leurville: A company with a conscience and designer sensibility. Co-founder Steve Granville talks to The Cradle about his eco-friendly creations, including his PVC-free totes and diaper bags made from recycled plastic bottles. They're making a difference... one bag at a time!
The Cradle: What came first: The baby or the bag?
Steve: The baby, then the bag… then another baby… and lots more bags! We joke that when we became parents, we entered a parallel universe of bad brands: Lots of products you needed, nothing you wanted. So, we thought we’d try building a business around products people wanted.
The Cradle: Describe the Fleurville philosophy in three words.
Steve: Design. Durability. Earth-conscious.
The Cradle: You and your wife, Catherine, are the leaders behind Fleurville. How do you balance your work life and your personal life?
Steve: We’ve had to work at becoming really good at communicating our needs – both at home and at the office. We try to keep work time and family time separate as much as possible. No board meetings before bed.
The Cradle: Is your background in fashion or design?
Steve: My background is in branding, while Catherine’s is in philosophy and herbalism.
The Cradle: What inspired you to go the eco-friendly route with your company?
Steve: The environment has always been important to us personally, so it was natural to want to incorporate it into our company. Once we looked around at our industry, we realized that it is full of toxic efforts and practices. We realized that we could help to change the industry simply by leading the way in educating on earth-conscious efforts in the kid’s sector – such as the benefits of buying a bag without PVC. It takes time and effort to educate and evangelize. To actually find "greener" processes is difficult and expensive. That said, Fleurville believes people want greener products and will love our brand for its leadership position.
