Virginia Tovaglieri, a 35 year-old young architect from Milan, had the unique opportunity to twin with entrepreneur Lauranne Favre, owner of "Les Couronnes de Victoire”. 

Virginia is an Italian architect who approaches life with a design thinking. She had been working on interior design for stores and commercial spaces for a few years when she started feeling a strong entrepreneurial drive. So she decided to deepen her knowledge in business planning and management to prepare her dream project of creating a fashion hair accessories business for women.

Virginia learned about the programme during her master's course at a business school in Milan. Exploring the potential competitors in the sector, she came across an interview of Lauranne Favre, founder of "Les Couronnes de Victoires". Established in Paris in 2016, the business is about wedding floral fashion accessories for women made of genuine, natural flowers.

Dazzled by the products and the business concept, Virginia, helped by her Intermediary Organisation FORMAPER in Milan and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris, got into in touch with Lauranne, who accepted the collaboration proposal with great enthusiasm.

The four-month exchange in the capital of France got Virginia introduced into Lauranne’s world of beauty, art, creativity and entrepreneurship. Following the host entrepreneur on a daily basis, she got insights on each step of the business management, ranging from the coordination of the design phase to the marketing and selling of the end product.

Virginia is thrilled about her exchange in Paris with Lauranne, and the part she enjoyed the most was the organisation of a stand "Les Couronnes de Victoires” at the Milan International fashion week in September 2019. This opportunity allowed her to test the product in the Italian market, which led her to open a branch of the French company in Milan. Today Virginia is busy with the organisation of events in Italy; she is structuring the Italian e-shop and meeting clients, notably bridal fashion designers and wedding planners.

"Everything happened incredibly fast! And now, there is a new "Les Couronnes de Victoire Italia” in Milan. I am still in contact with Lauranne, whom I still receive great advice from!” says Virginia.