International Women's Day 2021 - Vachement Suisse

Winding up my week of inspiring women to mark International Women’s Day, and saving the best for last, I bring you one of my best friends and my FEARLESS. partner in crime, Sarah of Vachement Suisse. This wonder woman is a small business owner and the reason FEARLESS. exists!

Sarah is the quintessential example of somebody who had a dream and made it happen!

Growing up in the American Midwest, she had always dreamt of living in the Swiss Alps. She met her Swiss husband in her hometown of Kansas City, moving to Switzerland with him. Fast forward 20 years and they are happily married with four gorgeous children living in his hometown Champex…which as it happens is a small village in the Swiss Alps!

Being the mother of four young children is a full time job but as the children got a little older, a new dream started to formulate which once again turned into a reality. She opened her boutique shop Vachement Suisse, showcasing products and creations by Swiss artists, designers and artisans in the heart of Champex. Her products are absolutely stunning and range from elegant items for the home to beautiful jewellery to luxurious bath and body products. She created her hugely successful range of t-shirts and hoodies of her own design, celebrating Champex and the Alpine lifestyle.

I am sadly not the only close friend of Sarah’s with breast cancer. Another of her best friends was diagnosed only weeks before me. Sarah decided that she wanted to create something where a percentage of all sales would be donated to cancer charities and associations to help cancer research and raise awareness. She asked me if I would be interested to work on it together and here we are! We have a range of t-shirts and hoodies sporting the word FEARLESS. chosen because it is a word that can mean so many different things to anyone and acknowledges that it is ok to be nervous or scared about something, but to recognise and accept it, is to be fearless. We are busy working on two new ideas that we excited to bring to you soon!

I watch in awe as Sarah takes care of her large family while running her own business, while always being there for me. She has been a solid rock since my diagnosis (of course before as well, but I wasn’t leaning on her then) opening her home to me whenever I need a break, always available for a chat and to listen to my worries and complaints. She is a very dear friend and I am immensely proud of what she has achieved and am in no doubt of the continued success of the wonderful Vachement Suisse.