Meet Courtenay Lowe, Founder of La Voie Activewear
What happens when a Newport Beach native leaves home, builds a successful career in finance in New York City, and then returns to launch a luxury activewear brand?
In this episode of Duffy Chats, we sit down with Courtenay Lowe, founder of La Voie, to talk about her journey from Newport Beach to Wall Street and back again. Courtenay shares how growing up in Newport shaped her, why she chose to return after eight years away, and what inspired her to create La Voie, a luxury activewear brand designed to elevate both workouts and everyday life.
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Welcome aboard Duffy Chats. Today we're joined by Newport native Courtney Lowe, who's also the founder of Lavois. We're excited to learn about her brand and her backstory. Courtney, welcome to Duffy Chats.
Courtney: Thank you.
So, we know you're a Newport native. Can you give us a little bit of insight into what it was like growing up here and, you know, some of the differences between now and then?
Courtney: Yeah. I mean, it's truly such an incredible community here. We're so lucky to be blessed with, one, a beautiful place to be, but also just incredible people.
Growing up here, it's such a tight-knit group. You go to school with these people. You work out with these people. Your friends and parents are all friends. You do everything together.
I mean, we really had the best life growing up here between summers doing DIYC and Catalina trips. A big part of my childhood, and still my life today, is Balboa Island. My grandma's lived there for over 30 years, and now my parents live there. So, spending weekends and holidays there, summers, sleepovers with the grandparents, and trips to Dad's Donuts and everything.
And then you go to Junior Lifeguards, sailing at the yacht club. We were really doing it all, which is so fun, and we're just so blessed to be here.
And now coming back, I was out of Newport for about eight years. You really reconnect with a lot of your close friends. Some of my best friends are people I went to elementary school with, but you also reach a whole other new community. I've met so many more amazing people, which is so fun.
So, for how tight-knit and small it is here, there's also just a lot more people and a great community to be around.
So you went to Mater Dei, right?
Courtney: Yes.
Okay. So then after you graduated, tell us where you went to college, what was going on there, and then how you landed in New York and what you were doing.
Courtney: Perfect. Okay. So yes, I went to Mater Dei for high school, and then I went off to SMU in Dallas for college, where I studied finance and French. I've taken French my whole life, since I went to Carden Hall in elementary school here, and so I continued that there.
And then also, being a competitive dancer my whole life, I really wanted to continue that in college as well. So I joined SMU Pom, and I was on Pom for two years, and we also competed. So we were highly involved with the school and sports, but also competed on a national level.
And then after my sophomore year, I applied to be in our honors program in the business school at SMU. That's a course where it's really focused on your financial career and highly focused for people wanting to go into investment banking, private equity, and that route.
They take 50 students out of everyone who applies, so it's a highly rigorous course. It starts your junior year, and they have prior members of the program who are now at top-tier banks and private equity firms come and do lectures, case studies, and modeling classes. It really just sets you up for your first internship.
So from there, I kind of knew I was going to go that route of investment banking. It just felt right for me. I was excited about it and really wanted to step into something.
So I started doing the interviewing process, had my first internship, and then I signed with a bank in New York before graduating from SMU.
I kind of knew I wanted to go to New York. A big part of that was growing up, my mom spent a lot of time in New York with work, just being an entrepreneur herself. She was always traveling to New York weekly and to New Jersey.
So it was also a big part of growing up. We were familiar with it. It wasn't that foreign to me. We spent a lot of holidays there. We would do Thanksgiving there. We were always out in the city, and I just had this feeling inside where I was like, "I want to go there."
I always knew I was going to come back to Newport long-term. And so I really wanted to step out and do something that was out of my comfort zone, completely different than Newport—a whole other side of the country, a place where I think there was a lot of opportunity for my career and just for myself to grow and challenge myself a bit more.
There's just such an abundance there for opportunities, so I felt like it was the natural, right move.
So I actually graduated in 2020, so things were a little bit crazy. I came back here for a month after I graduated, and my roommate in New York also is from Newport. So we finally just decided, "You know what? Let's go out."
So we moved in August of 2020, and it was the best decision we could have made.
How was the city during that time?
Courtney: It was different. A lot different and quiet, but we met so many different people. I think everyone was just kind of congregating toward meeting people.
We were actually very lucky that our office was open, so I went into the office a few days a week, which was really great because it is so important to be in the office in your first years of working. That's where you collaborate and meet people. That's really where you learn—just observing and being side by side with higher people on the team, interacting with people and collaborating.
I know. I'm so thankful you said that. I feel like people don't—
Courtney: Yes. It was different, and we did both. There was a period where we'd have to be home, and you're just behind a screen and you're messaging. There's no connection, no teamwork—
No collaboration.
Courtney: Yeah, no collaboration at all. You're in these meetings on Zoom, but half the people are checked out, whereas when you're in these meetings in person, it means so much more to be there, meet these great teams and a lot of the people that we worked with in person, and just get the opportunity to be there and listen to them and be in the room with some of these highly intelligent people.
I think you also just learn so much more on the job being there. Like I said, the collaboration aspect was really important.
So I'm really happy that we got the opportunity, and we actually went back into the office full-time in September of 2021. It was great. I really enjoyed that.
And so I was at the bank for about four and a half years.
Side question, because I know with my son, who went to Cornell, he didn't go to New York after college, but a lot of the kids do go to New York after, whether they went to school at USC or wherever they went. Were there a lot of other people from the community that you met while you were in New York who were from Newport?
Courtney: Oh, there's a lot. There's a lot of people from Newport who actually were in New York, and also a lot of people from SMU.
Okay.
Courtney: But it was great. You have that sense of community, which is nice. Similar to SMU, there's a lot of people from Southern California, so it gives that comfort of familiar people.
But you also really branch out, and I met so many more amazing people. I have friends who are from Switzerland and from London, and just meeting people from all over. I had friends who went to UPenn, so then they had all of their friends.
You meet so many people. It's great. You get to have all these different groups of people and friends, which really makes the experience so special—being there with people I grew up with and then also meeting new faces who are now some of my best friends.
That's fun. What part of New York did you live in? I'm just curious.
Courtney: I lived in the West Village. We were on West 12th between 6th and 7th, and it was the perfect little place to live.
I definitely lived the fun little New York life. Living in the West Village, working at Rockefeller Center—it's crazy to think sometimes.
So then, four and a half years you were there?
Courtney: Yes.
Okay. So now we're going to talk about when this idea came up that you wanted to start your own brand and business, and then move back here.
Courtney: I've always had this feeling inside of me and this knowing that I wanted to have my own brand. I grew up with two really amazing entrepreneurial women in my life, my mom and my grandma, who both had their own businesses. So I've always seen this growing up.
I was really lucky. My grandma had her own businesses, and then when I was very young—I was about one and my sister was three—my mom started her business, Cocalo, which is infant room décor.
So my whole life, I got to see from the sidelines her growing a business. And while she was doing that, she was being a mom to me, balancing it all and really giving it all to my family. Seeing it, I really got to see that it was possible.
I loved to do little small-business things. I mean, I had so many businesses growing up, so I just kind of knew that this was something in me.
What were some of those small businesses? I'm just curious. I'm sure it's so cute. Lemonade stand?
Courtney: No, I don't know. We had a few.
One that my sister and I always did was our famous hot chocolate stand at the Boat Parade.
Oh, yeah. I'm sure you made a lot of money there.
Courtney: We really did that one. We took that one very seriously.
But one of my top-performing businesses was my flip-flop business.
Oh, really?
Courtney: Yeah. I made little custom flip-flops. It's so funny, but I used to take my mom's Tory Burch buttons—she got the extra ones—and I would glue them on the front of the flip-flops.
And I used to go sell them on the seawall in front of my grandma's house.
This is like Jodie from Tutu Blue, how she takes pieces from higher things and always—
Courtney: But I think it was always about timing at the end of the day and when it was going to be. And I knew that doing something for my career like investment banking was so critical because it taught me so much and allowed me to be where I am today and to be able to run a business with so much of that exposure.
So I was in New York for about four and a half years at the bank, and I was just kind of—
Were you feeling burnout?
Courtney: I was feeling burnout. I needed change. Not that I was necessarily plateauing in the job, but something was really feeling like change.
Also, my boyfriend lives here. My whole family is here.
So you're going back and forth?
Courtney: Yeah. So we were long-distance for about two years, and so I was doing a lot of traveling back and forth, and it was getting—it's just not that easy, you know?
He was from here?
Courtney: Yes.
Did you know him before?
Courtney: Yes. We met when we were 12.
That's cute.
Courtney: So our families are friends, and we've had a good relationship growing up, but we actually started dating when I lived in New York.
So there were a lot of different factors coming into it. I think I was ready for a change in my career, and I was also wanting to be back with my family. I was getting that feeling that I missed them, and my whole family's here—my mom's side of the family.
You just kind of feel so much a part of it. And being in a more serious place with my boyfriend, being together, everything just kind of felt like a natural change, a natural time to change, which is the best feeling. Nothing felt forced.
And when I did come back, I was naturally interviewing at private equity firms in L.A.
Did you already have this idea in your head?
Courtney: I always had this idea. I was a dancer. I feel like I very much love health and wellness. It's a big part of my life. Being active has always been part of my life with movement, working out and dancing, and I live in activewear. I'm always in it.
And so it's something that I've always wanted to do. It was, like I said, about timing.
Okay. So you knew it. All right. Got it.
Courtney: And so I was interviewing with private equity firms when I got back, but something about it just did not feel right. And I was like, "I think I really just want to do it."
I remember the exact moment. I had just left Fashion Island, and I was looking for activewear. I was in the car and I was like, "That's it. I'm doing it."
Was it because you couldn't find things?
Courtney: A lot of it was. I really couldn't find pieces from a brand where I liked both tops and bottoms, or really felt flattering in it or comfortable. Even materials, just fit—there are a handful of brands out there that have really cute styles, but the fit was just not flattering.
There were so many factors that played into it. I wanted something that was really your refined uniform. So it's something that you can wear in a workout and then wear beyond in your everyday life. Something that's functional and high-performance, but also really refined and flattering, and just an everyday uniform wardrobe that you can wear throughout your whole life.
So when you had that moment and it clicked for you and you thought, "I'm not going to go into investment banking. I'm going to go full-blown. I'm going to do this." Tell us—What's the timing of picking up the name? Now that we know the background, we know your dance and French background that ties it all together. Tell us what the name means to you.
Courtney: So, yeah. I remember the exact moment, and I'm pretty sure I texted my sister or just my mom. I said, "I'm doing it."
From there, that was in about October of 2024. So really, for the rest of 2024, it was ideation of names and just doing a lot of research on our manufacturers and different people to partner with, getting in touch with legal in terms of LLC formation and all of that.
A big thing was names. I've always loved French names, and I wanted to do something different. I mean, there are so many activewear brands out there, and it was either I could take route A, which was kind of be the same as all of them and do that whole vibe, or go completely different, which we did—a French name.
Our branding is a lot different. Just looking at our primary logos and our marks, it's a whole different vibe than what other activewear brands are doing. And if you're going to do something, I want it to stand out.
And so I chose the name Lavois, which means "the way" in French, which really just embodies the essence of the brand.
The whole thing is that I wanted to create a movement wardrobe. So these are pieces that you can wear in a workout. They're high-performance and functional, but you also wear them through your everyday life. They're very refined pieces with minimal detail and just look very clean and elevated.
Courtney: You can add splashes of things, and our colors will always be these more neutral tones. Even our red currant color—it's still a neutral red.
We're always going to be those more neutral, warmer tones, which speaks more to the brand and just being more elevated colorways. And pieces that you can wear in a workout and then use as a base layer and wear for a full outfit.
They're very comfortable, everyone. We're all wearing the outfits. What color is this called? I love this color.
Courtney: Mandy and I are in Dune, and then Kim's in Corsica.
Is this your number-one seller, the Dune? I feel like it's just so easy to wear.
Courtney: Right now, Dune—I would say this month—has been our bestseller.
Probably because the season's changing, for sure. Our bestseller of all pieces overall has been Corsica. Our red Everyday Bra and red Essential Leggings are the bestselling set together.
Okay, interesting. But now that spring's coming in, I saw you launching some new stuff. I wanted to know.
Courtney: And so Dune has definitely been a bestseller. I think now people are tan and out and just realized it's a great colorway.
We actually did a pop-up at Lido Shore a few weeks ago, and Dune was just—whatever I wear at pop-ups, people tend to buy.
Well, you look great in it. I like to see it on people.
Courtney: And I think seeing it in person, too. Dune was just going so fast.
Yeah, every style.
Courtney: So, I love that too. But then people always ask me my favorite, and I'm like, "Whatever I'm wearing that day is my favorite."
Okay. So can you share with us the timeline to launch? After you had your initial concept and the name—and I think you told us about the legalities—what was the next step?
Courtney: So, really, I started everything in late fall of 2024, and that's where we began a lot of the ideation of names, like I mentioned, and just getting all of the legal formation into place and really doing a lot of research on manufacturers.
I spent the back half of the year really just looking into manufacturers and doing a ton of research, speaking with them on the phone. I probably spoke to about 40 different manufacturers, both domestically and overseas.
And I finally spoke with one who is the one that we are partnered with today. What I really was looking for was trust. I could be on the phone with you for five minutes—can I realize that there's something that tells me I can trust you?
Because it's all about this partnership, and we're in it together. This is the bond that we're going to need for the long term.
I spoke with the manufacturer we're working with, and I just immediately felt this strong connection. Something in me felt like, "This is right."
I spoke with a lot of people on the team. Then I had a more serious call with the owner of the manufacturer and learned about his background. We actually went out and met him in Phoenix.
Okay.
Courtney: Which was great to have that opportunity. So I got to go out and meet the founder of the manufacturer in Arizona, where he lives.
I went out for the day. I didn't know if I was going to be there for 30 minutes or for how long, and we ended up spending about five hours with him, just hearing about his background and the business they're building.
That's what you look for in a partner. It just showed that he truly cares. And it's someone where, if I ever needed to, I knew I could give him a call at any point and he would be there to help.
So we found the manufacturer, spent about five hours with him when I met him in Phoenix, and that right there just showed the relationship that we're going to have for a long time and really the trust in our relationship.
But what I really loved about them and what differentiated them is they're a one-stop shop. They have a team that can help with design, development, and production. And while I do all the designs myself—
That's what I was wondering. I was going to ask you. So you did all—
Courtney: Yeah. I design everything myself, get the inspiration, but he does have a team that can help me with our IP, our tech packs, and all of that, which is beyond helpful.
It's great because they then take it to the next step of development and design. So it's all connected. They all work together, which makes it very seamless.
And then you go into pre-production and the production process. It really helps having it all in one place.
While I'm doing everything on my own, it's great—instead of outsourcing a designer to help with tech packs, I can really just go in-house.
What's a tech pack?
Courtney: A tech pack is all of your IP.
What's IP?
Courtney: So, essentially, you have all your designs, and it's going to give you all the information about your designs and your sizing. It's going to have all your size charts. It's going to have all the elements of the design, the logo, the type of logo.
So, if you see on the back of our top, we have a silicone logo patch. It's designing that and getting all the information—the fabric type, the actual design elements of everything.
And so your tech packs are essentially what I own. If I ever left the manufacturer, I could take my tech packs and take them to someone else because you own that and that design.
It has all the detailed information to go put the product into production—anything from the way you sew on a woven label to different zippers, where you put logos, the way that you close seams. Very particular things.
And I get very, very picky.
So, I understand that with your grandmother, your mother, and having been around a lot of product development, I guess we could say—is that correct? A lot of this was still new for you, though? What you've learned?
Courtney: Oh my gosh. Most of it. It's crazy. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing.
You don't know until you learn, and that's the best part. You just have to go all in.
I think the scariest part out of all of this was saying, "Yes, I'm going to do it," out loud.
Because you really don't know what you're doing until you do it. I look back and I'm like, "It's crazy. I had no idea what any of this meant." But it's like, how would I know?
It's my first call to a manufacturer. This is my first sampling process, my first pre-production process, my first run in production. You don't know until you go through it.
And it was amazing, and still is, to have my mom and grandma, who've been in product-development businesses, by my side.
They're guiding you.
Courtney: And having my mom involved on some of our bigger manufacturer calls is helpful just to get that other set of eyes and a sense check. I'm like, "Is this all good and right? Am I missing something?"
It's having that comfort. She's like, "This is a very normal thing."
Working with manufacturers, there's always delays. There's always going to be little hiccups, but that's just the way it goes for everyone. Samples sometimes—you never know. They can come looking fantastic or kind of like, "What is this? I think we're missing something here."
Did they show you different materials? You were particular about it?
Courtney: Yes. We did a lot of research on materials. I really wanted something that was very buttery soft but also very compressive, because usually you can't have both.
You either have a very buttery-soft material, but it doesn't stay in place. It's loose. It's more for athleisure or low-impact.
I'm always having to pull them up.
Courtney: But then you have your very compressive material, and it's very thick and maybe just not as comfortable. So I was like, "We need to find that perfect intersection of both."
And something that's also moisture-wicking.
A big part, too, is that we're forever chemical-free. I know that's a big topic for brands right now, but that essentially means that we follow strict safety standards, and we have no PFAS, BPAs, or heavy metals.
Obviously, we're not fully non-toxic. You need to be high-performance activewear, but we're definitely going in the right direction. Keeping those kinds of chemicals out is great, especially when you're wearing these on your body every day in a heated workout and sweating.
So definitely keeping that in mind, too—having these fabrics that are cleaner than most.
So then, when was the first launch?
Courtney: Our first launch was October 28th of 2025, which was crazy.
So it was one year?
Courtney: It was about a year. We had a few delays, but no one knows that.
I just kept saying, "No one knows when we're supposed to launch. Only I do."
And you have to do it at the right timing.
So we launched with our Signature Collection on October 28th. We had six different styles across four colorways.
Courtney: It was great. It was such a fun day. Just friends, family—the community showed up in a way that I wasn't expecting. It's a day I'll always remember.
It was just fun. You always have to remember to have fun with these things because it will never be this easy or this simple.
I always talk to my dad. We usually do a weekly walk where I talk through business stuff with him, and he goes, "You're going to look back in five years and wish this was your problem, or it was this simple."
From then, a way to connect with the community has been doing pop-ups every weekend or being involved at Pilates studios and whatnot. That's just a great way to show off the brand and let people understand the brand, see it in person, touch the material.
A big part is people really love when I'm there to connect with the founder story.
That's the thing that's important.
Courtney: And I'm the one who hosts every pop-up. So I've been there every weekend. I'm usually at a pop-up.
We did Lido Shores. We're at Pilates studios. I've been to L.A., San Diego.
We actually did our biggest event in Santa Monica last week, which was our first event having 30 women in all of our sets, which was incredible.
That's a surreal moment for me. I got to look around the room and see 30 really amazing women in our sets.
I'm sure that was like your—
Courtney: It's a crazy moment, right? It was so fun just to see it. They were very complimentary and really loved the product.
So it was a great way to get exposure and connect with people. They really love hearing the brand story, and I truly love being involved at these events.
I love sharing about the brand and just sharing how it connects with me as a person and how the brand aligns with my values and health and wellness and everything.
Well, I think that's an important part. And where can they—so they can purchase at these events. Can they purchase online?
Courtney: At all our pop-ups, we bring inventory, so you can purchase at the events. And then if, for some reason, we don't have your size, we can ship it to you. We make it very accessible.
But everything is sold direct-to-consumer on our website.
Is there wholesale that I see on the site, or—
Courtney: No. So, exciting news—we actually just got into VEA Hotel.
Oh, good. I love it.
Courtney: Yeah. So I really want to expand into the hotel space and just curated wellness spaces. I think it's a great opportunity for us to step into.
Being in VEA, for example, it's more of an extension of the hotel and really just bringing the Lavois lifestyle to the hotel—letting people and guests connect with the brand. And also, the brand being based in Newport Beach makes it even more special.
But really, maybe it's being part of an event at VEA and creating a morning with Lavois, and we're doing movement and wearing your set, and really showing how a day in Lavois can be connected and just making an extension of these spaces.
Mandy: So those are the immediate goals, right? Since you're just an emerging brand, you have the immediate goals, and then what are the long-term goals? Do you want to get into big-box eventually? Tell us what you see now versus the future.
Courtney: Immediate right now is just awareness and exposure, and really building our community and putting the brand out there on more women just to see it.
So, like I said, doing these local pop-ups. We're having our first big pop-up out of state in Dallas at the end of May.
Doing events like this is really crucial to getting the exposure, teaching people about the brand, allowing them to try it, and just growing as a business.
But long-term, I think it's great to continue to build and deepen our exposure internationally, too.
I really see wholesale as an opportunity, being with curated businesses like FWRD or Shopbop. I definitely think there's opportunity there when it makes sense for the brand.
And are the price points there to do that?
Courtney: For sure.
That's great. That's great, because that's one of the battles sometimes with people creating products—that their margins aren't—
Courtney: No. And the way that I set up the business is I set it up for wholesale activity when and if we get there, but also direct-to-consumer on our website. Just taking in all the factors now so we can get it to work out long-term.
So let us know: who is the Lavois woman? What does that entail? Who is she? What does she look like?
Courtney: I would say the Lavois woman is someone who doesn't think of movement as a separate part of their day. It's just the rhythm in their life. So it's someone—The Lavois woman is someone who works out, grabs coffee, goes to Pilates, socializes, works—everything in between.
It's just the rhythm of her life, and she's constantly in motion. She combines her activewear wardrobe with her lifestyle and has it all in one refined uniform, as I always say.
You really take these pieces and wear them throughout your day. I went to Pilates, and now I'm doing a podcast, then meetings and grocery shopping.
Yeah, exactly. All of it.
Courtney: So, it's really someone who values health and wellness and likes to have this smooth rhythm and functionality.
Comfortable.
Courtney: Very comfortable.
So you've got the Signature Sets.
Courtney: Yes.
Looking to the future, what does expansion of your product offerings look like?
Courtney: So, we have our Signature Collection, which is what we first launched with.
And now we're coming out with our Summer Essentials. We have a new colorway launching and two new styles in the next few weeks, which I'm super excited about.
We've been getting a few teasers out, and I've gotten so much amazing feedback. That's great to hear because that's probably one of the most nerve-wracking parts about all of this.
When you create pieces, you don't know how people are going to react. So we've had really positive interactions.
And then we're also expanding into loungewear. Our first collection for that will be in the fall, with more colorways and new styles.
Then we have some other fun pieces for fall and winter as well. So we're planning right now all the way into spring of 2027.
Courtney: It's crazy. We do these timelines with the manufacturers, and by the time you do lab dips, which are these little dips of your custom Pantone color, then start designing pieces, tech packs, sampling, pre-production samples, the actual production process—time catches up faster than you think.
It's gas on all the time.
Courtney: It takes the whole process that you really have to time out. So right now, we've already picked all of our colorways through spring of 2027.
That must seem crazy.
Courtney: I know. It's crazy.
We have monthly meetings on trend reports, and that goes with colors, styles, different products, areas where we can expand, and really focusing on what has been our bestselling product, what our customers want, what they're really looking for, what they wear, and what the Lavois woman wants.
You really have to take all of that into consideration when styling these pieces and really listen to people.
Something that's a new piece for us is we're going to have more full-length items.
Full-length meaning the tops?
Courtney: Yeah.
I like a good full-length top.
Courtney: So, something like that was a big piece of feedback I've gotten. We have a few pieces coming out with that, and just different colors that people are asking for.
It's really fun to hear everything.
I love the signature piping on your pieces. That's my favorite—the piping on the other—
Courtney: The piping on our Lift Bra, and we do have it for the tank.
Yeah, that's what I'd like to see.
Courtney: I've probably gotten maybe 20 comments about that in the last few weeks, and I'm like, "That's something to take."
No, I would comment.
Courtney: You really just have to listen to them.
Sometimes I hear things from the beginning, and it takes a while to actually transform into a piece through the process. But I love getting the feedback, and now people are super excited for what's coming.
So, it's pretty much you and your manufacturer team, and obviously Mom helping out with some advice or being an ear to listen to things, Dad on the team—
Courtney: I am the team. My intern, my parents—but really, just me and the manufacturer.
Are you so proud of yourself? This is crazy.
Courtney: Sometimes people are like, "So, who runs your social?" I go, "Me, too."
And it looks incredible.
Courtney: Thank you.
It's definitely a lot to juggle at times, but you have to do everything yourself. In order to have a process, you have to create a process. And if you're going to teach someone, you need to be able to experience it yourself.
It's so important to be involved. I think people that start to let go of certain areas start to lose touch and forget what the actual true core is and what you want it to be.
Even if I have someone helping me with, say, customer service, I should always be involved in those emails. See what people are saying. See how the dialogue is going. Look through DMs.
One of the best parts is I get these long DMs with compliments, how much they love the product, just talking about it. That's what keeps you going, and you need to be involved.
People want to hear from you. I was going back and forth this morning with someone on Instagram about sizing and styles and what she should wear, picking everything out for her workouts and what she likes to wear.
It's just me going back and forth, and I love to do that. I want to help them.
Then she goes and buys a few different sets. People like that personal touchpoint, especially in the world today where it can be disconnected.
Yes. It's hard to get in touch with someone.
Courtney: She's telling me exactly what she likes to do, what she likes to wear, and so I can really help them with styles, fit, what's best for your body type, what might be the most supportive for you—everything.
I just like to be involved.
I think just from what we've learned, you're clearly very invested in what you're doing. You're very particular, in a good way.
Courtney: Yep.
Very detail-oriented. From the look of the logo to your packaging for the items to the little—what did we call it?
Courtney: Our silicone patch.
Yes, that was cute.
Courtney: I wanted to do something different. Every brand does more of a screen print. A lot of times it comes off, and I thought, "This is a great small piece where you can be unique and differentiate in a fun way."
Isn't it funny that one little detail can really—
Courtney: All of our logos are very minimal. They're always monochrome to the pieces.
I'm not a big logo person. Obviously, it's great to have them because that's how people identify your brand, but for the look that we're going for, it's more minimalist.
I like that.
So, we've talked a little bit about how your family has had a longstanding history here in Newport Beach. Is there anything else you'd like to cover about your family history and growing up here that we haven't spoken about today?
Courtney: Like I said, I'm so grateful to have our roots here and to have grown up here because it's such a special place.
I think sometimes we take it for granted, and after leaving for eight years and stepping out, the reasons you leave are the reasons you come back.
I've been so lucky to grow up with my whole family here and with really influential people in my life who've been in business and worked super hard while balancing everything.
My mom and grandma both balanced working full-time and having their own businesses, but also being there for our families in full capacity, which is so important.
What I wanted to do was create a brand that connects with the community here and really with the people here—something that aligns with our lifestyle.
Something that's really big is I want to be a lifestyle brand that fits into that coastal lifestyle.
A lot of what I've talked about is something you can wear in a workout, walking Balboa Island, walking the boardwalk, then going out and about with your day, whether it's work, grabbing coffee, going to lunch, doing everything.
There are just so many influential, hardworking people here, too, that it really keeps you going.
And we have to shout out your grandmother.
Courtney: Yes.
Give the people watching a little quick background on your grandmother.
Courtney: My grandmother, Shirley Pepys—
The queen.
Courtney: She was one of the first women, at her age and back in the day, to have her own businesses.
It really was not popular for women to work at that point. I mean, think about my mom—even at that point, she was one of the only full-time working moms when I was growing up.
But my grandma, that was a time when really no women were working.
We were actually going through old photos of her recently, and she was showing me where they bought property, and they were the first women to buy property in this area for their business.
Courtney: She sold her business and then she's been on Balboa Island for more than 30 years.
She actually started Teddy Bears and Teacups, if you guys are familiar with that growing up.
She's always on to something.
And then, most recently, she founded the Balboa Island Museum.
Such a special place.
Courtney: Such a special place.
And she runs it.
Courtney: Yeah, she runs it. She's there daily. She's doing merchandising in the store. She's so involved in a lot of events, so talented, highly creative.
I mean, she is nonstop.
That's something, too, that's so influential to me, just having her growing up as a mentor and a grandparent.
She's always sending me stuff with my business: "You should do this," and whatnot, sending me articles, always one of my biggest supporters.
I just hope one day that I can be as successful and amazing as her.
Quite a legacy family.
And then also, we have to mention that your grandmother has the penguin house, right?
Courtney: Yes.
The penguin house during the holiday season on Bayfront. So you have to walk by and check out all the penguins. It's adorable. This last year was a favorite spot for the kids.
Courtney: This year was a little twist on Ralph Lauren with the penguins.
I know. She did a great job.
Courtney: It's such a fun process.
She actually gives direction and ideation, but the team that puts it together comes in and hand-makes all the pieces. They are so talented. They work so hard.
She's putting it together, and I'll walk over and I'm like, "Oh my God, it's looking so good."
She usually doesn't see it until the end, so she just lets them run with it. Obviously, we give them ideas.
What kind of company is it that's doing that?
Courtney: I'm not exactly sure. She's been working with them for years.
Interesting. They probably do movie backdrops.
Courtney: They create all the backdrops, hand-paint stuff. They are so talented and get really creative with it. It's fun.
A lot of it is just making it and going into the process.
What a magical place to get to grow up and see all of those things and the process.
Yeah, it's fantastic. So, we also know that you're a local, so let's deep dive into your local recommendations and your favorites. Let's start with brunch.
Courtney: Typically brunch on the weekends, I always end up at Malibu Farm for their breakfast burrito. It's so good.
We usually do a little walk. Every Sunday, my boyfriend and I walk around the boardwalk. We usually go from our house to the boardwalk, grab coffee at Lido House—
What's next, coffee? What's your coffee?
Courtney: We like to grab coffee at Lido House.
Do they have a full coffee shop? Do they have a restaurant?
Courtney: They have a little restaurant with food and coffee, just something fun and different.
Or we'll go to Herst Coffee on Lido, kind of depending on what we're feeling. Then we always end back at Lido for a little brunch and just walk around the village. It's the perfect little morning.
And how about your favorite workout? Where do you like to work out? What do you like to do?
Courtney: I have a mixture. Just walking outside, which is so beautiful. I love to go to Barry's or Pilates.
I was just mentioning to you—I want to join you.
Courtney: Yes. We do Pilates at a few studios here, so kind of just mixing it up.
I'm going back to restaurants because I haven't eaten yet, so I'm hungry. Favorite date-night location?
Courtney: Hands down, favorite date night is A Restaurant.
Original.
Courtney: Yes, original A.
What do you like to order? What's your order?
Courtney: Crispy eggplant, tuna obviously, and then I love the scallops. They're so good.
It's the best date-night place. We usually do anniversaries there, Valentine's Day, other holidays. It's fun to go with friends as well.
Amazing people-watching.
Courtney: Great people-watching.
It's super fun, especially the later it gets. It's also super fun during the holidays. Something about it just really feels connected to Newport and the traditions here.
I actually have these old pieces of artwork, and you can see what was there probably 40 years ago.
Oh, cool.
Courtney: It's really cool. It's just a fun place. They have the John Wayne booth, which we've sat in a few times.
That's so fun. Okay, your favorite old-school Newport place growing up? Maybe a restaurant or a comfort place your family would go to? It might not still be around.
Courtney: Maybe...
You know, like Wilma's Patio.
Courtney: We did go to Wilma's a lot.
I don't know. The Galley, I guess. I keep thinking breakfast spots.
Yeah, I know. We'll skip it. What about favorite shops?
Courtney: There are a lot.
I'm in Lido Village a lot. I'm always taking a step into DÔEN, both business and pleasure. It's so cute.
I've been dying to get one of the coolers.
It's so smart. You're thinking, "How is this not already a thing?"
Courtney: I'm obsessed. I need it for summer.
Then for jewelry, I always love Mama Bijoux.
Yeah.
Courtney: Katie has the best curation of pieces, so it's always great to go in there.
And these two new stores, Emme and Prairie, are great.
Emme is gorgeous, right on PCH, and they curate European brands, so it's a great curation of pieces.
Our family friends from growing up started it—her mom and her.
Emme?
Courtney: Yeah, Emme.
That's right. I did see that.
Courtney: Prairie next door is a great home store.
We went to a dinner there.
Courtney: It's just fun having all these new businesses and really supporting our small local brands, which I love.
So, top three things someone should do when they're visiting Newport and have never been here?
Courtney: Definitely, one of the best things is to walk the boardwalk and the Peninsula.
And like I said, go to Lido Village. Shop around, have lunch at Zinc or Malibu Farm, grab coffee, and just roam around all the different stores and experience the village.
But I just love to walk the beach and really take it all in because it's something so special. You get to see people out on the water.
I would say get a Duffy boat.
That's my next one.
Courtney: Yes, get a Duffy boat. Cruise the bay during the day or for happy hour.
Find yourself at Cannery for happy hour, or do a little dock-and-dine at Buddha's, where you can dock and then head over to A Restaurant.
You might need to stop at Billy's for a little—
You definitely have to be on the water, though.
Courtney: It's the best part.
I think we have to add Balboa Island.
Courtney: Well, yes, of course. Oh my God. You have to see Balboa Island.
What's your favorite treat on the island? Because there are so many. There are cinnamon rolls, frozen bananas—
Courtney: Frozen bananas.
Yeah, me too.
Courtney: That's childhood, too. I mean, Balboa Island frozen bananas.
Which one do you like better?
Courtney: Dad's.
Dad's, yes. Sorry. Same.
Courtney: No, you have to go to Dad's.
Like I said, growing up, my grandparents have lived there since before I was born, so we had so many sleepovers.
Then you'd wake up Saturday morning and it's golf-cart rides to Dad's to get donuts.
Every holiday, we have them. It's just so fun. There's something so nostalgic about it and so much connection to our childhood.
Now, just going on the island, you can walk, grab coffee. I love it.
There's just so much to experience, and you forget that this is our backyard.
No, literally, it's our backyard and how lucky we are to call this home.
Courtney: It's true.
I agree. Okay, my signature question. I don't know if you have a Duffy boat. Do you?
Courtney: My grandma has a Duffy named Balboa Bar.
Okay, that's what we were going to ask. What would you name it?
Balboa Bar. That is so cute.
Courtney: She has Balboa Bar. I think there's been talks about a name change.
Really?
Courtney: We'll see what she's coming up with.
My boyfriend also has a Duffy. It's Duff Off.
Oh, I know. I love that one. That one's so cute.
Courtney: Yeah, so those are two fun names. I love reading all the names.
Yeah, I love seeing them. Some are so creative.
How about you? Would you name one after your brand or something to do with your personality?
Courtney: I don't know. We could do a little Lavois Duffy. I mean, why not?
Love that.
Courtney: I feel like it's part of our lifestyle here.
Why not? It'd be so cute, wouldn't it?
Courtney: It would be so cute.
We need our film crew to do brand shoots with the Lavois Duffy. A little Lavois Duffy ride.
Courtney: Exactly. I know. A day in Lavois. We're getting on that.
That might need to be added to the list.
Courtney: I might have to call Shirley to do a little name change.
Yes, exactly.
Courtney: Help a girl out.
I heard you're taking it in to get a little painting. Maybe a name change.
Courtney: That'd be perfect.
Well, thank you so much for joining us today. We loved learning about your brand, and we've been so comfortable during the interview.
People can find you online. You have your website, and then I believe Instagram and TikTok. It's Lavois Active?
Courtney: Yes.
So go follow Courtney's brand and check everything out—and go shopping.
Courtney: Yes. Thank you.