Meet Claire Landuyt | Business Owner & Handcrafter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Claire Landuyt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claire, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Chez Lapin was born to fulfill a need. The need to provide cruelty-free, naturally derived skin care and luxury fragrance products at accessible prices.

I was inspired by this concept during my time living in the South of France. Being exposed to the French approach to beauty and its focus on holistic wellness and self care, I saw a real shortcoming in the American beauty industry, an industry emphasizing fast results by controllable, corrective behaviors.

Being a part of American culture and subjected to those ideas and wronged by those practices throughout my life, I found it incredibly intriguing to try something new for my skin and self care; something that clearly worked so well for the French and their laid back lifestyle. There my journey began with crafting my own skin care and fragrance products.

As my knowledge expanded and I developed my skincare products, these three ideas stuck with me: 1) Synthetic chemicals can be incredibly harsh on your skin and disrupt it’s natural balance; 2) many companies require animal testing before putting a new product onto the market that contains those synthetic chemicals; and 3) responsibly sourcing and harvesting natural materials for skincare products is directly beneficial to the environment and humans alike.

There-in lies the foundational tenets of my business; eco-friendly, cruelty free, natural products. From clay facial cleansers to soy candles, all of our products are thoughtfully sourced, produced, and something that our customers should feel good about having on their skin and in their homes.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am very proud of Chez Lapin and the company that it has grown into over the past few years. If I had to pick one element that I am most proud of, it is our commitment to ensuring a better life for rabbits.

I have been a rabbit lover and owner for decades, and in my short life thus far, I have seen far too much cruelty to these beautiful animals. From animal testing to abandonment and neglect, Chez Lapin fights to educate the public and ensure that the welfare of rabbits is only going to get better.

A portion of every single Chez Lapin purchase goes directly to rabbit rescue. In particular, we donate to a Pittsburgh based non-profit, Rabbit Wranglers, who’s mission is to help abused, neglected, and abandoned rabbits and educate the public to improve the lives of these companion animals. Throughout our years in business, Chez Lapin has proudly funded thousands of dollars in special medications, life-saving surgeries, and medical care for special needs rabbits in the region.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Area: Pittsburgh, PA

Saturday
– spend the morning at the Bloomfield Saturday Market, collecting goods from local artisans and vendors
– spend the afternoon enjoying conversation, coffee, and beautiful architecture while walking the cobblestone streets of the Allegheny Commons Park and Mexican War Street.
– take a few hours to enjoy live jazz music, beautiful cocktails, and Central American cuisine at Con Alma

Sunday
– grab crepes and London Fog Lattes for brunch at Geppetto’s Cafe in Lawrenceville
– hop across the street to snag ice cream and treats from our dog boutique, Salty Paws
– visit the Neighborhood Flea, an amazing festival of vendors and artists put on by I Made It! Market team.
– wind down with a 4 course Italian dinner from Le Via Trattoria in Lawrenceville. Don’t forget to bring your own bottle of wine!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Husband for being Chez Lapin’s biggest cheerleader

and

the team at Rabbit Wranglers (Pittsburgh) for their never-ending hard work in saving rabbits.

Website: https://www.chezlapingoods.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chezlapingoods

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chezlapingoods