Alexandra David Néel
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Alexandra David Néel
You're probably wondering where the name LO NEEL comes from. This is a recurring question we are asked... Some people think it is an English name, but no.
Today we are going to reveal to you the secrets behind the creation of our brand name…
Where does the name LO NEEL come from?
Let's start with the first word of the name: LO. This is simply the nickname of Loane, the co-founder of LO NEEL. It was Loane who, in the first place, had the idea of creating a 100% eco-responsible brand. It therefore seemed obvious to the founders to use the nickname Loane to create part of the brand name.
Alexandra David Néel
The second part of the name LO NEEL comes from Alexandra David Néel's own name. Do you know who Alexandra David Néel is? She is a renowned woman, born in 1868 and died in 1969. She lived a rich, impressive and inspiring life. Indeed, she was an Orientalist, Tibetologist, opera singer, feminist, journalist, anarchist, writer, explorer, Freemason and Buddhist.
It was when she married Philippe Néel at the age of 36 that she took the name Néel. Alexandra David Néel is undertaking her third solo trip to India. She plans to leave for 18 months before being reunited with her husband. It is thanks to the financial support of Philippe Néel that the explorer's journey was able to see the light of day and continue. She would not return until 14 years later. On her return, she brings Aphur Yongden, her travel guide, with her. This affair will lead to her separation from her husband. Alexandra and Philippe Néel maintained an epistolary relationship until his death.
Alexandra David Néel, feminist
Alexandra David-Néel is a committed feminist, which is rare for her time. In 1898, she published a feminist essay: Pour la vie. She also writes for the feminist newspaper La Fronde created by Marguerite Durant, managed exclusively by women.
Alexandra participates in several meetings of the National Council of French and Italian Women. However, she will distance herself from this “bourgeois” feminism, not representing, according to her, the condition of the majority of French women.
His travels in the Orient
At the age of 21, she converted to Buddhism. This interest arose thanks to his numerous visits to the Asian Arts Museum. The following year she began learning Sanskrit and Tibetan.
At 27, she made her first trip to Asia thanks to her work as a singer. She is principal singer at the Hanoi Opera.
In 1912 she left alone to explore India and Tibet. It is a journey focused on Buddhism. Indeed, Alexandra David-Néel seeks to assert her knowledge of Buddhism. To do this, she went to a Tibetan monastery where she met Aphur Yongden, then 15 years old. He will become his Tibetan interpreter and will accompany him throughout his life.
During her journey, she met the 13th Dalai Lama. At the time it was forbidden for Westerners to enter Tibet without authorization. Alexandra David Néel defies the ban and on her return will receive an expulsion notice from the British colonial authorities.
To cross the border into Tibet, she cross-dresses and disguises herself as a beggar. This is how in 1924 she became the first Western woman to reach Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. This feat made him famous worldwide.
The legacy
During her life, Alexandra David-Néel produced a number of testimonial works. These books are, for the most part, reflections on Buddhism and Indo-Tibetan cultures.
She is a remarkable woman, who, through her work and the intellectual legacy she left us, inspires us daily. Her audacity, her courage, her temperament and her ideas are close to what Frédérique and Loane wanted to convey through the brand. Frédérique, who designs the pieces, draws a lot of inspiration from Indian fabrics and patterns. Indian inspirations are therefore very present through LO NEEL pieces.
It is with humility and to pay homage to her that the founders chose her name to create the emblem of this project. By wearing LO NEEL, you are, in a certain way, carrying the legacy of Alexandra David-Néel.