Featured by CanvasRebel!
CanvasRebel Magazine mission is to create a space for artists, creatives and entrepreneurs to be able to learn from their peers through the magic and power of storytelling.
We were lucky to catch up with A. Jazmine Ladouceur recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi A. Jazmine, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
The memory of seeing my Mother spending quality time with her friends that would visit and how they bonded and enjoyed one another’s company over a shared bottle of wine was really special to me. With the death of my Mother, I had to reevaluate what was important to me and focus on my passions. I decided to create what I didn’t see. I founded Noire Wine Lounge which spotlights and celebrates artists, vintners, wineries and wine brands of color. My goal is to make wine more approachable and reflective of the contemporary wine consumer. Although I grew up with wine consumed within the household, I didn’t formally study wine. Pursuing wine professionally was a direct response to seeing a lack of diversity within wine as it’s important to me that representation in wine be inclusive and approachable. Travel was my first love, so during my travels and time living abroad, I was fortunate to be exposed to the diversity of culture from around the world which allowed me to cultivate my own appreciation, perspective and love of wine, art and culture. So the idea of building community centered around wine and art is very natural and authentic to who I am. Wine & Art traditionally are industries that have a reputation of being elitist and unapproachable. I want people from all walks of life and backgrounds to have a space where they can come taste, learn about, enjoy and purchase world-class art and amazing wines.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a Los Angeles native that grew up in the Exposition Park neighborhood, spent most of my time in West Hollywood/Beverly Hills where I attended Middle & High School and attended University in University Hills district facing the San Gabriel Mountains five miles East of Downtown LA at the California State of University, Los Angeles. So I’m an LA girl through and through. During a trip to my home states’ wine region of Napa Valley, I was inspired to create and carry out my own vision of a wine tasting experience that I felt would better reflect myself, the diversity of my own community and of our world.
I began to really study wine by buying and tasting wines, asking for recommendations from friends and colleagues within wine that encouraged me to learn about different types of wines. Researching and meeting wine makers. Attending (virtual and in person) wine events because education and knowledge is so important to me. Reading wine literature, pursuing WSET certification and most importantly for me was to learn by doing, so for me that meant gaining hands on experience through Harvest to learn about wine production and the wine making process.
NOIRE provides a contemporary wine tasting experience which includes wine tastings by the glass, retail wine shop where you can purchase by the bottle, as well as artwork by artists that will be on display to both enjoy and purchase for the modern art collector. NOIRE is the intersection of wine & art and solves the problem of being able to drink amazing wines against the backdrop of world-class art while also knowing that you are supporting and contributing to the growth of the diversity of talent of both artists and wine brands of color.
I’m most proud of the community that I’ve been able to build that both shows support and excitement for the future iteration of NOIRE which will be the first brick and mortar location here in Los Angeles. I want everyone to know that what I’ve been building is a reflection of myself and my love of art & wine and I hope that once the doors are officially opened you’ll come support!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I knew that I would have to build a following on social media for my business and wanted to be my authentic self as well as create a brand that is reflective of the values important to NOIRE. When you’re building a business/brand yourself, unless you don’t have to worry about funding you’re doing everything yourself which includes social media. I really approached it as a creative outlet and a way to communicate with others the vision for NOIRE. Although my follower account may seem small to some, I’m really proud of the community I’ve grown on social media for NOIRE. My focus is definitely quality over quantity and there’s no follower count that I’m seeking as I know that I will continue to grow my community. It’s another communication channel to connect with your community and you can get real time feedback. My advice is to focus on your mission and be authentic with your message and your community will find you.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
I attend and am invited to a lot of wine industry events in addition to going to wine tastings around the city to research wines and network. I’m usually always asked about myself and thats a great opportunity to talk about NOIRE. I’ve met a lot of great people who not only love the concept but can’t wait to support when the doors of NOIRE officially open. I’ll also say, what’s pleasantly shocked me the most is that there are people that I’ve encountered for the first time that have shared they have heard about NOIRE, was talking to a friend about NOIRE or were already following NOIRE on Instagram and/or sign-up for the email list. It warms my heart and reminds me that I’m making amazing strides and that there is progress and impact that I’m making that I may not even see. Its a testament to continue to be my most authentic self and know that who I am and what I’m creating will speak for itself—even when I’m not in the room!
All photos are from NOIRE tasting events