Built With Pride: Adelle Renaud, Noble Motives Collective

Name: Adelle Renaud

Location: Vancouver, BC

Describe yourself in three words: I hope people would describe me as passionate, curious, and kind

What is the name of your business and what do you do? 

Noble Motives Collective which encompasses the brands Peau De Loup and Caposhie.

We started Peau De Loup in 2012. We kept it simple! Non-Binary clothing is our product but inclusivity is our purpose. We have always been a brand that stands for something. We are cheeky in the way we connect, we are classic in the product we offer, and we are strong in the message we are trying to send. To us, this is something much more than a button-down. It’s about creating something authentic that makes people feel the same way on the outside as they do on the inside.

Why did you decide to start your own business? How did you get started? 

Several years ago I began a journey to live a more honest and authentic life, merging my career with my greatest passion: Creating and building products with a purpose.

In just a few words, how does running your own business make you feel? 

Grateful. I am so grateful that I am able to do what I love and carve my way in a space that has long been ignored. It is a modest sign that we are one step closer to change. As difficult as it is sometimes, I think about my younger self and the kids and teens today who are still feeling “different.” They are shopping with friends wherever they are in the world, and everything is just screaming at them that there is a binary: “You don’t belong here,” “You have to be this or that,” “You shop here to fit in.”

What are some of the hurdles or roadblocks you’ve faced as an LGBTQ+ small business owner? How did you overcome them? 

It hasn’t been a roadblock, but it has been an uphill battle trying to prove to others that the work we do matters and that this community and consumer base is large enough to be given the time, care, attention, and financing it deserves.

As an LGBTQ+ small business owner, do you feel you’ve been granted the same access and opportunities that other small business owners in your community have been given?

Yes, I feel very fortunate to have been surrounded by a lot of loving and supporting people within our community and allies that believed in us.

What unique perspectives do you feel you bring to the small business economy as an LGBTQ+ business owner? 

Growing up, I was always hyper-aware that I wasn’t like everyone else. I didn’t know the reason or have the words to express what that “different” was. It’s taken most of my life, but I can finally look around and recognize that there is no one else I would rather be and today this feeling of being different and doing what I needed to survive is my superpower. It gives me the fire to keep pushing for progress with the empathy and patience to get through the tough times.

What are some of your major wins or accomplishments since starting your business? What are your proudest moments? 

Sometimes I find it really hard to stop and celebrate the wins because there is just so much more work to do. I would say one of my proudest moments was watching one of my best friends, Erin McLeod, see her dream come true when we made history by putting the women of Team Canada Soccer on the pitch for the 2015 World Cup in suits for the first time!

What are the next big plans you have for your business? 

Right now I am really trying to focus my energy on reimagining what diversity and inclusion looks like in mainstream retail! We have started a collective with a number of different brands in our space—culture creators, LGBTQ+ educators, and the interior design firm Reggie & Grand.

We are having some amazing conversations with big retailers and my hope is that in a future not too far away, we can all feel seen, comfortable, and welcomed in all retail spaces.

When you’re having a tough day, who or what inspires you to keep going? 

I hate letting people down. So I think about the people I love and who believe in me, my family, and my community. The kids out there who so desperately just want to be like everyone else. I can’t let that kid down or the grown up version of that child inside me down. They need us to stand up for them.

How can LGBTQ+ business owners give back to their community? 

Build each other up. Support each other however that looks. Give back when you can.

What advice would you give to other LGBTQ+ small business owners just starting out? 

Keep going! You matter and what you do matters.

What’s your “power song” and why? 

“Memories Are Made of This” by Dean Martin