The Woman Behind Lafay Luxe: A Small Black Business Owner
The murder of George Floyd was an extremely tragic and traumatic event for Black and Brown people alike. Everyone - people of all races - hit the streets and protested, in the middle of a deadly pandemic, for the injustice that was blatantly displayed.
After George Floyd was killed, there were a couple of things that changed. Diversity, for one, became much more prevalent - the way it should have been from the start. It’s devastating that it took an inhumane act of murdering another human being to see such change, but alas. Many people began to flock to Black-owned businesses, in support; business owners saw a surge in sales.
It seems that the summer of 2020 and the events that led to it, made supporting Black businesses the new “norm.” In my opinion, now more than ever, these businesses have the support that they’ve always should’ve gotten. I’ll admit myself that I, too, did not buy from Black businesses the way that I do now. Personally, knowing someone who is a small Black business owner, sharing with me all the hard work she puts into her craft, helped me see them in a different light. The work that they put into their craft is inspiring.
23-year-old Lafayette Diaullaud, an Ivorian-American woman and sole owner of Lafay Luxe - an online shop that sells purses, body products, and perfumes. Born in the Bronx and currently living in Philadelphia, Lafayette started Lafay Luxe (a name created because friends of hers would call her “Lafay” or “Fay) over the summer of 2021. To me, her start was impressive: one day she was telling me that she was going to start a business and the next, her brand is already created!
When asked if her mom owning a salon had anything to do with her creating Lafay Luxe, Lafayette responded, “I was always surrounded by business-oriented people and I knew that one day I would want to have something to add my name to eventually.” Lafayette’s mother and aunt are owners of successful hair salons, only working for themselves. Seeing two Black women successful in their endeavors was bound to have an impact on Lafayette. She went on to say that “creating and developing my business was my way of trying to push myself to be more independent as well as a healing process for me”. She expressed that Lafay Luxe allows her to test her creativity - and that it does!
In the beginning, Lafay Luxe started out selling purses; now the shop has gone from selling fashion pieces to body products and perfume. I was there from the beginning when her idea of creating a business was just that - an idea. I’ve seen the evolution of the business and I had to ask Lafayette what made her want to venture into other things (besides purses/earrings).
“I was always a lover for perfumes and generally would go out my way to make a few just for myself”, shared Lafayette. “When I first launched my boutique, I think I was looking at a general perspective of the lane I wanted to pursue but not really focusing on the reality of what I truly desired”. While conducting this interview, I found out about this fun fact! I had no idea that Lafayette was creating perfume before her business. “When I first launched my boutique, I think I was looking at a general perspective of the lane I wanted to pursue but not really focusing on the reality of what I truly desired”.
Lafayette says creating her own business “has brought [her] to new limits of creativity
because of the way [she] had to become [her] own personal photographer, editor, not to
mention hand making [her] own fragrances”. Being a small business owner is not for the weak. It takes a lot of creativity, passion and hard work to create a successful business. Not everyone is destined to be their own boss. Lafayette on the other hand, I think that girl can turn a penny into a dime!
Black business owners often get a bad rap; they’re usually accused of being too expensive or rude. Just a disclaimer: that’s not true for all Black business owners or business owners in general. With that being said, on the topic of if being a Black business owner is difficult, Lafayette shared, “I think [being] Black-owned comes with a lot of pride because there's so much versatility in service and product companies that really keep you motivated. I also think the biggest issue for me now is finding that right group to share experiences and concerns.”
Lafayette just recently dropped her perfume collection. Her favorite products are perfumes from the “Lafayette collection.” She will soon drop another fragrance called “Seirin.” You can find updates on her new products at www.lafayluxe.com!
Make sure to also follow Lafay Luxe on Twitter and Instagram!
