A chat about entrepreneurship with food consultant Lucie Van Damme

NEW MODELS is a series of portraits and interviews of people and initiatives shaping tomorrow’s world. Fashion, food, design… How can we produce differently? Who is shaking things up and why?

Today, we head to Brussels to meet Lucie Van Damme, founder of the foodie communication agency SLURP Co. Between digital marketing and food-oriented social media content creation, she talks to us about her dream job

 

Photos by Rafael Deprost (@Rafael Deprost on Instagram)
Follow Lucie Van Damme on Instagram @lucievd
On the cover photo, Lucie is wearing the KAZBEE coat and the EAST beanie

 

From fashion to food

Her aptly named communication agency, SLURP Co., is a huge success. Working for established brands and groups, as well as independent delis and food spots, her smart strategies tailored for “bistronomy” have made her a benchmark in terms of content creation. Even though she’s relatively new to the food scene. “Before SLURP Co., I was in fashion! I had a fashion blog that became an Instagram account for almost 11 years. But when I realised that I was talking about things to eat all day long, I took the leap and became a freelance consultant specialised in food.”

 

Profession: talent scout

Driven by her passion, Lucie Van Damme has turned her flair into her signature skill. Her speciality? Finding little-known spots, which her community can then discover on her Instagram account. “I avoid trends. I like to show things that aren’t obvious, but that are still welcoming and delicious. I’m thinking about starting guides in other cities. People are on the lookout. They constantly want new hotspots. Well, they’re in luck, because so do I!”

 

Promouvoir son business sur Instagram by Lucie Van Damme was published by Racine

 

Freelance life

Between two gorgeous posts, she also shares the life of her agency, SLURP CO. “I love what I do so much that I don’t really put a limit between my professional and personal life. There are 7 of us working at the agency. It’s a super team, really motivating. Between the clients we are managing, the influence campaigns, the private collaborations and more, our days are quite long.” And they’re not about to get any shorter. This autumn, Lucie Van Damme published Promouvoir son business sur Instagram, her first book. “I always wanted to help those who didn’t have the budget to call on SLURP CO. I did so by offering training sessions. This was a huge hit during the Covid period, when I coached almost 2,000 people via Zoom. This book takes up my four main principles to implement in order to stand out on this social network.”

 

Lucie is wearing the DOLSEA jumper in Moonlight Melange

 

Style too

Fashion was my first love, before food. Fashion allows me to exteriorise who I am. I would say that my look is a little arty and fairly colourful, with accessories that add a twist to my silhouettes. I totally identify with American Vintage, whose exclusive colours and perfect cuts allow me to mix and match all year long.”

 

Lucie Van Damme’s 3 tips for successful food photos

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lulu ? (@lucievd)

Tip No. 1, aestheticism: “by centring your subject and shooting in natural light. I always get closer to the window when I take my photos!”

Tip No. 2, hashtags: “people don’t think about this enough, but it’s crucial.”

Tip No. 3, eclecticism: “you have to approach Instagram as if it were a website, with news, inspirations and interesting captions.”

 

AMV Journal is a space dedicated to encounters, discovery and travel. Every week, explore the musts, portraits and inspirations of American Vintage and its creation studio.