Lovonova’s unique Pride products are a Guadeloupean dream come true

Sam G formed Lovonova to celebrate LGBT+ Pride globally

Queer Guadeloupean entrepreneur Samanta Gombauld wanted to create a platform to celebrate LGBT+ Pride through clothes, jewels and gifts. In December 2023, she founded her own brand, Lovonova, to do just that, and now takes her goods to Pride festivals across Europe, where she lives with her wife.

Back on her native island, Guadeloupe, her leadership is inspiring female and LGBT+ entrepreneurship, even as plans are circulating for the island to celebrate its first Pride march next year.

Erasing 76 Crimes spoke with Sam G (her business name) in June at the Wetzlar Pride Festival in the heart of the German state of Hesse.

Sam G.’s entrepreneurial journey from Guadeloupe to Wetzlar

Erasing 76 Crimes: As someone from Guadeloupe, what brings you here to Wetzlar, a small town in Germany with a population of 52,000?

Sam G: Some Pride events were missing certain designs, or perhaps the motifs on some pins lacked a little originality. People were telling us this, and my wife and I thought there was a business opportunity to be exploited and turn it into our business.

In addition, with a master’s degree in digital marketing and having spent my childhood in Guadeloupe, I have worked in various environments in China, Mexico, French Guiana, and Saint Lucia. Today, what I like most about being an entrepreneur is the ability to travel anywhere.

For my wife and me, Germany holds a special place in Europe because it is a highly developed market with 80 million inhabitants, where we have always been warmly welcomed from north to south. Germans are fantastic people, and we are delighted to be able to work with them.

Erasing 76 Crimes: Which Lovonova products are the most popular? Which products are customers most fond of?

Sam G: It depends. As it’s hot, it’s obviously the fans, but otherwise, pins are quite popular and we’ve actually released our new series, with names of German and Swiss cities, as well as rings that can be adjusted to fit people’s finger sizes.

Erasing 76 Crimes: What differentiates the German public from the French-Caribbean or mainland French public in terms of purchasing choices?

Sam G: Clearly, pins are what they’ll go for, whereas in Guadeloupe, where I have a stand and can sell my products, it’s clothing, caps, and even rings that will interest people from the Caribbean.

Erasing 76 Crimes: And in Paris?

Sam G: In Paris, there’s really a bit of everything, people who are interested in pins, socks. Some are even interested in flags.

Erasing 76 Crimes: And why are you in Wetzlar now, given that Germany has much larger cities?

Sam G: Well, our policy is to participate in as many Pride marches as we can between the Benelux countries, Germany, France, and Switzerland.

Of course, Lovonova is present at the big Pride events, particularly those in Berlin, Cologne, and Amsterdam. The big classics.

However, we also try to bring our products to places where they are not available, in smaller cities. I’m thinking of Wiesbaden (population 290,000). We’re not going to make a lot of money there in terms of revenue, but we enjoy being visible there and we are keen to return every year, given the welcome we receive.

Erasing 76 Crimes: What are the prospects for Lovonova after two years of operation?

Sam G: After two years of activity, on July 5, we will organize an evening at the Rainbow Center in Luxembourg City to mark the occasion and celebrate the continued development of our company during the grand opening of Lovonova.

Our conclusion is that it’s fantastic to have been able to meet so many people and experience so much solidarity, particularly in Guadeloupe, where we will be co-organizing Pride (in 2026) in partnership with Secret’s Out.

We would also like to thank all the organizations like the Cigale LGBT+ Center, the Rainbow Center, the Rosa Lëtzebuerg, and the Franco-Quebec Youth Office that supported us. It’s extremely positive.

Furthermore, the people who visit our stand are very open-minded and enthusiastic about the products we offer.

So in the future, we hope to be able to offer them even higher quality and more personalized products. That’s why we want to be able to offer our designs while continuing to expand our geographical coverage so that we can offer our products at stands in Sweden, but also in Mexico, where I used to live.

Finally, we want to expand our team with employees who can represent us all over the world. That’s our ambition.

Lovonova offers its products through its website, lovonova.com.