Justine Leconte
In this interview, I’m excited to introduce Justine Leconte – a remarkable woman whose professional journey I got to know through personal connections. Her determination and clear sense of purpose are truly impressive: Justine knows what she wants and consistently follows through on her ideas.
In addition to her solid expertise, she has built an impressive YouTube audience of millions. But that’s just one aspect of her multifaceted work.
In our conversation, she offers insights into her various professional pursuits and shares how she successfully drives her projects forward. A behind-the-scenes look that’s both inspiring and thought-provoking.
©Justine Leconte
What made you switch to the fashion industry?
I originally studied marketing and worked in that field. But over time, I realized that the fashion industry, in my opinion, operates in a fundamentally flawed way. Designers at major fashion houses often work from an ivory tower, disconnected from the reality of what consumers with an average income actually want. At the same time, fast fashion brands flood the market with low-quality products that are ethically and qualitatively questionable.
This awareness sparked a desire to create change. I wanted to offer an alternative and start a fashion label that actively addresses ethical concerns. To make that goal a reality, I studied fashion design in New York.
What experiences from your studies in New York had a lasting impact on you?
One thing that really stood out to me was the gap between students’ expectations and reality. Many came in with big dreams of becoming the next Alexander McQueen. But by the end of the program, most were just happy to land a job at a commercial fashion company. That reality check made a strong impression on me. The fashion world is surrounded by a myth that is often unrealistic and unhealthy.
Another defining moment was in 2013, when the Rana Plaza disaster happened in Bangladesh. That tragedy exposed the severe issues within the fashion industry. I thought to myself, “After something like this, surely everything has to change.” It was a turning point for me. That’s when my commitment to starting an ethical and sustainable label was cemented. I often say I belong to the “post-Rana Plaza generation” – from that point on, there was no turning back for me.
What inspired you to start your YouTube channel, and which topics are closest to your heart?
After launching my label’s first collection, I noticed that many people had little knowledge about how to recognize quality, what suits them, or what daily life in a fashion company really looks like. I wanted to document my journey of starting a fashion label.
After uploading my first videos, I began receiving more and more questions – not just about the fashion industry, but also basics like “Which cuts flatter my figure?” or “How do I find the right colors for my type?” So I started creating content on those topics as well. The feedback was overwhelming: in the first year, I reached 3,500 subscribers, in the second 40,000, and in the third year 250,000. That really showed me how much demand there is for this kind of information.
Today, my channel is built on two pillars: One is about creating transparency around the fashion industry. The other is offering practical advice – for example, how to dress flatteringly or identify high-quality clothing.
Who is your target audience?
My audience is incredibly diverse. On YouTube, I reach people of all age groups – and the same goes for my fashion collections. Most of my customers are women between the ages of 20 and 80. However, when it comes to jewelry, I also have quite a few male customers.
What were the biggest challenges when starting your YouTube channel?
The biggest challenge was definitely the technical side. I had a lot of ideas and things I wanted to say, but absolutely no experience with cameras, video editing, or being in front of the camera. I had to teach myself everything – mostly through YouTube tutorials. It was a steep learning curve.
After about three and a half years, I finally started working with a video editor. She now handles the editing three times faster than I ever could, and she knows exactly what my style is and how I want the videos to be cut.
collection Mirage ©Justine Leconte
How important is networking in the fashion industry?
Networking is incredibly important in the industry. Especially at the beginning of my career, I quickly realized how few contacts and how little network I had. A good network is a real accelerator—it can open doors, simplify processes, and offer valuable support.
I built my network by actively reaching out to people and having as many conversations as possible—especially at trade fairs, where I spend a lot of time. There, I talk to former colleagues, producers, suppliers, and other industry professionals. I keep those contacts active, nurture them, and I’m also happy to recommend them when it’s a good fit. It’s important to me not only to take but also to give back, because ultimately, we all benefit from it.
I also receive a lot of messages through my YouTube channel—from marketing agencies, designers, or suppliers who introduce their services and skills. I save these contacts and organize them in structured lists so I can refer back to them later.
One big advantage of my presence on social media—especially Instagram and YouTube—is that I can ask my audience for help if I need something. The responses and recommendations I get are often incredibly helpful. One good example is a photo shoot I organized in Porto (Portugal): almost everyone involved came through contacts I found from a single Instagram post—all local people.
What strategies do you use to promote your channel?
My main strategy is creating YouTube videos with so-called evergreen content. I deliberately avoid current trends and focus on topics that will still be relevant and helpful in five or ten years. These videos mainly offer practical guidance, like: “Which colors suit me?” or “Which cuts flatter my body?”
Another key pillar is my commitment to more transparency in the fashion industry. I’m passionate about exposing the inner workings of the industry—for example: “How can Primark T-shirts be produced for less than five euros?” These types of topics usually get fewer clicks, but it’s important to me to talk about them because they are meant to raise awareness and educate. I try to make this content engaging and easy to understand so that it reaches a wider audience.
YouTube’s algorithm is designed to show even the most niche topics to a global audience. There are people out there interested in every subject—and that’s what I rely on. It’s more important to me to speak about topics I genuinely care about than to chase fleeting trends. Of the more than 310 videos I’ve created so far, I can confidently say that I stand behind every single one. My goal is to create long-term value while staying true to who I am.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
A typical workday looks different every day—it really depends on whether I’m working on a specific project at the time. There is a certain baseline rhythm that structures my days, but when I’m in the middle of a project, it can feel like an intense sprint. My “base workload” is around 80%, but during peak project phases, it can feel more like 550% (laughs). I admit that I sometimes struggle with sticking to a strict schedule. When someone needs something from me or expects something, I often prioritize that first—my own work follows afterward.
Still, I continue to do a lot of the actual content work myself—I'm not just a manager. It's important to me to stay hands-on, because that’s the part of my work I truly enjoy, and I don’t want to give it up.
That said, when I collaborate with freelancers, I do step into the manager role as well. That means creating briefings, tracking deadlines, and keeping an overview of everything—which can quickly make the workload skyrocket. Nevertheless, I really value having a small team. For me, working with more than five freelancers at the same time is the absolute limit.
In terms of timing, I usually start my day between 9 and 10 a.m.—I’m definitely not a morning person. I begin with the most urgent task of the day, then have breakfast, and afterward I focus on work that requires a lot of concentration and time. I consciously try not to mix business and creative tasks in a single day, because I find it more efficient and mentally easier to focus on just one area at a time.
To manage my diverse tasks, I follow the Deep Work method and organize everything consistently in my calendar. I plan my projects in time blocks and even schedule leisure and exercise as top priorities. That might sound unconventional, but in the early years I often neglected those areas—and that just doesn’t work long-term. With my current system, I’m very happy, because it allows me to be productive while still taking care of my health and well-being.
bag collection Elixir © Justine Leconte
You have an impressive repertoire—your YouTube channel, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, your own website, and you design jewelry, clothing, and handbags. How do you manage it all? Do you have employees or freelancers who support you?
I work with various freelancers but don’t have any permanent employees. The reason is that my need for support varies throughout the year. For example, once a collection is completed and ready to launch, I don’t need certain specialists anymore. A good example is the redesign of my website last year: for that project, I hired specific experts, but once the website was done, their work was finished.
An exception is my pattern maker, who I’ve been working with continuously for over three years. In general, my work rhythm is quite different from the fashion industry standard, which often revolves around 2 to 24 collections per year. I work on a project basis, and each project takes at least six months. If I’m not satisfied at the end of that period, I simply take the extra time needed to finish the project properly.
What role does sustainability play in your collection?
Sustainability plays a central role in my collection. My goal is to bring products to market that are well-made and long-lasting—without harming the planet. Every decision I make in my business is based on this principle.
It’s important to me that everyone in the supply chain is treated fairly and works under good conditions. At the same time, I place great value on transparency with my customers. They should know exactly where the materials come from, how the products are made, and what values my brand stands for. This transparency is something my customers really appreciate, because they want to make informed choices—not just about aesthetics, but about ethics and sustainability too.
How does fashion influence our identity and self-confidence?
Fashion influences our identity and self-confidence tremendously. Whether we like it or not, first impressions matter, and people often make subconscious judgments about someone’s personality or lifestyle based on their clothing.
But that’s also where the opportunity lies: once we become aware of this, we can use fashion intentionally—whether it’s in a professional setting to convey confidence and competence, or in our personal lives to feel comfortable in our own skin. Clothing has the power to boost self-esteem and reinforce identity. And best of all: fashion can be a lot of fun once you know how to use it to your advantage.
How do you think the fashion industry will develop in the future?
In my opinion, the fashion industry has worsened significantly over the past ten years—mainly due to the rise of massive players like Temu and Shein. These companies flood the global market with cheap, low-quality products, creating huge amounts of waste and amplifying the existing problems of the fast fashion industry.
Yes, awareness about sustainability and ethical production has definitely grown. More and more people now know what fast fashion is, how harmful it is for both the environment and society, and that alternatives do exist. But has that awareness changed everyone’s behavior? Unfortunately not. Fast fashion sales have continued to grow rapidly in recent years, according to statistics. That suggests that while the awareness is there, it doesn’t always translate into action.
The biggest issue remains the sheer volume of clothing being produced and consumed. And I fear this volume problem will only get worse in the coming years—unless we see concrete legal measures or pressure from government institutions to regulate the industry. Without such steps, it will be nearly impossible to stop this development.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Time travel and teleportation!
Time travel fascinates me because I’d love to experience important eras firsthand—like the 1920s in Paris with its cultural boom and iconic fashion trends, or New York in 1910 to observe everyday life and women’s roles in society. I also find the Middle Ages intriguing—the clothing, the structures, and the daily life would be incredibly inspiring to witness.
Teleportation, on the other hand, would be ideal for faster travel. It would allow me to be in Japan one moment, in Europe the next, and later somewhere else entirely. I have so many friends all over the world that I rarely see because of time and distance. With this ability, I could visit them more often—without the stress and time loss that comes with travel.