Métiers d'art du Québec
Follow Lolitta Dandoy, fashion ambassador for Plein Art, as she discovers our exhibiting craftsmen and women. Through this series of interviews, meet creators working in various branches of fine crafts. Here, Sarah from Sarah Bijoux and Julien Verret from Atelier V Cuir talk about family entrepreneurship, succession, new perspectives, local brands, and fashion. Sarah, a jeweler, shares her success story and how her father got involved in the local handmade contemporary jewelry business. Julien, a leatherworker, discusses the story of a father and son from Bas-Saint-Laurent refining high-quality leather products. Discover them on MATIERES.CA:
– Sarah Simard, jeweler behind the Sarah Bijoux brand: [link](https://matieres.ca/artisans/sarah-simard)
– Julien Verret, leatherworker at Atelier V Cuir: [link](https://matieres.ca/artisans/jean-verret)
The Studio Métiers d’art, connected to local artisans with Vidéotron, showcases the known and lesser-known facets of their practices live from Plein Art, the Quebec Crafts Fair. Join us from August 2nd to 14th, 2022, at Espace 400e in Vieux-Port de Québec. Explore the full program of the 40th edition of Plein Art on MATIERES.CA: [link](https://matieres.ca/evenement/plein-art-quebec-2022), [link](https://www.facebook.com/pleinartquebec/).
**Keywords/ Tags associated with the video:**
Fine crafts, Métiers d’art, Salon des métiers d’art du Québec, Retrouvez l’art d’ici, market, artisanat, art, artisan, Plein Art, Plein art Québec, Vieux-Port de Québec, Québec cité, Faites le plein d’art d’ici, 2022, Studio métiers d’art, Lolitta Dandoy, slowfashion, fashion, mode locale, designer de mode, accessoires mode, Julien Perret, maroquinier, cuir, leather work, Sarah Bijoux, Sarah Simard, entrepreneuriat familial, relève, matières, MATIERES.CA.
—
**Full transcript of the video:**
[Music] Hello everyone and welcome to the Studio Métiers d’art. We are live from the Plein Art Fair in Plein Art Quebec, located at Espace 400e. It’s a beautiful day today, by the water, it’s fantastic. We will be here until August 14th. When I say “we”, I mainly mean the living arts. About 70 artists are here, waiting for you with open arms, eager to show you their work. We’ve had two full years without art fairs, without these kinds of encounters, so I invite you to come and see us here at Espace 400e. I am Lolitta Dandoy, the fashion ambassador at the Crafts Fair in Montreal, and when I was asked to reprise my role here in Quebec, I immediately said yes because for me it’s a real opportunity to meet artisans, to learn about their journey in the world of crafts, to discover their stories. That’s what I will show you in this show. Today, I have a great theme and great guests. I wanted to explore the youth and modernity in the field of fine crafts because we often have preconceived ideas about crafts. There is this notion that craftsmen are older people, that it’s traditional, sometimes even folklore, but it’s not like that at all. Crafts are not limited to tradition, and it’s not something ugly. There are countless artisanal products that respect tradition and are magnificent, but I will show you another side of fine crafts, which is the youth, modernity, and succession. I will also talk about how family ties fit into all of this. Let me introduce my guests. I have Sarah from Sarah Bijoux. How are you? I’m doing well, thank you. Thank you so much for accepting our invitation. And Julien from Atelier V Cuir. Good day, how are you? Everything is fine. Thank you for accepting the invitation. I know it’s been a busy day for you, so I appreciate you taking the time to come and see us. Before we delve into these questions, I still want you to talk about your respective brands for those who don’t know about them. Sarah Bijoux, what is it? Sarah: It’s simply a jewelry brand, handmade in Montreal, of good quality but also accessible to a wide range of people. We offer a range of classic jewelry that can be worn over time, alongside other pieces of jewelry that we accumulate in our lives. Personally, I’m in love with stacking rings. I’ve been wearing them for a long time and it feels like I have nothing on my fingers. Often, these types of trendy small rings end up leaving marks and are not pleasant to wear, but these ones don’t leave any marks and I feel like I can wear them all the time. Thank you for saying that. Julien, Atelier V Cuir has been around for more than five years. Can you explain what it is? Julien: We’ve actually been around for over 30 years, even though I haven’t been working with leather for that long. We started in Quebec City, but now we are in Bas-Saint-Laurent, in Saint-André. At Atelier V Cuir, we specialize in the production of bags and accessories, such as wallets, belts, and backpacks. We have a wide range of products, about thirty different models. We focus a lot on colors and every year we try to introduce new models and colors. We are quite versatile and strive to bring creativity to our products. In a category like leather goods, there is a lot of competition from big brands. Not everyone can afford a luxury bag, but they may be able to afford a small leather accessory. It’s a very popular category. How do you stand out as a local brand? Julien: I would say that one of the main factors is that we provide a more personalized service than buying from a store. We have a closer relationship with our customers. The durability of our products and the relationship with the artisan are key factors. Customers keep coming back because they appreciate the personalized service and the quality that comes with it. That’s what sets us apart and allows us to differentiate ourselves in a crowded market.
Suivez Lolitta Dandoy, ambassadrice mode de Plein Art, dans sa découverte de nos artisan(es) exposant(es). À travers cette série d’entrevues, allez à la rencontre de créateurs œuvrant dans l’une ou l’autre des branches des métiers d’art. Ici, Sarah de Sarah Bijoux, et Julien Verret d’Atelier V Cuir nous parle notamment d’entrepreneuriat familial, de relève et de regard nouveau, de marque et de mode locales. Pour lui, c’est une histoire de père en fils du Bas-Saint-Laurent qui permet de raffiner des produits de cuir de grande qualité. Pour elle, c’est le succès qui amène son père à s’impliquer dans l’entreprise locale de bijoux contemporains faits main.
Invités à découvrir sur MATIERES.CA
– Sarah Simard, joaillière derrière la marque Sarah Bijoux : https://matieres.ca/artisans/sarah-simard
– Julien Verret, maroquinier d’Atelier V Cuir : https://matieres.ca/artisans/jean-verret
Le Studio Métiers d’art, connecté aux artisans d’ici avec Vidéotron, vous fait découvrir les facettes connues et moins connues de leurs pratiques en direct de Plein Art, le salon des métiers d’art de Québec, du 2 au 14 août 2022 à l’Espace 400e dans le Vieux-Port de Québec. Consultez toute la programmation de la 40e édition de Plein Art sur MATIERES.CA : https://matieres.ca/evenement/plein-art-quebec-2022 | https://www.facebook.com/pleinartquebec/
Lolitta
