We had the good fortune of connecting with Sian Trombley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sian, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting Couteur.com was both a return and a reclamation. After years immersed in the editorial world — from attending New York Fashion Week to working with GLAM4GOOD and founding fashion-forward platforms — I took a break to pursue my graduate studies and become a psychotherapist. Yet the creative pull never left. I realized how much I missed storytelling, art, and curating culture, especially as I began to witness firsthand how creativity plays a vital role in emotional healing. Couteur became my way of merging these two worlds — a space where my eye for fashion and my heart for healing could coexist and inform one another.

I wanted to create a platform where beauty had depth, where creators were celebrated not just for aesthetic value but for the lived experience and purpose behind their work. Couteur is my response to the noise of performative content — it’s slower, more intentional, and driven by curiosity and care. It’s a home for artists who dare to be authentic, and for readers who crave something real. It reflects my belief that the way we express ourselves — through style, visuals, and stories — is often how we survive, reconnect, and grow.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work as a web designer and editor has always revolved around storytelling — not just creating visuals, but building a feeling. With Couteur.com, I wanted to craft a platform that felt like a living archive of fearless, authentic creativity. What sets it apart is the emotional curation — I’m not just showcasing art and fashion, I’m spotlighting people with soul. Artists who are saying something real, designers who are shaping culture from the inside out. I’m most proud of how personal the platform feels. Every interview, every feature is chosen with care. It’s a space where vulnerability and vision meet — and that’s rare in a digital world that often rewards surface over substance.

Getting here wasn’t easy. I’ve worked behind the scenes for years — building websites, editing others’ voices, curating platforms for changemakers like Mary Alice Stephenson. But finding my own voice took time. As a psychotherapist, I help people connect to their truth — but learning to do that as a creative in a visually-driven space meant confronting imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and the pressure to be constantly “on.” One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that the right people find you when you show up as yourself. The creatives I now feature — many of whom are independent, raw, and rising — have taught me that authenticity will always resonate louder than polish. I want the world to know that Couteur isn’t about what’s trending — it’s about what’s true.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely time a friend’s visit with Rolling Loud if it lined up — I went in March, and it was such an incredible experience. The music, the fashion, the energy — it all felt like a living pulse of the city. As someone who’s inspired by both style and culture, Rolling Loud was the perfect immersion. The festival brought together fearless creatives who push boundaries through music and aesthetic, which mirrors so much of what I feature on Couteur.com.

Outside the festival, I always make time for Melrose — for the vintage stores, the hidden art tucked between alleyways, and the unmatched energy of street fashion. I’d take a friend on an unofficial street art tour — from spotting small stencil pieces by Alec Monopoly to standing in front of massive murals by Tristan Eaton in Hollywood. There’s art everywhere in LA — it spills into the streets, wraps around buildings, and pulses through the culture. That’s what I love most: the city doesn’t wait for you to find inspiration — it throws it at you, unapologetically.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Absolutely — I dedicate this shoutout to Mary Alice Stephenson. As a powerhouse stylist, humanitarian, and fellow single parent, Mary Alice showed me what it looks like to lead with both bold vision and deep compassion. I had the privilege of working closely with her to build and shape the GLAM4GOOD website, a platform that uses the transformative power of style to uplift people in crisis. Watching her create massive social impact through fashion changed the way I thought about creative work. It was no longer just about aesthetics — it was about intention, healing, and empowerment.

Mary Alice led with heart, never compromising her values, and made space for authenticity in a world that often demands polish. As a single mother navigating her own challenges, she modeled what it means to create change while raising a child — not in spite of motherhood, but alongside it. Her mentorship reminded me that storytelling, when done with soul, can shift perspectives and restore dignity. I carry her example into every project I build, especially with Couteur.com, where I continue to center creatives who use their voice and vision to inspire something bigger than themselves.

Website: https://couteur.com/

Instagram: @couteurmag

Other: TIK TOK: @couteur.com

Image Credits
Sian Trombley

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