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This week, Jessica is under PRESSURE and is up with the sun to work since it’s the only time she’s not thinking about phonics. Meanwhile, June continues her “Eat to Live” tour of the country and searches Seattle for the perfect pasta, but ends up with stadium soft serve which, it turns out, is just what the doctor ordered. Then, the two chat with Clare Vivier, founder of the chicest French-inspired brand, Clare V, about how her family gave her the courage to start a company and the life changing difference between seeing your problems as challenges. Remember, Deep Divers, a little monogram can go a long way to show someone how much they mean to you.

Keep up with the latest from Clare V on Instagram at @shopclarev, celebrate 15 years of her iconic brand by checking out her book, and shop Clare V handbags, clothes, and more here.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

June Diane Raphael, Clare Vivier, Jessica St. Clair

Jessica St. Clair  00:10

Hi, I’m Jessica St. Clair.

 

June Diane Raphael  00:12

And I’m June Diane Raphael. And this is The Deep Dive.

 

Jessica St. Clair  00:17

We’re about to do what women have done for centuries we’re crowding around the fire with our generous hunches. We got babies hanging off our tips, and we’re going to share with you our fears, our joys, our tips on how to stay alive.

 

June Diane Raphael  00:32

Now Jess, we’re heating a call that no one has made.

 

Jessica St. Clair  00:36

Not a soul, but you’re invited to listen. Absolutely. Because we make one promise and one promise only, we will not Google a thing, because frankly, we’re too damn tired. Please get ready to go on The Deep Dive.

 

June Diane Raphael  00:57

Hi, Jessica.

 

Jessica St. Clair  00:58

My friend June, how do you do?

 

June Diane Raphael  01:03

You already know how I do.

 

Jessica St. Clair  01:04

I do. And I actually just want to start off because I just want to say before we get started, I suppose something to say and then I want to like jump right into it.

 

June Diane Raphael  01:14

And of course, as we have all these new listeners and subscribers and have moved to Lemonada Media it’s it’s probably like not the best idea to launch with a statement on the Israeli Palestine conflict. But I want to say this, because I’m so heavy with it right now. So I do need to like center myself in this conversation and just say that I’m heavy with it. And I’m heavy with grief for the people who and families and children and elderly and women who died in the Hamas attack. And I am so heavy as well with the number of Palestinian civilians who are dying. With the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. I am so fucking heavy with it. I mean, I told you on Monday, just I’ve been a wreck the whole week, I’ve been grief stricken. And as you know, I’ve just recently like discovered in my past that I do have sick, actually significant amount of Jewish ancestry. And the reason why that was never why wasn’t raised that way. It was never brought to the forefront who was hidden is because it was hidden. And it was it’s because of anti semitism, and I know why. Yes, people, people were hiding it, yes.

 

Jessica St. Clair  02:38

So anyway, I just say this, because I’m just fraught, and I don’t know what to say. But I just want to say that I’m so gutted, and I’m feeling a lot of the pain of pain, and Dan, Dan, reminds me all the time, because he wrote a book of poetry called war reporter where he took the reporting of a war photographer and put them into poetry, and they’re the most horrific things you will ever read. Like, really. And he reminds me like this is going on all the time. This is happening all the time. And same with Ukraine, you know, it was like, Yes, we were seeing those images. And so we’re, we are being bombarded with these images right now. Which are, quite frankly, too much for any human being to take in the horror.  Yeah, it’s so hard because like, I really struggle with what can I take in? Right? I believe that there are things we cannot look away from. that we must face, and I’m also like, very, you see destructions of buildings, and that being an infrastructure being the cost of war.

 

June Diane Raphael  04:01

That’s not the fucking cost of war. That’s a building.

 

Jessica St. Clair  04:06

And I am just like, moment to moment trying to find my way through it and deeply upset. I’m just deeply upset. That’s all I want to say really, because I don’t necessarily have the words and I don’t necessarily have all of the knowledge that I’m sure other people have. But I do know that I’m grieving for Palestinians, Palestinian civilians right now and I am grieving for Jewish people across the globe who feel so fucking unsafe. And that, you know, anti semitism, which is the fog we breathe in, right much like racism in this country. It’s so misogyny it’s available. It’s like you can even like see it because it’s like so there.

 

June Diane Raphael  04:50

And so I just, I’m just heavy with it Jess, and I. I’m just heavy with it. I’m just heavy with it. That’s all.

 

Jessica St. Clair  05:00

I don’t know, I think we should feel heavy. Everybody should feel heavy. Everybody should feel sad. Everybody should feel shaken. I would argue too, for our nervous systems like I, this is probably my brain chemistry. But once I start checking, I can’t stop. And I can get myself in a real mental state that makes me unable to parent well do my work I have to do.

 

June Diane Raphael  05:29

I know, the last couple days, I will just offer I have simply sat down at the New York Times. And I have turned everything fucking off. And I’ve just said, let me just sit down with my newspaper, that’s it.

 

Jessica St. Clair  05:46

Yeah. And read it.

 

June Diane Raphael  05:47

And read it.

 

Jessica St. Clair  05:48

Get educated.

 

June Diane Raphael  05:49

And think about this. It’s okay to feel really sad right now. That’s okay. It’s okay to be connected to what’s happening. It’s okay. And it’s okay to not know exactly what to say. But to say, I don’t know exactly what to say. But I’m here and I feel and I’m awake. That and that’s it. So Jess, you have you have sent me a number of texts this week about your workflow. On a project you’re working on, and boy, he knew.

 

Jessica St. Clair  06:24

And I’m a Capricorn as a lot of our Deep Divers know. So I like, I like organization.

 

June Diane Raphael  06:29

No, you know, what’s happening with us is my dysregulation is starting to disregulate you even though you’re not a part of it.

 

Jessica St. Clair  06:43

It’s true, I know picking up on it. Yeah, you are.

 

June Diane Raphael  06:47

We’re the same person. Yeah, you know, this is a wild way to, to complete complete a project. It’s not done by a longshot, but I woke up at 4am to mornings like, because this is odd. I do my best work from four to 6am.

 

Jessica St. Clair  07:06

I wrote my book, four to 6am every day. That’s how I wrote the book.

 

June Diane Raphael  07:10

It’s so crazy does it I know it doesn’t make sense.

 

Jessica St. Clair  07:13

It actually does. it actually does. So there’s.

 

June Diane Raphael  07:23

Maybe I’m getting a mixed up with testosterone. Like I know, male testosterone is highest at the beginning of the day, and this slowly starts to wane. And I think it I think the same thing happens with our, like, estrogen progesterone, whatever that that it actually does make sense that at sunrise.

 

Jessica St. Clair  07:42

I mean, it does make sense.

 

June Diane Raphael  07:44

It makes sense. But I had them I was literally ever.

 

Jessica St. Clair  07:47

Fresh as a daisy 4am fresh as a daisy.

 

June Diane Raphael  07:51

I am clear

 

Jessica St. Clair  07:53

And two hours goes by like snap, like, you know, and I’m like, wow, I just and then the rest of the day is just a fog. So that’s what’s been going on.

 

June Diane Raphael  08:03

I’m proud of you though. That’s not easy to get up at that hour.

 

Jessica St. Clair  08:07

No, I’m not setting an alarm. I’m gripped with such panic that this won’t get done that I’m getting up. And so yeah, you know, I I’ve also been really angered by the invisible labor that we do as women and how when anything like a deadline or a work emergency or something like that comes it’s like, all of the stuff we’re doing that nobody knows about just starts to feel like it’s gonna crush you because to even explain to somebody what is happening at Mathnasium is taking too much energy for me.

 

June Diane Raphael  08:51

Well, oh, God, I fall into this as well like, a hear you because it’s like I’m holding 8 million schedules.

 

Jessica St. Clair  09:00

Oh, so many, I’m holding spelling lists. I’m holding phonics words, I’m holding multiplications times tables. That’s why for AM is probably the only time I’m not worried about phonics, but it’s just making it really hard. And I I get in a very resentful like, well, who’s taking care of mommy. And then I end up eating a sleeve of, you know, Chips Ahoy in my car.

 

June Diane Raphael  09:29

And I’m gonna say something about the sleeves because.

 

Jessica St. Clair  09:31

Then I want to throw because it’s 10am. Really, it’s 3pm for me, because I’ve been up since four, do the math. Go to Mathnasium and do that math.

 

June Diane Raphael  09:44

Wow. I don’t think they have the capacity. I don’t think they have the quadratic equation to put that data in. Ya know, I hear you assess and I’m not, you know, not working on the deadline like you are this week and I know there’s an end in sight. I appreciate you doing this podcast today to be quite honestly.

 

Jessica St. Clair  10:02

I’ve ever been, Deep Dive, I said to you Deep Dive doesn’t feel like work it never does.

 

June Diane Raphael  10:07

Never does, never did, never will.

 

Jessica St. Clair  10:09

Never will. I love it. I love it. It’s the only thing in my day I’m like, ooh, great. Like and God bless. If you don’t have something like that in your day, go find it here and we didn’t have it until now. It ain’t for […]

 

June Diane Raphael  10:21

It ain’t work, like when I see that pop up in the calendar. I’m like, Oh, finally I get to be me. Yeah.

 

Jessica St. Clair  10:28

I get to just talk to somebody. And by somebody I mean, all of you.

 

June Diane Raphael  10:36

I told you next dude. It’s so wild. So for my anniversary, Paul took me to Seattle for a clippers game. You know, we love love a clippers love. We’re big, you know, sports house over here. And I was so excited to the Clippers preseason game. and I sat down we had great seats. The Climate Pledge Arena on Seattle is so beautiful and amazing. I was I just loved it so much. Now, unfortunately, something happened at dinner but we sat down Jess, and in my mind like I had been sort of I mean, I’m I have disordered eating. You’re talking about a sleeve of Chips Ahoy. Like I do some crazy math. Math around. Work. Yeah.

 

Jessica St. Clair  11:25

That’s different shadow work.

 

June Diane Raphael  11:27

Some crazy shadow work around like, Oh, I’m gonna eat soy light today. Like I’ll have a bag of cheese it’s at the airport. And I’m saving it all for this Italian meal, I know it’s coming. Now in my mind, I’m like eating bowls of rigatoni. I can see them I can taste the texture of that fucking pasta in my mouth.

 

Jessica St. Clair  11:49

Yeah, like Strega known as in this possible PA.

 

June Diane Raphael  11:53

Yes, except I was picturing that rigatoni, that sort of thicker, close to Eldon De Rigatoni, and I said to myself, June, you deserve a giant bowl of pasta tonight.

 

Jessica St. Clair  11:58

Sad. It’s so sad.

 

June Diane Raphael  11:58

Okay, it was so sad but I was like, you are gonna get that. And we get you know, we had a couple drinks on the airplane. We get to the hotel and there’s like some snacks. I’m like, no, no, no, not for me. I’m having my pasta before the game. Early reservation, pasta pasta pasta can’t wait for that pasta for that pasta. We sit down the waiter comes over and he’s like, before we even say anything. Right? He’s like so this is Northern Italian cuisine.

 

Jessica St. Clair  12:39

Oh, God don’t go so close.

 

June Diane Raphael  12:41

Okay, so you’re so closer to so closer to French Italian, and I’m like to in […] Hazelnut? What are you talking? Okay, and he goes so like there’s no tomatoes there, and all of a sudden I’m getting worried when I hear there’s no tomatoes like your waiter just walked over to me. You told me there’s no tomatoes.

 

Jessica St. Clair  13:02

Don’t tell me what you don’t have that.

 

June Diane Raphael  13:04

That’s exactly right. He’s like so but he really wanted to get our minds right level set you level set? Like honestly, it felt like do you want to stay? Because I got other tables that I can sit, seat here. And I was like, oh, okay, no tomatoes. So all of a sudden, I’m like, I’m not having that rigatoni. I thought, well, what kind of sauce am I having? Starting to wrap my mind around? Like, is it gonna be cream based? I just wasn’t expecting.

 

Jessica St. Clair  13:35

This podcast is becoming a food podcast, but not good food podcast. It’s like when bad things happen to food. That’s what this podcast is now.

 

June Diane Raphael  13:44

When bad things happen to good food. So I’m like, okay, and then I looked at the menu and it’s like you said pork, pork, pork pie, pork, everything.

 

Jessica St. Clair  13:55

Yeah, that’s all they have are like hazelnut, chestnut fed.

 

June Diane Raphael  14:01

But in my mind, and in pulga battistero feel really badly. He’s like the changes in menu all the time. Second, look at the menu online. I’m like, listen, we were told this is like the best Italian restaurant to go to. I don’t blame you, babe. I’ll find something. So I said to the waiter, I don’t eat meat. So what are my options? And he was like, well, you can have because you eat fish. And I certainly didn’t want to say yes, because I was scared. But I go I do. And he goes, Well, there’s the Ahi Pasta. Ahi Pasta?

 

Jessica St. Clair  14:36

Those are my pasta. Ahi?

 

June Diane Raphael  14:39

That sounds so fucking wrong. Okay. And all I mic us where’s my plate are good, phony. And I mic okay. I don’t think that’s what he’s like. But actually, if you don’t eat fish, you could just have our most famous fish that never changes. And I’m like, Oh, what’s that? And he’s like, Well, it It’s the it’s like the butter pasta. And I’m like, Oh, he’s like, it’s basically the the adult version of like kids pasta. And I’m like, Hey, that sounds that sounds sounding really good. Great. And I’m like, You know what? Great. That sounds wonderful. And Paul’s like, I’ll get it too he’s like, yeah, that’s our staple. That’s, that’s what we do. I think he said, There’s sage and you know, this specific type of butter they make. Great. Let’s go and he goes, Do you guys know, do you want to the dinner size portion? Because it’s the POTUS because there was no other options on the entree is for us. And I go, Yeah, I think so. And he’s like, okay, great. Yeah, that’ll be hearty enough for you. Now the bread comes over, I scarfed down the bread because I’m just so scared of what’s Yeah, well, my options are. Salad was actually quite nice. But in my mind, I’m like, I’m here to fuck with a pasta. That’s why I’m here.

 

June Diane Raphael  16:24

I am here to fuck with a giant bowl of pasta. And it arrives. Very thin, very thin. And it’s on a plate, which was surprisingly big plate. And it’s, there’s no color to it. Like I can’t tell where it begins and ends. Like someone’s it looks like someone’s head. Okay.

 

Jessica St. Clair  16:59

Like your head honestly. Just like blonde hair, like just Cheyenne.

 

June Diane Raphael  17:07

But I’m like, oh, but it’s still I’m like, okay, okay, great. I’m gonna I end in my mind. I’m like, You’re gonna eat every bite of this thing. And it’s adults, but it’s adults pas butter pasta. I love kids food, I take a bite and I’m like, it’s got so much like lemon in it. I can’t even describe like, it was like, lemon and butter together.

 

Jessica St. Clair  17:38

Nope. This is a fail. You just sometimes have to say we failed and go have a hot dog.

 

June Diane Raphael  17:45

Well, we couldn’t. And that’s honestly the fucking lesson here. Right? Because I was like, neither of us could really admit that what was happening was happening. And it was sad. It’s like it’s sort of night away from the kid.

 

Jessica St. Clair  17:55

But I know but this is a classic entrepreneur problem. You’ve sunk money into something that is a failure. And so because you’ve sunk money into it, you want to sink more money into it. When really you got to cut bait.

 

June Diane Raphael  18:07

Now Paul did say because this is the type of dish you should only have two bites of.

 

Jessica St. Clair  18:14

Yeah, it should never be harder on tripping. Okay, yeah.

 

June Diane Raphael  18:18

So we, both Paul and I eat the whole thing.

 

Jessica St. Clair  18:22

Oh, just. to prove a point just to sell each other the waiter.

 

June Diane Raphael  18:27

At one point he said should we could get burgers like we get veggie burgers at the stadium and I’m like, no, no, no, no, no. Like, we’re fine dining. Let’s eat this. No, we ate the entire thing. And as Paul said the next day like we poisoned ourselves, Jessica.

 

Jessica St. Clair  18:42

Yeah, it was heavy. It was heavy.

 

June Diane Raphael  18:43

We were dying. We are in a severe amount of pain. This is.

 

Jessica St. Clair  18:54

Oh god, it will get, you get to the stadium.

 

June Diane Raphael  18:58

We get to the stadium. But I’m like yeah, we’re also like, this is so interesting. We get to the stadium now we’re seeing Oh God everything the stadium is so beautiful. It’s all sustainable. There’s this whole like Impossible Burger.

 

Jessica St. Clair  19:14

You could have.

 

June Diane Raphael  19:16

That was burger and I love it Impossible Burger.

 

Jessica St. Clair  19:20

That’s Seattle. We ate it Dodger Stadium, you know, Seattle, everything.

 

June Diane Raphael  19:27

They have […] there, they have amazing food.

 

Jessica St. Clair  19:29

Had amazing food and so cut to you’re sitting down Grandma, you’re sitting down. I swear to God, you know what, you are a Jewish woman. You’ve become an old Jewish woman talking about your lunch. Okay. This is Sephardic roots now get to the sitting down. Okay.

 

Jessica St. Clair  19:31

So I sit down and we’re like, oh, but we’re also like impalas like we gotta get beers that’ll settle our stomach.

 

Jessica St. Clair  20:03

Oh God again thinking more into this.

 

June Diane Raphael  20:08

So beers, we get beers it and then the woman next to him we’ve been there for like 15 minutes and Seattle’s an interesting place because they lost their NBA team which was like Okay interesting and so there is kind of fun because every once in a while the Clippers were playing the Utah Jazz and every like when there’s a lull in the crowd. They’d be like bringing back the Sonics bring right Sonics because their team got dismantled. It was really fun. I’m so it’s like other Yes, yeah, solidarity. So this woman next to me says, I’m so sorry. I know you’re enjoying your night out. But I am a Deep Diver in my, It’s so crazy that you’re sitting next to me. I might oh my God. And then I find out she texted to me immediately. She tells me she came to our pickleball tournament. It was just you and I and so we’re chatting her son’s super into basketball. Talking about the Sonics. What happened to the NBA team in Seattle? Just so lovely. But I was also like, I really appreciated her because I felt like she also understood I told her sister her anniversary like and she’s gonna take it. No, no.

 

Jessica St. Clair  21:18

I have never met a Deep Diver that I have not wanted to have a drink with. He was just full isn’t just so many came to Dan’s reading some. And they’re just like just wanting to say I’m here and I support and wonderful to meet you. And I’m there just you guys are just wonderful. Just wonderful. To say wonderful people.

 

June Diane Raphael  21:40

Now I will tell you this. So Paul and I are both in a lot of pain, ate too much and want a treat. And crazy this is our our mental illness is we’re like weird sick. And we’re like, it’s our night out, let’s get a treat. And so I see this giant ice cream stand that everybody’s going to but every time I went over there’s a long line and I’m like oh no. And then I saw like there’s five minutes left in the gate. Now this Deep Diver must have thought we were fucking crazy cuz there’s five minutes left in the game. And I’m like, Paul, Should I go get ice cream? And he’s like yeah, yeah, try and I go over there and the lines shorter I’m like great. And then I’m, I’m up to the front of the line and the woman said we just, we just ran out of a ice cream machine, and I was like, oh no, and then I did something truly insane Jessica, I go, do you mind because I see a bunch of like people around the machine is uh, do you mind if I wait a little bit to see if it.

 

Jessica St. Clair  22:51

Oh god this is so pathetic it’s like you don’t need more cream on top of the cream you already had and also she said we wait you mind if I wait to see if you guys get access to a cow to turn it like what are you doing? What’s happened to you? What’s happening to you?

 

June Diane Raphael  23:13

I wanted something, I wanted something to feel right.

 

June Diane Raphael  23:18

The potatoes like everything’s falling apart. Has to be born alive, then your food eat to live not live to eat friend.

 

June Diane Raphael  23:37

I wanted something that tastes like what I want. Okay, we have bigger problems.

 

Jessica St. Clair  23:45

You see, okay, wait, was she like what is wrong with you? Everyone is going home the time for enjoying the concessions has passed.

 

June Diane Raphael  23:53

She said yes. And then I said, Okay, well. Then she said if it starts back up and that’s a big if.

 

Jessica St. Clair  24:04

What flavor do you, Oh my God.

 

June Diane Raphael  24:07

I said well, if it starts back up and I understand that’s an if. I swirl in one vanilla. Got so sad. It was truly let me tell you Jess, it did start back up. Okay, and got it and I sat then I stepped out the Deep Diver and I was like, Oh my gosh, I brought over the ice cream explained to Paul what happened because I was gone for a long time. I mean, the game was over, you know, missed the last minutes of the game and to sit down with your treats at as people are walking out. So strange. So I did have to publicly say like, I know Deep Diver. I know that was odd. I did it. We were in a particular space and time and we also paid for that ice cream quite handsomely, our guts did. So Jess, we have a very special guest that I’m so excited to introduce. There’s a couple of things I want to say about her. I’m obsessed with her.

 

Jessica St. Clair  24:55

Well, we all have been and that’s because we are.

 

June Diane Raphael  25:16

No, I am more.

 

Jessica St. Clair  25:19

I don’t think so.

 

June Diane Raphael  25:20

She feels unsafe around me. And for good. Well, I want to talk about two specific experiences one where I got my first Clare V bag. Clare Vivier is about to come on and speak with us. But the first time I got my Claire V bag was from Naomi Scott, producer, wonderful human being one of our founding investors in the gym club and just an incredible woman in class and life. And, I had done a shoot with her and Adam, Scott and Paul Rudd, it was just this like funny video can’t remember what it was for. And she was producing it and she gave she gifted me for doing this. Clare V clutch and it had my initials on it. And when I opened it was a thing humbly it was a thing of beauty. But it was also just this combination of like chic, that chic French vibe mixed with like, a Los Angeles aesthetic, Southern California. And I was just so blown away by it. and then I realized like every woman I knew on the east side of Los Angeles was also becoming obsessed and it was like a movement was starting.

 

Jessica St. Clair  26:44

yet but it and it never here’s the thing. There are things that we’re going to let Clare talk.

 

June Diane Raphael  26:48

We are in one setting.

 

Jessica St. Clair  26:49

There are, there are bags that become the it bag and then you never see again. When you are a Clare Vivier devotee, you will never stop this will take you into your 90s your 80s or 90s. Okay, I always this my first Oh, and by the way, you can trash, you can trash these bags.  I have the trapezium. The first bag you guys ever made. When I tell you no, I don’t keep my stuff stuff. Nice. I’ve poured things in this bag by accident. I have trashed it. And it looks as good if not better than the day, I bought it. Clare Vivier a welcome, welcome to the deep dive. You do all of this?

 

Clare Vivier  27:34

Thank you guys, thanks I’m so happy to be here with you guys.

 

June Diane Raphael  27:38

Oh, Claire and  I know you’re celebrating like such an important milestone right now in terms of your business in your work. But I think the one thing I want to share and ask you about is, I have found not just that the pieces you make to be so beautiful, an end accessible luxury, but also the way that you have kind of curated your community in Los Angeles, where I always found fashion to be incredibly intimidating, and very, like it was something that was going to make me feel badly about myself. And you bring everyone in.

 

Jessica St. Clair  28:18

Yeah. And that was that something that was intentional when you started the brand? Is that just who you are?

 

Clare Vivier  28:26

Yes, I wanted to make bags that I could afford, for and my friends could afford. So very early on when I started making that I started with a with a first factory in Los Angeles. And now we use about five different factories in Los Angeles. But the first factory first bag I made was too complicated. It was like a lot of bells and whistles and I made it and then I asked my factory, how much will it be? And they told me some exorbitant price and I knew that I would need to mark it up so that there would be some kind of profit margin in the deal. And I thought well, this is this isn’t possible. I mean, I I actually also had an experience remember it Fred Segal and they used to be that luggage store in the back. And that was like when I was just starting out was like a dream that I would one day be featured or carried in that luggage store. And I took my first bag that one was too many bells and whistles. I took that first bag to that luggage store and just cold, cold called them walked in and I said I’m starting a bag line. This is my first bag would you be interested in carrying it? I looked at it was like so much holiness, like snobbery and just kind of like unzipped it and checked it out really, you know?

 

Jessica St. Clair  29:46

Oh, rustling.

 

Clare Vivier  29:48

I was so intimidated. And he said, Well, how much is it? And I said, Well, I think it would be priced around 600 or $700. And he said, well, I mean, that’s not possible. I’ve got brand names in here that people know, which are less than that nobody knows this brand. And I was like, Okay, thank you. Bye. Bye. Crawl back into my, into my little office in my house. And that was a great learning experience because I was like, oh, okay, well, I need to make bags. Much more simply, I’m making them in LA. This is where I want to produce my bags. I had no means of producing anything overseas. So I want to produce them in LA production is expensive in LA. So how do I make something beautiful, but simple. In Los Angeles, and that was a really good learning experience.

 

Jessica St. Clair  30:41

Wow.

 

June Diane Raphael  30:42

And where did you learn to sew? Did your mother sew?

 

Clare Vivier  30:45

She did not. She did not it also. But my sister and I are both very crafty and very interested in sewing and things. But my son, we certainly didn’t get it from our mom. I learned it in school, home at class.

 

Jessica St. Clair  30:59

Wow, ring back home.

 

Clare Vivier  31:02

I know, wasn’t it the best?

 

Jessica St. Clair  31:04

It was the best and why it’s we need it more than ever. Now. Why isn’t it back?

 

Clare Vivier  31:09

I know. Anyway, that’s where I learned how to sew grade school. But it didn’t go to fashion school, which is why I didn’t make clothing. I didn’t know how to size things for you know, shirts and skirts and dresses and things. And I could follow a pattern. And I love doing that. But I didn’t know how to make my own patterns. But I could make bags.

 

Jessica St. Clair  31:29

And how did you get the courage to do it something you’d never done before. That’s something that I find so fascinating. Like, I’m going to make a bag, I’m going to start a company. How did how did you get that courage?

 

Clare Vivier  31:44

I’m thinking about that, because I’m giving a talk tonight about the book. I’m in New York. And we’re going to do something at the Rizzoli store. It’s like the bulls party at the Rizzoli store. And I’ve been thinking about that because the book starts out talking about my family. And then we go into like the entire 15 years. And it’s mostly all beautiful pictures of bags and inspiration photos and, street photos from Los Angeles and  Paris, and but the beginning talks about my family. And I think I did that because I do think my family has been very influential in me, and I think I was going to talk about the fact that my dad was Mexican grew up dirt poor in Indiana, his parents were migrants, and they had nine kids, and they grew up dirt poor, and it was a real tale of the American dream, like being getting an education at Catholic schools because they didn’t charge children, like who couldn’t afford tuition. So the old kids were educated at Catholic schools, and then they, my dad went on to college and went on to become a lawyer and a judge, and so it was a really, like, really beautiful American Dream story of my dad and his family, but I think that, we’re parents, and we talk to our kids, and we tell them that they can do anything, and we think that they’re amazing. And I do think that that does matter. I do think that it does count for something. And then my dad always did tell me that I could be anything I could do whatever I wanted to do, I could be whatever I want it to be. And I think for him, that meant he didn’t have that luxury growing up, you know, he didn’t, surely nobody told him he could be whatever he wanted to be. That wasn’t the environment that poor Mexican family grew up in, in a small town in Indiana. So I feel like my dad being able to tell his kids that was a privilege, like a real privilege that he had worked for. And, so I’m going to just kind of hold on to that as my source of strength and in confidence because you asked me about confidence, how did I have the confidence that I would be able to do this? And I think I’m, I’m the last of six kids. And I don’t know that all of my siblings got that same confidence that I had. But for some reason I held on to that feeling from my dad and my mom was the same, just telling me that I could I could do whatever I want to do. And I somehow really naively believed that. So um, it served me well, when I was starting my business because I felt like I would look to other lines of women designers who had done it before me like I remember looking at Rachel Comey who had a shoe line at the time, which I really loved. And now she has a full fledged fashion line of course, which I love. But Rachel are different French designers that I would look to and I’d be like, well, they did it. It was kind of naive. and knowing how they did it, clearly when I looked back now, but I think I was just like, I think I have a good idea, and I think other people like it, my girlfriend’s liked it a lot. So I just kept going. And I think also it helps when you start really small, and you start out a room in your house and you, you’re still doing other jobs, and you still, you never really know if it’s going to make it but you’re still just kind of putting one foot in front of the other.

 

June Diane Raphael  35:48

And so from starting from that room, Clare, so how many Clare V stores are there now?

 

Clare Vivier  35:54

We have 15 stores right now. We have 15, because I’m counting the store that we have in Paris, which is a temporary store, it’s open till the end of the year, but I’m counting it because don’t ya know?

 

June Diane Raphael  36:07

Let’s count it, let’s count it. You know, it’s funny, because I, first of all, Jess, this is important for us to hear because Jess and I were both dealing with this week, some, you know, just just done a project like, Oh, this isn’t exactly going the way we wanted it to go felt like a stumbling block questioning, and I texted you, am I failing? Am I failing?.And I do think that when you have that entrepreneurial spirit, which I do, too, and you know, having founded a business myself, you have to get really comfortable with failure, and really comfortable with like roadblocks and not letting them implode. And not letting and not letting them shake what you know, is right. Not that you can’t learn, but like not not like getting blown this way or this way or that. And it’s hard.

 

Jessica St. Clair  37:12

How do you? How do you do that Clare? Like how have you had some setbacks.

 

Clare Vivier  37:18

Many setbacks, and I’m confronted every day with issues that could be debilitating, that could be taken much bigger than then they perhaps are. And I think the way I tried to do that is just keep it in perspective, keep things in perspective. And often, I’m talking to Molly and the president of my company every day, and we’ll be talking about the issues that we’re having and we’re always having things going on that were not anticipated and not ideal, but I think until, you know, knock on wood until now I’ve been able to just keep things in perspective and think, Well, this is a challenge that we’re ultimately lucky to have. Because we’re ultimately lucky to be where we are.

 

June Diane Raphael  38:04

That’s right. That’s right.

 

Clare Vivier  38:06

So, it’s a challenge and challenges always suck. And it’s not saying that I like them in any way, shape, or form, but I try to just, I’m the one in my relationship with Molly to be to keep it in perspective, and to just say, Molly, this is okay, this is we can do this. We can pivot or we can.

 

Jessica St. Clair  38:28

You’re June, you’re June.

 

June Diane Raphael  38:29

Molly is Jessica, which is why would I met Molly, I was like, oh.

 

Jessica St. Clair  38:32

Okay, interesting. Yeah, yeah.

 

June Diane Raphael  38:36

Well, it is true. It’s like, listen, I know all of us on this call. And I know so many of our Deep Divers who pursue you know, their own businesses, their own ideas, whatever it is, it’s such a risk, you know, and it’s can be really scary because the world is not rejecting this a spreadsheet you uploaded to the company, it’s like, it’s you, Clare, your names on it, it’s us. So it feels different, right. But at the same time, what I have to remind myself of is like, I could go work as I could probably go work for Corporation, and not have any devotion attachment to what I do and probably do a really good job and not face the challenges that I face in the creative life that I’ve chosen. But chosen is like the key. It’s like I chose to confront all of this and to have it not work out and to deal with failure. Because, because it’s what I love to do and it’s also like so exciting, but getting really comfortable with like, why would really ask myself why would should it be easy?

 

Jessica St. Clair  39:54

Why? That’s right. Yeah, should it work right away? Why should your first bag, the perfect, you know, it will challenge the difference between the word challenge and problem is so important. You’re calling it a challenge, which is something that opportunity on this problem is like, Oh, what a bummer. That problems can break you, challenges can make you stronger. So I love that. I love that idea. But also you also surround yourself with people that you love you work with family members, you, you know, how long has Molly been with you for a long time?

 

Clare Vivier  40:32

I think it’s coming up on seven years, and other employees like Greta, who you see on the cute show.

 

Jessica St. Clair  40:40

Greta, that’s what’s the,yYeah.

 

Clare Vivier  40:42

Greta has been with me for since 2012, when I opened my first store. So 11 years, my art director has been with me for 10 years. So really, core team has been with me for a while.

 

June Diane Raphael  40:58

But I just want to go back to one thing. You know, I said in the beginning, which I really want to hear your perspective on because I think that it and, Jess knows this, there’s something I’ve always struggled with in terms of fashion and style that has felt very, like in order to participate in it. You have to It’s like getting into a club or it’s getting into that there is this hierarchy to like being stylish. And I’ve always found it incredibly intimidating. And there’s, there’s always been like, our I have perceived like a meanness to the industry. And what I think has been so cool about what you have done and curated, especially with like those of us who live on the east side of LA, is there’s such a warm, welcoming invitation. And I don’t even know really how to, like put that into words, because it’s not like, Oh, we’re going to Talbots, it’s like we’re going to the shittiest place I’ve laid my eyes upon. And yet I feel that this space wants me there or I don’t know how to describe it. But there’s been an inclusiveness to the experience.

 

Clare Vivier  42:24

Thank you. I’m so happy that you say that. I think there’s definitely been a real, intentional effort to be kind and to remember that we are. The only reason for doing what we do is to bring happiness into people’s lives. That’s we make fashion, we make things that make people feel good. And that’s the only reason we do it. We need bright things in our life we need I mean, the world is tough, man. There’s shitty stuff happening, as we know. And if we can offer this little bit of brightness, that’s what that’s why we’re doing it. I know exactly what you mean. I think fashion is intimidating as well, I’m in New York right now, where I’m always very intimidated by the fashion scene. That’s also why I love being in Los Angeles doing what I do because we are kind of outsiders in the fashion world. And I’ve definitely thrive in that environment more than in this like intimidating fashion world of New York City or Paris or whatever fashion capital. In LA we’re so much more free to do whatever we want to do and we have space I’m over and you know Frogtown we’re not surrounded by other fashion companies I, I can go months without seeing another fashion designer or another person in fashion. So there’s a lot of artistic freedom that happens from being an outsider. I know Los Angeles isn’t really outside or a but I know a little bit in the fashion world. But it’s been very intentional to be inclusive and to not be a snobby brand, but to be a beautiful brand that makes chic items that are aspirational, but also very open and attainable. Yeah.

 

Jessica St. Clair  44:20

And very personal. So my gifts so like I’m just I’m tearing up thinking about when I got my mastectomy after I had breast cancer. I got the you had a clutch that had a bright hot pink stripe on it. And I went and I got it for my two surgeons who are these class act badasses and I got their initials on it. And there’s something about an initial on something and taking that extra step. And I remember their faces were like, oh, like who gives somebody a Clare V bag after they reconstruct their breast? Nobody? I don’t know but It became my, my little gift to people and it just delights them and I feel special.

 

June Diane Raphael  45:06

So I just recently our long term nanny had her own her first baby. And I’ve talked about like the importance of of her in my life and what she’s facilitated and how much I valued domestic work in our home. And we’ve just we’ve talked a lot about that on the podcast. But I was really like, what do I get her this woman who has supported my mothering on such a deep, profound level, as she starts to walk into this process herself. And I got her the Clare V, it’s a, it’s one of the bigger fanny packs. So you can wear it as a crossbody, or you can wear it as a fanny it’s a grand family gift. And, and it was always a joke between us because she would see me with my Clare V fanny, the regular size fanny pack, and we would travel with the kids and, and she would say, like, if she was handing it to me, she’d say, do you want your bag, and I would say, the fanny pack, and she was like, let’s call it a bag. So it was always like a running, you wouldn’t call it a fanny and it was a running joke between us anyway, I really was fraught with what to get her and then when it occurred to me that it was going to be the grand fanny with her initials, three, letter three, you know, letter initials, and it was such a wonderful way to say, I know you’re moving into this new identity and you need your hands free. But your name is now I don’t make me cry thinking about it. But I was like, I felt like I was saying, like, you’re now mother, and you get to wear this and this new identity as a marker of like, this is a new time. And at the end of the day, it’s a bag is a bag is a bag, but I knew it was beautiful. I knew she would love it or my knew functional.

 

Jessica St. Clair  47:10

And it would last forever.

 

June Diane Raphael  47:11

Yes, and it was like this really cool. I don’t know. It’s just a really beautiful like moment for us.

 

Clare Vivier  47:19

I love that. Just hearing those two stories are so amazing, that we’re able to participate in these beautiful moments in your life.

 

June Diane Raphael  47:29

I’m tearing up over bags, Clare, but it is it’s also very, very special.

 

Jessica St. Clair  47:36

Celebrations. you’re part of.

 

Clare Vivier  47:38

Someone a gift. That’s pretty amazing. Yeah. And to think it through.

 

Jessica St. Clair  47:42

Yeah, you I don’t know why June and I take pride in it. We’re not making a bash.

 

Clare Vivier  47:48

You should take pride in it, like. we’re not making my friend Clare could take pride in it, because you’re part of my community.

 

Jessica St. Clair  47:55

And I do feel that I do.

 

Clare Vivier  47:58

My community and I would be nowhere without my community. So that’s why you should feel pride in it.

 

June Diane Raphael  48:04

But to, to just broaden out for a second, there’s something you know, a lot of women in my life have taught me how to be a better gift giver. And it’s not something that actually comes naturally to me. And you know, I have a husband has a wonderful, it’s one of his love languages. Jess, you are a wonderful gift giver. And I know you love to give gifts since mostly Clare V bag. I know but it’s to the personalization piece of it, the fact that you can put the initials on and the care you know, you’ve taken but it is, it is a beautiful exchange. And also, so much of gift giving is actually about the gift giver to and what you’re saying with you know, it’s it’s, it is a very.

 

Clare Vivier  48:48

Yeah, it’s very special. So.

 

June Diane Raphael  48:51

But also, talk to me Clare about, because I’m sure you put some thought about what it means to have a beautiful bag as a woman. What it means to say, I may be in my sweatpants, I may wait, but I’ve got this. I’ve got this beautiful piece with me. Do you feel like that really does have an effect on a woman’s emotional state?

 

Clare Vivier  49:15

And actually […] story, giving it to the new mother really made me. I mean, I was just at my new latest store an hour ago, and I was helping this woman who was buying a bag and she had, she was from Charlotte. And she didn’t know the brand very well. But if she was introduced to it by a friend and she didn’t know who I was, and I was showing her the grand fanny. She was wearing some type of like crossbody fanny pack, It was not clarity, It was just a nylon bag, and she had told me that she was there to get away from her kids, she was having a few days in New York City, her husband was working there would have dinner together but she had her free days and she had three kids, and she was just free during the day, was able to browse do whatever she wanted without three kids like, nagging at her every nerve and pulling her in every direction. And so I, I was showing her Rs bags and I showed her the grand fanny because that’s the best seller and I was like, it’s kind of like the one you’re wearing, you know, it’s the crossbar. And she said, but I’m kind of done with this. Like, I don’t want the mom bag anymore. I want something else. And so she was really drawn to the mini sack and she just wanted like, a classic lady bag like, she doesn’t want a mom bag after the kids and like, Yes, I know. It’s the best. It’s the crossbody. I know it’s the best bag. Like and she was so cute. And so she was steadfast and she bought a mini sack for herself and she took so much time deciding and she was like, I’m just taking it, no one’s rushing me here. Like first time and for so long. She had been rushed. And she was so cute. But, I feel like that goes to what you’re saying Jess about just bringing that little bit of joy to someone’s life like that’s going to be her new bag and she’s like guess what? Yes I’m a mom to three kids but I’m also a woman and I want to be have this beautiful bag for myself.

 

June Diane Raphael  51:10

Oh, isn’t that right? It is an identity piece and it’s a marker of time to to say that time was then and now I want to live into this new experience. Okay, I love that. I feel that way about my bags. I really do that, whatever they are ClareV bags whatever. And I always try after every big job or if I get something I really want, I try to get a bag because I’m like it’s the, it’s marking like I did this, this is for me this is for for my experience throughout the day and I think sometimes people look at it as frivolous, I’m like no it’s it’s so sacred.

 

Clare Vivier  51:48

And the bag is something you get so much use out of hopefully that’s right you are care.

 

Jessica St. Clair  51:52

This bag is going to let, I want everyone listening to honestly go get yourself even if it’s like oh I can only afford like a little sack you’ll have this thing forever and ever and ever and ever. I don’t know what you get cost per use is pretty low.

 

Clare Vivier  52:09

Yes. They’re beautiful.

 

Jessica St. Clair  52:11

I gave my mother a bag this this fanny pack I don’t even know when then stole it back. This thing has gone from New Hampshire to California she’ll steal it back next time she’s here. You know this it’s just the most beautiful bag all of it well go wrong.

 

June Diane Raphael  52:25

So Clare ,I want to also just let everybody know that your book is out Rizzoli has published the most beautiful, book it’s called La Vie de Clare V.: Paris Chic/L.A. Cool and it really chronicles Claire V’s entire journey for the last 15 years. And how she became this just beloved brand not just for LA but across the country and world now and it’s just a very beautiful book. There’s a picture of me in it it’s one of the isn’t the best pictures I’ve ever taken in my life was with Clare, we’re just so.

 

Clare Vivier  53:03

Sophie and somehow we both loved cork I mean you are so it was really like I don’t know how you take a bad picture ever but this was.

 

June Diane Raphael  53:10

It was really like we took the best picture we wasn’t it got to from your phone. It was Jamie. Opening of our space Yeah, our second space. So, and Clare has been you know talking about gym clubs so supportive of also just so many female owned businesses in Los Angeles and small businesses and also has been doing incredible work with the maternal health crisis in this country and across the world. So there’s so much to see in this book. It’s such a delight for the eyes that I encourage everybody to go out and purchase it wherever books are sold. This is also a wonderful gift. If you know person in your life who loves the clutches love has been following clear views journey. This is the book itself is a is a real treat and looks beautiful minds on my office desk right now downstairs. And really is a beautiful piece in and of itself so much and a wonderful holiday present. Thank you. Thank you Clare, for joining us anything you want to share.

 

Clare Vivier  54:14

Know just how much I love your show and how many of my friends love your show and how I’m so excited to be here and I really want to get into pickleball so I hope to do that with you someday.

 

June Diane Raphael  54:23

That’s absolutely.

 

Jessica St. Clair  54:25

Sunday mornings Clare, Sunday mornings Clare, you’re welcome to June’s house. I like to invite people to June’s house.

 

June Diane Raphael  54:34

Yeah, I will have you over Clare. Yeah, you’re coming to pickleball it’s so fun on Sunday mornings.

 

Jessica St. Clair  54:38

Thank you Clar. See you next week.

 

Jessica St. Clair  55:18

There’s more of The Deep Dive with Lemonada premium subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content like our listener questions where we answer questions from you like June Were you born with it? Is it Maybelline? And I’ll answer and just say this is just me and I know it’s a lot to handle but you have to accept it.

 

Jessica St. Clair  55:36

Send your questions to the deep dive academy@gmail.com and subscribe now in Apple podcasts.

 

June Diane Raphael  55:43

And Deep Divers. Just an FYI I might be coming to a city nearby you if you head to hdtgm.com You can check out our tour dates. We’re going to be this October and November in Portland Providence New Haven, Brooklyn, Chicago, Minneapolis. We head out on tour on October 18. Then we go back out on November eighth please go to hdtgm.com for tickets and information. The DEEP DIVE is produced by Lemonada media Jessica St. Clair and June Diane Raphael. Our producers Ana Cecilia, our associate producer is Dani Matias and ours supervising producer is Jamela Zarha Williams our engineer is Johnny Vince Evans. Additional Lemonada support from Steve Nelson, Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Special thanks to Anne Geddes for a cover art and Lennon Parham. For her sweet sweet vocals. The best way to support us is to rate and review. Follow The Deep Dive wherever you get your podcasts or listen ad free on Amazon music with your Prime membership.