Photo Credit: Julie Artacho
When did you start selling your beautiful work at General 54?
Approximately
3 years ago a believe
How would you describe your line?
How would you describe your line?
I create statement jewelry mainly featuring vintage lace
which is easy to wear due to its light weight and comfort. Often inspired by
the '60s and '70s, the line is composed of various types of accessories that
sometimes challenge the traditional definition of jewelry.
Where does the name This Ilk come from?
The word "Ilk" means of a same type, kind, class
or sort. "This Ilk" refers to anyone with similar taste who may be as
passionate about the line of jewelry as I am.
Do you employ and repurposed/ recycled/ remaindered materials in your work?
I use a lot of vintage materials which have never been used
(but may have gone to waste had I not picked them up) so I cannot qualify it as
recycling but I am obsessed with optimizing what I use and reducing wastage to
a minimum. I don't throw any bits of lace away and have plans to transform it,
once I have gathered enough, into a different product. I even transform the
cardboard left-overs from my tags into lamp shades...
What was the first thing you ever made?
Before This Ilk was even an idea, I had created a pair of
thin french lace earrings in 2006. But my first This Ilk design was the
Octopussy - Jellyfishshort earrings.
Do you sell at local craft fairs, markets, etc?
Since the beginning I have sold my designs at Puces Pop and
Souk@SAT and since Smart Design Mart has started I have been selling there as
well. I have also participated in the Who's Next showroom in Paris, an
opportunity I had won in a contest.
Do you have a studio in Montreal?
I work from my home which is situated in Old Montreal.
Luckily jewelry making doesn't require a huge space (yet).
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When
I was a child I wanted to be an inventor, geologist or a ballerina... I guess I
am not that far off...
