Custom jewelryI’ve never been much for sitting through hours of awards about special effects and best actress. I always tone in for the red carpet to see all the stars flaunting their designer jewelry and dresses. Who cares about the awards, right? For years to come everyone’s going to talk about the do’s and don’ts of fashion at all of these events! These events help label the fashion trends of the season.
Continue reading “Throw a Splash of Color into your Busy Outfit” »
I love making custom jewelry! Working with our clients, hearing about their stories and what their particular piece of jewelry will represent to them is the best part of what I do. What I love about being able to give someone a custom piece of jewelry is that I know that this piece of jewelry will be worn and loved differently from all the other pieces that were bought in a store where they are one out of hundreds or even thousands made just like them. A personalized custom piece can be passed down through generations, carrying with it the story and the meaning that brought it to life in the first place. Continue reading “Heirloom Jewelry; What’s your story?” »
And so I found myself setting my alarm for 3am to witness a moment in history with 1/3 of the world’s population. I’m sure that I would have woken up to mark this historical moment regardless of what was going on in my life, but to be honest, a recent event made this a special moment in my history as well.
To make a long story short, my associate and I moved our business into an artisan building 2 years ago and befriended a neighbour and fellow artisan, milliner Lucie Gregoire. A Royal Wedding is, in effect, the most glamorous hat party there is and Lucie Gregoire, being a true master in custom hats……hats we are hardly ever witness to anymore, was sought out as the milliner who could help in Her Excellency’s outfit for this fabulous event…yadah yadah yadah, 3 weeks ago, we found our small and fairly unknown Montreal jewelry company with a commission to design and create a necklace, bracelet and earrings for the Governor General’s wife, Her Excellency Sharon Johnston, to wear to the Royal Wedding.
So there I was, at 3am, in our pitch black living room, my hand on my dog’s head (a loyal friend who will wake up with me regardless of time, weather or reason), my fiancé asleep in our room, and the TV on the lowest volume setting ready to watch.
Well, for a hat party of sorts, it was quite a party! Tall, wide, colourful or black; there was everything and anything you might expect……and not expect. I, for one, was not aware that there are hats that are worn off the forehead or that brims can be so wide that one has to bend back to see who is in front of you. Regardless, it was truly a wonderful show of design and workmanship! I can only hope, in part for Lucie, that this will spur a renewed interest in hats.
A couple of hours later, I watched as the world was witness to the dashing Duchess of Cambridge. Simplicity met elegance at its best as she sat in the car next to her father, waving to the endless crowds, on her way to get married. As a jewelry designer, I inevitably noticed her accessories; beautiful earrings with an historic tiara as the only jewelry pieces. To be honest, I was looking forward to seeing the style of necklace Kate would wear, but found her choice perfect in its simplicity once again.
Although I dozed off a few times, my waking up in the middle of the night to watch history in the making was well worth the exhaustion the following day! – Alix
Def’n NOVELTY: The quality of being new. Although it may be said to have an objective dimension it essentially exists in the subjective perceptions of individuals.
Chris & Alix attended its first official press conference for Le Marché Casse Noisette (the Nutcracker Market), an event which will be held at the Montreal Palais de Congrès from November 25th to December 5th, and the novelty of it was fantastic! The press kits, the decor, the media, the food, the podium, the plasma screen slide show, the guest speakers and the photo sessions were all so exciting………..to us. For the media, it was ‘business as usual’. I can imagine how after years in the business the novelty of a press conference wears off, but the difference in perception yesterday between those attending the conference and those covering the conference was astounding. From the perspective of the hosts and the guests, there was no doubt that the topic being addressed was ‘novel enough’ to get covered in the media either at the 6pm or 11pm news……but it wasn’t. That being said, the hosts and the guests all have high hopes that the event will not only be a success, but will pave the path for a holiday tradition in Montreal for years to come.
The press conference, hosted by the Grands Ballets, was given to explain the history, purpose and vision of the Marché Casse Noisette. It’s no secret that funding to the arts were cut drastically last year by the federal government, but I was shocked to hear that for the Grands Ballets, this meant a cut of $250,000 in funding for this year alone! Many brainstorming sessions later, their solution was to initiate something that would not only benefit them, but the the arts in Montreal as a whole. The Marché Casse Noisette is a holiday market in its truest sense: it will feature approximately 60 vendors (including Chris & Alix) within a decor that will look and feel like winter holidays.
Stay tuned for more info about the creativity and the diversity of artisans in Montreal that will present their products at Montreal’s first Marché Casse Noisette!
http://www.marchecassenoisette.com/fr/
http://www.marchecassenoisette.com/fr/chris-alix-2/
Every woman has either a drawer, a shoebox or a bag where she keeps her unworn jewelry. Some of it is from your younger life, one or two pieces from her mother or grandmother, and even some from last year. It is simply how the life cycle of a piece of jewelry works; loved and adorned one day and left to collect dust another. Perhaps the first question should be ‘why do women hold on to their jewelry even though they KNOW they will not wear it’? I’m sure that if you take a close look at your jewelry, the pieces that are broken or no longer worn are those that bring back a memory of a person, a place, or a time in your life. We completely understand this attachment and this is why Chris & Alix offers beading classes to help you keep and use the pieces that have meaning to you. With our help, you can re-design your jewelry into something you will wear again and absolutely love because of the significance of the re-used pieces.
One Saturday every month the designers of Chris & Alix meet with women just like you to help them re-design their older jewelry. The stories and memories that are told during the 1 1/2 – 2 hours are funny, amusing, sad, and most of all, extremely special to the person telling them. Join us on either Saturday October 23rd or Saturday November 20th from 10am to 11:30am to reminisce, learn and create some new jewelry that you will not only wear, but LOVE wearing for years to come!
For those interested, please contact us at info@chris-alix.com or at 514-524-3883 to discuss your project and reserve your seat. Space is limited to 6 students per session. We look forward to meeting you, listening to the stories that your jewelry tells, and helping you create a truly loved jewelry piece!
‘I would love to take some beading classes, do you offer any?’
‘unfortunately, not yet’
This short conversation has happened so many times, in so many venues and at so many events that we HAD to change our answer……..Chris & Alix now offers beading classes out of its studio space in Montreal, in the building Le Chat des Artistes: a building designed to encourage the collaboration of artists to work side by side, to collaborate on events, and to secure space that will not be bought over and converted into condos (a common problem faced by artists)
We moved into this building almost two years ago and absolutely love the camaraderie of the artists on the third floor with us. Many of our neighbours here offer classes – from hat making to book binding and for some reason we didn’t quite ‘catch on’ at first. Now, we get it! Teaching classes, which ironically we both have experience in, is the best way to share both our passion about jewelry and to share the craft of ‘creating wearable art’ with others.
We offer beading technique classes, weekend classes to work on personal projects (re-stringing, re-designing and creating new jewelry), and private classes. Classes range from $25-$35, not including materials. There is a maximum of 6 students per class, so an early deposit is encouraged to save your space. All are welcome!
For more information, please contact our website Chris & Alix or call us at 514.524.3883
