"It's Not Just a Product, It's a Way of Being," Cou Cou's Founder Talks Purpose and Femininity
Releasing the latest campaign starring Kiko Mizuhara in celebration of Earth Day.
Cou Cou is welcoming spring with purpose. Titled “Touching The Earth,” the brand’s latest campaign lands as both an ode to nature and a timely call to reconnect. Get ready to touch grass and look hot while doing it.
Fronted by Kiko Mizuhara and shot by Erika Kamano, the visuals unfold in Okinawa, a location personally chosen by Mizuhara, where she first learned to scuba dive. The setting continues Cou Cou’s Earth Day tradition of spotlighting places that hold both natural beauty and personal meaning, grounding each drop in something deeper than aesthetics.
At the heart of the release is the debut of The Fleur Collection: airy, vintage-inspired silhouettes trimmed with delicate Leavers Lace, a centuries-old French technique. The result is soft yet intentional pieces that feel romantic without losing their edge.
Sustainability, as always, is non-negotiable. Crafted from 100% organic cotton, each piece is breathable, compostable and aligned with the brand’s B Corp-certified ethos of responsible production. And it doesn’t stop there. On April 22, Cou Cou will donate all proceeds to the Marine Conservation Institute, reinforcing its commitment to protecting the planet we call home.
We caught up with founder Rose Colcord to talk all things spring, sustainability and what it really means to be a Cou Cou girl. Read on for the full interview and head to the brand’s website to shop the upcoming spring collections.
Cou Cou has become a bit of a powerhouse over the last couple of years. How does it feel to look back at everything you’ve achieved with the brand?
It still feels quite unreal, to be honest. I definitely have moments where I’m pinching myself. But in many ways, it still feels like just the beginning. I started Cou Cou because there was a product I wanted that didn’t exist: organic cotton classics and everyday intimates that still felt considered in the design, and designed by women for the female form. Pieces that made me feel confident and comfortable in myself, every day.
I didn’t identify with what was out there. It either wasn’t transparent, felt like big, boring brands or was rooted in quite outdated ideas of femininity that I didn’t relate to anymore. So I wanted to create something I actually felt part of; a brand that reflected my values and a world I wanted to live in. I think Cou Cou has become a kind of shorthand for a new femininity. It’s not just a product, it’s a way of being. When you see a girl wearing Cou Cou, you get a sense of who she is and what she values.
I was never interested in fashion. My passion was philosophy and literature, and I thought that was going to be my path. But obviously, I still had to get dressed every day, and I was always sensitive to how what I wore had an impact on how I felt in myself. So, although I’ve always appreciated craftsmanship, I just wanted pieces that felt easy, considered and true to me. From the beginning, I’ve made things I wanted, campaigns I wanted to see and hoped it would resonate with other girls like me. Because fundamentally, I am the Cou Cou girl.
So yes, I feel grateful. But it also came from something very real. I wouldn’t have started it if it felt like I was just adding more product into the world. It had to add something real, even in a small way.
Can you tell me more about the references and inspiration behind this campaign and collection? What was on your moodboard?
We don’t really think in terms of “collections,” we’re more about seasonless, everyday pieces. But these pieces are an ode to heirlooms and conscious craftsmanship. The moodboard was built around pieces I’ve collected over the years in France, from brocantes and small markets, these beautiful cotton garments have lasted decades. You can feel the care in them, in the fabric, the fit, the lace, all the tiny details. That kind of attention is something I don’t feel you see as much anymore, and it’s something we really try to bring into Cou Cou.
At the heart of this drop is the bespoke Leavers lace we developed, which is a dying craft. It’s made on antique machines, still operated by hand in very small batches. We worked with a tiny factory on the coast of France to create it, which is why it’s so limited. So the pieces are about that, precious heirlooms, but also making things slowly and with care. It feels like a very pure expression of the brand’s values. The campaign is titled “Touching the Earth,” inspired by bell hooks‘ essay, which has always stayed with me. She writes that “when we love the earth, we are able to love ourselves more fully,” and that connection between ecology and self feels very aligned with this project. Erika and I were really clear on the vision from the beginning.
The Rina took 18 months to develop. What goes into the process of designing and making a piece like that?
It started simply, really, I wanted a long sleeve you could throw on every day that still felt cute and feminine. Jane Birkin has always been a muse. There’s something about her that feels so natural, effortless and playful; nothing feels overdone. We wanted to capture that, to embody that. But interestingly, the simpler something looks, the harder it is to get right. The Rina has become our signature silhouette, with that dipped neckline and bell sleeve, and getting the proportions right, like the exact curve of the scoop, took a long time. We almost gave up at one point, but I’m so happy we didn’t! I wear it on repeat.
A big part of the design process actually was wearing it. Not just looking at how it fit in the studio, but living in it. Wearing it during the day, giving it to friends, asking: “How do we feel in this?” Because for us, it’s not just how something looks, it’s truly how it makes you feel. And when you put on the Rina, there’s a lightness. You feel a bit more like yourself, a bit easier, a bit more playful. That’s what we were trying to get to.
Can you describe the ultimate Cou Cou girl?
She’s on the path to becoming the truth of who she is. She’s curious, compassionate and connected to her inner world, but also to the world around her. She has ambition, she’s a dreamer, but she’s not constantly chasing the next thing. She understands that how you live today is how you live your life… and that every day is worth wearing your favorites, not just special occasions. A part of Cou Cou’s intention is to help women feel more comfortable in their everyday, embodied experience, to feel at ease in themselves and more present. To move away from that mindset of “I’ll feel good when…” The Cou Cou girl isn’t perfect; she’s becoming.
Why did Kiko Mizuhara feel like the right person to launch this campaign with?
Kiko has supported the brand since the very beginning, which already meant a lot. But there’s also a real alignment in values. She has a natural skincare brand, and Cou Cou is rooted in organic cotton, so there’s a shared approach to simplicity and intention. For this campaign, part of it is the spring pieces that are an ode to conscious craftsmanship, but part of it is our annual Earth Month initiative. Each year, for Earth Day, we invite a Cou Cou girl to take us to a place of magnificent natural beauty, somewhere in nature that’s deeply meaningful to her. The idea is to create a sense of connection and appreciation, because I don’t think people change through fear; I think they change when they feel something. Okinawa is that place for Kiko. It’s where her relationship with nature really shifted. So when Erika and I spoke to her about the project, it immediately clicked.
What are five rules we should always live by?
1. Study, study, study – cultivate the garden of your mind. Follow your curiosity. As Bertrand Russell said, “A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.”
2. How you live today is how you live your life.
3. Remember: no one’s thinking of you. My nana always said, “Stop worrying what people think of you, no one’s thinking of you.” It’s oddly very freeing.
4. Do good work, do your best work with care, work that means something to you and know that your work can make a difference.
5. Take care of yourself, of others, of the earth. “When we love the earth, we are able to love ourselves more fully,” said bell hooks.
What’s your favorite item from The Fleur collection? How do you style it?
I’ve been wearing the Fleur top constantly in both white and black, depending on my vibe that day. I get dressed very quickly as I’m quite low-effort with styling. I’ll just throw it on with vintage 501s and ballet flats. Or I love the petticoat skirt paired with a vintage tee, which feels really fun.
What’s the best thing about running Cou Cou?
I didn’t come from a business or marketing background, so I’m learning every day. Running a brand is quite intense in terms of personal growth, as it reflects a lot back to you. But I love that. I feel like I’m constantly evolving. And then the other thing is the people. Cou Cou attracts women who are thoughtful and on this path of becoming themselves, and I feel really lucky to be surrounded by that, whether it’s my team or the women we collaborate with.
