We are excited to introduce you to Denise Saad who is the founder and creator of French Lime, a sustainable luxury fashion brand. Originally from Mexico, she now lives in Vancouver, Canada and creates avant-garde apparel to empower other women.
Trained in digital art and inspired by her travels around the world, she uses her own digital creations as the essence of the prints featured on French Lime’s unique tops and leggings.
French Lime strives to encourage all woman to embrace their inner beauty and instill the confidence to stand out and be yourself.
1. How do you define kindness?
For me, kindness is genuinely understanding and sincerely caring about the people around you. It’s about noticing and showing appreciation for the people who make our lives better, regardless of the role they play in our lives.
2. How do you lead with kindness in your personal life?
I have learned to not take people for granted. It’s highly important for me to let people in my life know they are appreciated with gestures and/or words of appreciation. Our brains have an insane ability to register negative things as a natural instinct to protect ourselves. The problem comes when we forget to really notice the positive impact people have on our daily lives.
3. What does it mean to you to support other women and to be supported by other women?
I think it’s beautiful to see how far we have come as a society to celebrate and support each other. Not too long ago, it seemed like we were all pitted against each other, when in reality we understand each other’s struggles.
As part of Women’s History Month, I was determined to celebrate women in a generously charitable way. For every purchase during the week of International Women’s Day, I donated a pair of city-inspired leggings from my company, French Lime, to local women’s shelters in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Vancouver.
4. Who or what inspires you to be kinder to yourself and others? How and why?
There are really so many people who have made a positive impression during my life. One recent example was from a woman named Joan, a front desk receptionist at a hotel. I found out someone close to me had a serious health issue. Since they lived in a different city, I dropped everything and purchased a plane ticket immediately, rushing to pack my bag for a last minute trip.
After arriving at my hotel, I wanted to take a shower before heading to the hospital. I used all the shampoo and conditioner they provided, so I went down to the reception to ask for refills, which Joan provided. When I came back from the hospital, she handed me a grocery bag with full-sized, high quality shampoo and conditioner that she bought with her own money.
She went out of her way to help out someone who hadn’t exchanged more than a few words with her and it made me feel human again. It gave me happiness when I needed it the most. Moments like this have taught me so much. Instead of judging for my short and cold interactions, she saw me as a person and understood I was going through something. Now, I try to do the same for other people. We never know the impact a small gesture can have in someone’s day.
5. What is your superpower?
My ability to shift my perspective in disagreements and seeing the other person’s point of view, as a whole creating a positive dialogue.
Visit frenchlime.com to check out sustainable and chic athleisure wear made for curious and unapologetic women who believe in the power of confidence.
