MEET...
women's organisation
Icelandic entrepreneur Elisabet shares her strong connection with her homeland through her online shop, which brings together much Icelandic expertise.
Could you introduce yourself and L'Atelier Islandais?
I’m Icelandic and I live in Paris with my French husband and our three children. Before setting up L’Atelier Islandais, I worked as an interior designer in Iceland and Paris.
L’Atelier Islandais is an online shop focusing on Icelandic design. It was created with a passion for and desire to showcase Icelandic design and make it more accessible abroad. I’m delighted to be part of the growth and development of Icelandic design, and to be increasing its visibility and exports.
SHARE ONE OF YOUR STRONGEST MEMORIES
OF ICELAND WITH US
It’s hard to choose, but one memory would be the first summer I was going out with my husband, we went to a music festival in East Iceland, a place called Borgarfjörður eystri. My favourite time of year is the Icelandic summer nights. They’re absolutely magical, with 24/7 daylight giving you lots of energy and happiness, surrounded by good friends, good music and the beauty of nature.
What inspires you about Iceland? Do you return often?
Growing up on an isolated island in the North Atlantic shapes you. Icelandic winters are cold and long, and summer nights are endless, with 24-hour days. The energy of nature is vibrant and the scenery breathtaking, sometimes otherworldly. All this stimulates the creativity of Icelandic designers, who are influenced by the wildness of nature, erupting volcanoes, gushing geysers, sprawling lava fields and massive glaciers. That’s what makes Icelandic design special; that’s what makes me love it.
We return to Iceland at least twice a year to spend time with family and friends, which is important to me, and also to allow my children to discover the freedom and nature of Iceland.
When did it all start to happen, that little voice whispering in your ear that you should set up your own business?
I decided to set up my business in November 2020, but it had been an idea for about 8 years. Encouragement from my husband and family made this decision easier.
I also discovered that people were curious about Icelandic design, that they found it exciting and innovative and wanted to access it.
“…influenced by the wildness of nature, erupting volcanoes, gushing geysers, sprawling lava fields and massive glaciers.”
What type of products can be found at L'Atelier Islandais? And what's your must-have?
We sell children’s clothes, gifts, beauty products and furniture – so much Icelandic talent in one place! Product selection, price range and personalisation. The limited population hasn’t stopped people from designing and presenting interesting and influential things.
I’ve always been amazed at how much creativity and variety there is in the design industry. It’s a relatively young industry in Iceland, so I’m delighted to be involved and to see what the future holds.
I’d say my must-haves would be some of our Urð and Angan beauty products, our Lavala collection and the handmade porcelain cups mixed with volcanic ash, which creates a lovely texture.
Can you tell us an Icelandic story or legend?
Two years ago, my family and I went to visit the Western Fjords. This is perhaps one of the most isolated places in Iceland, and it takes hours to get there. Although we were on a magnificent road, we decided to take an alternative, dirt road to save time. After an hour, we realised that a four-wheel drive vehicle would have been more appropriate! Too late to turn back, we climbed a hill, alone in the world and, through the mist, we caught a glimpse of one the many fjords in this unique place in the distance. One of our visits was to a 19th century French fisherman’s cemetery, and we wondered how the sailors did it, since it had taken us such a long time to get there by modern transport, hours by road. We mused on how they must have felt when they came ashore to this place between fishing trips.
How does the production and management of your online shop work?
I used to work in a design shop in Reykjavik, where I met a lot of designers and built up a good relationship with them. I can therefore say that this experience influenced me in the choice of products for my shop. At the moment, we’re working on creating products specially designed for L’Atelier Islandais.
Most of the products are handmade in Iceland, and I choose products that suit my style of home and skin. I like beauty products by Urð and Angan, companies that formulate high-performance products of unrivalled quality using wild and sustainable arctic ingredients. I think it’s important to have good relationships with designers, and they’re interested to know what the French market wants and is enthusiastic about.
“life’s too short not to make your dreams come true, isn’t it?”
