It has been quiet here on my blog for far too long. Social media has demanded most of my creative energy in recent years, yet this space has always been my digital home — a place for stories, reflections, and the things that move me. Today, I’m returning with a story that is especially close to my heart. A story of intuition, craftsmanship, sustainability, and the desire to build something meaningful.
Since spring 2025, my dear friend Maria Ratzinger and I have been quietly working on a dream — one that has now taken shape as our new brand and online destination: Maison Rivée.
A Spark, A Coffee, A Vision
For a long time, I felt the desire to start something new. I researched, brainstormed, talked to people whose opinions I value — searching for an idea that felt authentic, future-proof, and creatively fulfilling. Many of my ideas were exciting but required investments that, in this economy, didn’t feel wise to undertake alone. And truthfully, I didn’t want to build something alone. I crave partnership, shared vision — a creative counterpart.
One afternoon, over coffee in my apartment, Maria looked at me and said, “Let’s create a curated vintage store — second-hand designer bags.”
I immediately felt the spark. “Yes,” I replied. “And what about adding vintage fur jackets and coats? Pieces from the 70s, 80s, 90s — restored, relined, reborn?”
Maria went silent for a moment. Then her eyes lit up.
“How did I not think of that first?”
We laughed — and in that moment, we knew. This was it.
Within days we began sourcing our first pieces: inspecting quality, analyzing craftsmanship, comparing prices, researching origins. Maria dove into sourcing pre-loved designer bags; I searched meticulously for vintage furs worth restoring. Before we even realized it, our first orders had been placed.
And then came the question of the name.
Maison Rivée — A Home Arrived
We wanted a name that felt like a destination. A home. A feeling.
Maison Rivée comes from the French word “rivées”, meaning anchored, rooted, arrived.
A poetic metaphor for pieces that have lived, traveled, and now find themselves arriving in a new home — cherished again.
Maison Rivée stands for:
A house for treasures that deserve to live again.
A place where craftsmanship is honored, not discarded.
A destination for sustainable luxury, curated vintage fashion, and timeless style.
The moment the name fell into place, we felt it in our bones.
We secured the domain, created the Instagram account, finalized the logo, and set the tone for our universe.
What Makes Maison Rivée Special
In a market filled with vintage stores, we wanted to build something different — something rooted in slow luxury, care, and preservation.
Maison Rivée stands for:
– Restored luxury, not resold luxury.
– Vintage fur jackets and coats with brand-new handcrafted linings.
– Pre-loved designer bags restored by skilled artisans.
– Sustainable, circular fashion — pieces meant to last for decades.
– Transparency, quality, craftsmanship, and personal curation.
Every coat and jacket we source is carefully cleaned, inspected, and relined by artisans in Kosovo, where hand-sewn craftsmanship still thrives. Every vintage bag goes through quality checks and professional restoration — our investment, our signature, our DNA.
We do not believe in fast fashion.
We believe in second lives.
The First Editorial Shoot
By late summer, we had enough pieces for our first campaign. We cast the beautiful Teresa as our muse and shot on a surprisingly chilly August day — the weather felt like a little blessing from the universe, giving us the perfect fall/winter mood.
Creating these images felt like capturing the first breath of our brand. Each frame held the essence of what we wanted Maison Rivée to feel like: warm, refined, intimate, timeless.
Below are some of the photographs that marked the very beginning of our journey — images I am truly proud of.
Meeting Ines & The Founders’ Portrait Session
In early October, I met photographer Ines Cela for coffee after she reached out with the idea of collaborating. I instantly felt connected to her — despite her being 16 years younger, she reminded me of myself at her age: passionate, curious, artistic.
Over coffee, I told her about Maison Rivée and how Maria and I planned to photograph the collection at my home because we had no other place. Without hesitation she said,
“I can help you. Let’s book a studio.”
Her generosity felt like fate stepping in.
We booked a studio immediately, told Maria, and the planning began.
The day of the shoot was intense — styling, outfits, product shots, founders’ portraits, every piece photographed meticulously. It was exhausting, emotional, overwhelming… and perfect. These images would become the visual language of Maison Rivée.
The Office & Launch of the First Drop
As November approached, Maria and I were balancing dozens of projects — Q3 and Q4 always feel like a storm in our world. And yet, in the midst of that whirlwind, we reached a beautiful milestone: on October 30th, we received the keys to our very first office — a space that instantly felt like the true home of Maison Rivée.
But we set a date: November 7th, shortly after noon, our first drop would go live.
The emotions that day were indescribable.
Excitement. Anxiety. Hope.
I kept refreshing the website.
Two hours in — our first sale. I screenshotted the notification and sent it to Maria immediately.
Then another sale. And another.
Within 24 hours, 90% of our first drop was sold out.
The adrenaline we felt on November 8th and 9th is something I will never forget. We met at the office, packed orders by hand, slipped handwritten notes into each parcel, and celebrated every customer who believed in us from day one.
By Monday, the first orders were shipped — and the messages we received from customers were beyond heartwarming.
A New Beginning
Tonight, as I write this — it’s Friday, 10 PM — and we are preparing for tomorrow’s second drop. Our hearts are full, our minds are buzzing, and our vision is clearer than ever.
Maison Rivée is no longer just an idea we whispered over coffee.
It is a living, breathing universe — built with love, dedication, and a belief in sustainable luxury that lasts.
And this journey, I hope, is only the beginning.
Photos (c) Ines Cela & Edisa Shahini