Julie, a fighter (and shopkeeper) stronger than the illness!
When "La clé d'or", a reference shop for many Le Lavandou residents, becomes "La clé d'Luxe", a luxury brand consignment shop!
For many years, the sign "La clé d'or", located in the heart of Le Lavandou, left the memory of a benchmark store for home decor gifts made in Provence. A business, taken over by Julie six years ago, which added to this concept store a consignment shop for luxury goods from major brands (Dior, Chanel, Vuitton, Burberry, Delsey, etc.). As a result, the sign was changed to "La clé d'Luxe" (with a capital "L" in the name).
HEAVY TREATMENT But how did Julie, a confident 40-year-old nurse and mother of three grown children, find herself at the head of this elegant boutique and its transformation? "It was when faced with a heavy oncology treatment, which did not allow me to continue my profession in the medical field, and with the help of my parents of Saint-Tropez origin, that I was able to invest in this business in Le Lavandou, where I live, and which was changing hands." Brimming with vitality, always with a smile on her face, this fighter managed to juggle a professional career change and regular treatments in Marseille without ever giving up.
She invested herself in it, making no secret of the fact that it was vital: "It is thanks to this shop that I was able to stand tall and survive," she recalls.
She still remembers: "This takeover was not without hurdles, marked by the health crisis period when everything was closing. Which could have discouraged me. I had to reinvent myself and, like many businesses, manage supply difficulties and, in my case, mainly of French artisanal productions.
My leitmotif being that, in novelty, I always want to stay authentic, in true craftsmanship, in everything that has a soul."
LUXURY CONSIGNMENT SHOP Julie therefore did a lot of research and traveled to specialized trade shows to make herself known. To find new products, of course, but also to seek a new formula that would allow her to make a living from her business in Le Lavandou year-round and, above all, to stand out. It is with her strength of character that Julie transformed "La clé d'or", which is now called "La clé d'Luxe" and includes a luxury consignment section that did not exist in Le Lavandou and already has many followers.
An original formula that highlights, on one side, everything related to decoration and, on the other, a consignment section for products (leather goods, bags, shoes, accessories, jewelry, women's ready-to-wear) from big names in French and international luxury, through a contract with depositors.
"In my shop, nothing is fake!" insists this fighter, who is still undergoing medical treatment, but without ever losing her steel resolve given to her by this shop full of gems for beautiful gifts at all prices.
Francine MARIE (text and photos).