The Founder
Hi there Mon Coeur. I’m Michelle, and beauty, fashion and fitness have been my sources of strength and healing through my journey of not only surviving abuse, but fighting back against a system that attempted to silence me.
I’ve made it my personal mission to fight oppressive power structures and disrupt the retail industry. Whether it’s police brutality, corrupt law enforcement, abusers, or goliaths like Amazon, I’m not afraid to stand up for what's right.
I was born and raised in Southern California, and lived a quiet, typical life until I was framed for a crime by the abusive US Marshal I had dated. I spent three wrongful months in jail before I was allowed to go home, and yet I still wasn't free. After a month in an ankle bracelet, months of my truth being called lies, and five years of fighting, I was fully exonerated and won my civil lawsuit against the US Marshal and the City of Anaheim Police Department, and I finally saw him arrested. Suffice it to say that this event upturned my life in ways I never imagined possible, and unwillingly thrust me into the spotlight.
In the weeks after escaping the abusive relationship, I showcased my strong, beautiful, and resolute self in the power of my appearance. I wore red patent leather pumps and my first purchase out of jail was a leather motorcycle jacket that I still wear to this day. The clothes I wore became my armor by day; my beauty routine, my recovery by night.
I craved a space to share my passion for quality, timeless pieces from sustainable brands and businesses owned by marginalized populations to empower and uplift others, so I launched Les Coeurs Sauvages, a place that champions a stronger and sustainable future for fashion, beauty, planet, and people.
Everything on the site is something I would use myself or recommend to my best friends. My goal is to create a community of forceful, influential, stylish individuals who want to make a difference. The name, which means wild hearts in French, comes from the movie Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken where the heroine, Sonora, relearns her lifelong dream of being a female horse driver after losing her eyesight. It was one of my favorite films growing up, and always reminds me that obstacles are never too strong to break down or push through.
