- L'Intervalle mainly selects leather suppliers who are members of the Leather Working Group, ensuring chrome-free and vegetable tanned leather.
- Its sweatshop-free production ensures respect for the rights of workers and environmental responsibility abroad.
- Her shoes and handbags stand out for their durability and their quality.
When our young children express their anxiety about the future of the planet, it's hard to launch a shoe brand without the environment being a priority. That's what happened to Vicky Scalia when she was in the early stages of her company, L’Intervalle. Her children quickly challenged her on the concrete actions she would take to protect Mother Nature.
"We wanted to create a brand that stood out from the crowd, particularly through our sustainable and ethical values," says the co-founder, reminding us that these words were far from common in 2015, the year the company was launched.
To this day, the guiding principles are mainly focused on two aspects, starting with the choice of raw materials. Most of the company's suppliers are members of the Leather Working Group, a nonprofit organization that acts as an environmental watchdog for tanneries worldwide. As a result, all L'Intervalle shoes and handbags are made from chrome-free leather, tanned vegetatively. Less harmful to the artisans handling the hides, this technique also ensures "a higher potential for biodegradability," explains Vicky.
The brand's other great pride is undoubtedly its sweatshop-free, production, carried out in Spain, Italy, and Brazil, the meccas of leather goods. "Our partners must comply with the very strict legislation of their countries, both for workers' rights and environmental responsibility," emphasizes the founder.
Locally, the company gets involved with organizations such as Chez Doris and Le Chaînon by donating shoes. "I love when it's to help women, as we are a women-owned business ourselves," shares the entrepreneur.
Despite L'Intervalle's brilliant track record, it is not without challenges. "I would like to apply for B Corp certification, but it requires a lot of time and money," confesses the founder, who, despite the brand's success, remains surrounded by a relatively small team. To encourage local companies to acquire the prestigious seal, she would like to see government financial support. "It's a badge that would help our local businesses shine even more internationally," she adds.
The distribution of this article is made possible by the contribution of Détail Québec, the retail sectoral workforce committee.
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