t get by without my extraordinary friends who have been my day-to-day support system and have helped me feel at home halfway around the world!

Mary | Partnerships & Sales, Atelier Doré:
Femme Extraordinaire… this means so much to me! I am surrounded by extraordinary women everyday — my mom especially, my two incredible sisters, my best friends, my colleagues. I really feel like I work in an environment surrounded by the most creative, special and extraordinary women here at Atelier Doré — so a big thank you to our Founder, Garance, for creating such a unique, inspiring brand that is constantly evolving and allowing for honest conversation about real, extraordinary women.

Lauren | Founder, FEED:
The phrase Femme Extraordinaire brings to mind all of the talented, smart and thoughtful women on my team. I am so proud that FEED is a female founded and run business (we have one brave male on staff). That energy permeates into everything—I think it’s our competitive advantage.

Lindsey | Marketing Director, FEED:
To me, Femme Extraordinaire represents the inherent worth and potential in all of us—from the woman who carries this pouch to work, to the girl who is able to thrive in school thanks to the meals the collaboration provides.

Emily Corker | Head Designer, FEED:
I am reminded of all the AMAZING women in my life who I will certainly be gifting this pouch to!

Emily Chung | Design Assistant, FEED:
When I think of extraordinary women, I am thrilled to say that there are numerous in my life – amongst those are my mom, sister, and the FEED women I see everyday!

For the women of the Atelier, why do you think giving back is so important around the holiday season

Mary:
Giving back is important always! But, the holiday season is a great reminder to be a bit more focused on philanthropy, giving back, and doing some good (in a big or small way!) It’s part of the holiday spirit…it’s a time for giving!

Emily Note:
In a time where we celebrate everything we’re so lucky to have, it’s so essential to always keep in mind that there are others that are not as fortunate, and those for whom the holidays are a real struggle. It’s important to give everything we can to make the season brighter for every single person we can. In a time where so many of us are gluttonous, a simple meal can mean so much to someone. It’s important to always keep that in perspective.

For the women of FEED, what do you love most about working at FEED? And why is giving back so important to you during the holidays?

Lauren:
From the very beginning, my intention was always that FEED would be a conduit to do good in the world. And it really has been—we’ve been able to donate over 100 million meals since we sold our very first bag eleven years ago. The Holidays are a time of year when everyone is thinking a little more intentionally about how to create a better world, and in my opinion, one of the most impactful ways to do that is by helping meet the most basic human need of food. Giving meals doesn’t just fill empty stomachs—it also helps kids focus in school and ultimately create a better life for themselves. While we hope people share FEED all year round, I think our products are especially meaningful holiday gifts because of that tangible impact.

Lindsey:
The most rewarding moments of my career at FEED have been the opportunities I’ve had to see our impact firsthand by traveling with the World Food Program to some of the countries where we donate school meals. The kids are so curious and full of life and it’s awesome to see how something as simple as a nutritious lunch can make all the difference in their ability to focus, learn and play.

When people ask me how they can get involved, I always tell them to gift FEED for the holidays. It’s truly making a difference in kids’ lives around the world.

Emily Corker:
I love working for a company that makes a positive impact on the world (and I love the femmes extraordinaires I work with, of course).

It is important to give back year round, but I think people are especially in the giving spirit during the holidays. When you can give a gift and give back at the same time, that’s a win/win.

Emily Chung:
When I was in school, I was always taught first and foremost that to be a designer means solving problems. At FEED, that is the very core of what we do – creating products to help solve such a vast problem in the world. The holiday season is so important. Because, as much as it is about joy and giving, it is also a time of reflection and gratitude. It is a privilege to know that whenever a customer gifts a FEED product, she is simultaneously providing meals to schoolchildren around the world. If you think about it, everyday is a holiday at FEED!

Atelier gals, do you remember the first time you learned about FEED? What’s your experience been with the brand before this project?

Mary:
Yes! I have always been a fan of Lauren Bush Lauren’s brand since the launch of FEED. I think it’s such a special and meaningful initiative, and gives consumers a purpose to spend, knowing that they’re doing a bit of good along the way and providing meals for kids in need.

Emily Note:
I came across FEED in college—I remember seeing girls on campus carrying tote bags. And then I was able to dive deeper into FEED’s world when Garance participated in their holiday campaign a few years ago. I love and admire what Lauren has built with this brand. She has helped so many people in the last decade plus and I’m always so excited to see what’s next for them. They’re a wonderful partner to collaborate with and support a cause that we so appreciate and value!

Veronica:
I really admire what FEED accomplishes in this world. A child’s meal should not be a privilege, but a right. And FEED is helping to rectify that. I still use the first FEED bag I bought in college to carry my groceries home every week.

FEED gals, when did you first hear about Atelier Doré? What has been your relationship to the brand prior to this collaboration?

Lauren:
I heard about Atelier Doré through my dear friend Garance. She’s been such a wonderful supporter of FEED over the years, and I love supporting the Atelier Doré brand as well. It was such so much fun to get to collaborate with the entire Atelier Doré team on this empowering pouch. It really felt like such a natural collaboration.

Lindsey:
I have had a major girl crush on Garance since she was featured with Laura Brown in our “Come Together” holiday campaign a few years back. It’s been so inspiring to see the creativity and inspiring content coming from the Atelier Doré Brand since then.

Emily Corker:
I first learned of Garance Doré through her beautiful illustrations and was super excited to discover the Atelier Doré. I am such a fan of the site, so naturally, I was thrilled about this collaboration!

Emily Chung:
As a teen and aspiring fashion designer, I stumbled upon Garance’s amazing artwork online and became a huge fan! Over the years since then, I realized that her work had grown into something larger – Atelier Doré – which is incredible to see as a long-time admirer of her work.

How did this collaboration come about and what has it been like to work so closely with the FEED team?

Mary:
This collaboration came about because Lauren and her team wanted to collaborate with Garance on a pouch for the holiday season. Garance had looped me into the conversation with FEED’s marketing lead, Lindsey, and from there we hit the ground running on designing, collaborating and having a bit of fun along the way! Collaborating on the phrase that we used on the pouch was my favorite part — the FEED team was asking for us to come up with any statement/phrase that evoked a strong, empowering call to action that fit nicely within our brand story. We already had the phrase Femme Extraordinaire in our wheelhouse, that we used for a print illustration last year, and thought it would be perfect. This translates to Extraordinary Women in english and it’s such a strong, empowering phrase that truly encompasses all the women we strive to surround ourselves with every day…. et voila! The Femme Extraordinaire pouch was born :)

Vanessa:
We’re just so inspired by the meaningful work FEED does and it felt like such an honor to be a small part of that process. Additionally, their team is full of wonderful women and it was fun to have them over to the Atelier to spend time together! It feels like we’re kindred spirits.

What was it like working with Atelier Doré?

Lindsey:
This was one of my favorite collaborations. I loved working with the Atelier Doré team, from the very beginning. I felt like our teams had a lot in common and great energy together. It was so much fun to finally meet in person for this shoot.

Emily Corker:
It has been such a pleasure! Can we do it again?

Emily Chung:
Working with the Atelier team has truly been such a pleasure. It is not often enough that we get to put a face to the names of people we collaborate with, so it was such a fun and personable experience to actually meet the entire Atelier team in person!

What was the intention behind the design of this pouch?

Lindsey:
I wanted this pouch to feel upbeat and optimistic while celebrating the femme extraordinaire in all of us!

Emily Corker:
Partnerships are fun because you get to push the boundaries of your own brand aesthetic. We wanted to design something really playful and unexpected for FEED, so we borrowed the Atelier’s bright color palette and bold graphics.

Emily Chung:
Our intent was to create a cohesive design that would bring the worlds of FEED and Atelier Doré together. We were inspired by the Atelier’s fun colorways and uplifting phrase, which is so relevant for the FEED woman as well.

Vanessa:
We really wanted it to be a natural meshing of both team’s design ethos. It was fun to have a different avenue through which to express our brand identity and to get to play off of their creative process.

How many meals does the pouch provide?

Emily Corker:
25 school meals!