Interview with Julie, the founder of the t-shirt company everyone is talking about!

What is your background?

I come from a family of entrepreneurs. I learned about fashion in the school of life, having been immersed in it for 30 years. I studied business and learned about fashion by playing with fabrics and my pencils. I wanted to change the world, making it more beautiful and greener, by altering the way the fashion industry operates.

What inspired you to create Message Factory?

I don’t have much talent for singing, but I love writing, and fashion is a form of expression. Message Factory is a combination of my talents to bring life back. Creating small works of art that transcend fashion trends, sustainable clothing that is inspiring and made with respect for people and the environment, is what I have always dreamed of doing! By creating Message Factory, I could finally fully realize my dream without compromising my values.

What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of still being in business since 2005, despite COVID, inflation, the economic crisis, and various challenges. I am also proud of having managed to renew and win over a clientele of all ages who share the same values as me.

Can you tell us about the process of creating a garment?

I first ask myself what we really need. What I create must be versatile, durable, and evoke a strong emotional response. I study trends by observing what people like to wear, both around the world and here. I choose fabrics and colors. I sit down in front of a blank page to compose a message that will then bring a garment to life. Then I pass it on to my team, who will create a first sample, and from there, a garment is born.

What are the biggest challenges in your job?

Having to reinvent myself constantly to surprise and delight.

Do you have an anecdote or a secret of creation to share with our readers?

I have the unfortunate habit of trying on new clothes in the workshop and the store and leaving my old clothes lying around. By accident, an employee put a very old dress of mine (about 10 years old) on sale in our discount display. I was at the register when a customer came to pay for a pile of clothes. She told me that her favorite was that one: MY OLD DRESS!!! And she went on about how comfortable it is and that she would wear it all the time! I was confused and didn’t know what to say. I ended up telling her that it wasn’t for sale, that it was my dress. But she insisted so much that she ended up leaving with it, hopefully to wear it another 1,000 times. That’s what I mean by sustainable clothing!

Julie Rochefort, founder of Message Factory