Handmade with Love - Deux Lions Jewelry
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in jewelry but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Charlotte Ella Piché, founder and creative director of Deux Lions Jewelry, located in Montréal, QC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Deux Lions is a luxury jewelry brand handcrafted with love. Based in Montreal, I founded it in 2014 and was joined by my brother shortly after, who launched our men’s collection. We exist to empower individuals to express themselves and embrace their beauty — whether it’s for a moment in time or a lifetime.
I truly believe beauty is more than just physical — it’s a feeling — one of power and liberation that invites people to be themselves fully & truly. We want to embrace a strong sense of self throughout our branding and designs, building an inclusive community in which we can grow together. We also want to create a playful universe in which pleasure is encouraged, defying the norms of how luxury jewelry is typically presented within the commercial landscape.
Another important pillar in our brand mission is an ode to the past. We believe in embracing history to inform how we create our present and build our future. Many of the designs in my collections are inspired by ancient cultures as well as the imperfect and raw beauty of nature- always playing around with the finest materials, creating heirloom-worthy jewelry.
Our customer is a dreamer, a romantic, inspired by the previous artistic generations of their time. Idealistic, they have a strong sense of self and are not afraid to pursue their dreams with a conscious mindset. They’re inspired and connected to nature and mindful of their surroundings.
Tell us about yourself
My whole life, I’ve navigated two sides of myself, the artist and the businesswoman. Having studied business at McGill, I always felt quite lost because I couldn’t share the same vision of my future with my peers. I knew I had to find a way to build my own path and somehow find a creative outlet that I could utilize and turn into a business. Looking back, I can see this path clearly, but at the time, I had no idea where it was going. I had always dabbled in jewelry making but was far from being talented enough to imagine ever having my own brand. I definitely took a chance after graduating when I dropped everything and moved to Nyc, diving face-first into jewelry making. I followed my intuition and persevered, studying metalsmithing and interning at Pamela Love. She was my favorite brand at the time.
There were so many challenges, but ultimately discovering jewelry design as the creative outlet I had been searching for made it all worth it. It’s so exciting to me to have a dream turn into a drawing, eventually becoming jewelry that can evoke feelings for the people who discover and wear them. I’m motivated by how energizing it is to see my art living alongside my beautiful customers, allowing me to share it with the world.
Lastly, I’m also motivated by my amazing team and inspiring network of friends. I’m truly blessed to be so well surrounded and supported and to have such an incredible business partner (my brother).
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
If you ask the businesswoman side of me, I would say our biggest accomplishment is appearing in Magazines such as Vogue or being picked up by the luxurious marketplace Moda Operandi. However, deep down, I truly feel the real achievement is having found a way to live off a business that is energized by my creative side. I also make music in a band called @pijama.land and feel like I’m on the path of successfully merging the worlds of jewelry and music for the ultimate goal of an overall dreamy & nostalgic lifestyle.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing for me was the thought that owning a business is like building a fire. No matter how amazing and grand your fire may be at one point in time, if you stop putting logs or giving it attention, it can go out. It needs constant care, and as the owner, you will likely find yourself thinking about it 24/7. I consider myself lucky because it’s also my passion, but it’s important to maintain a balance; otherwise, it can be extremely overwhelming, passionate or not. A good way of maintaining a balance is delegating work as much as you can and forcing yourself to clock out from time to time, spending time in nature, and disconnecting yourself (from your phone).
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don’t let your ego get in the way of your business’ success, and always stay ready to evolve your plans as you grow. Sometimes things evolve in ways that we can’t predict, and the most important thing is to move forward. For instance, we used to have a shop in the Mile End where we sold jewelry among other female-owned emerging brands. I had become tied to the store, managing employees customers, no time to go to the studio and design new jewelry- spending most of my time buying a stock of other brands to fill the shop. Basically, we closed after a year because it wasn’t a strategy for the international growth of Deux Lions as a jewelry brand. It hurt my ego to see an “À LOUER” sign in our window and felt like closing was a step backward- when it was truly a necessary step to becoming the brand we are today.
- Don’t be scared to put yourself out there or even ask for help. Running a business can be very overwhelming. You’d be surprised how many people would be happy to support you however they can. Sometimes you have to make that first move to start a motion. For instance, when I moved to Nyc and didn’t know anyone, I emailed my favorite jewelry brand for an internship. I just went for it, and sometimes it works out! The only way to know is to try. Eventually, everyone involved in your world becomes your network. I can’t stress the importance of surrounding yourself with a diversified network. I feel supported and inspired by my environment. I always try to surround myself with people who are more knowledgeable than I am, finding creative ways of making our collaboration mutually beneficial.
- Stay positive and persevere no matter what. Challenges will always appear, such as when a bigger, more successful brand copies your designs. This was extremely frustrating for us, but there will always be people out there following and imitating you if what you’re doing is good. If someone is copying you, then you will always be ahead of them! No matter what the challenge is, what will set you apart is that you work through it and keep pushing. Proactively promoting a positive mindset within the team goes a long way in protecting your mental health and helps keep everything fun as much as possible because, at the end of the day- that’s what will keep your heart and soul in it for the long run.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
A teacher once said a metaphor that stuck with me. All the jobs you do are like little tools, and your career is the toolbox that holds them all. At first, perhaps I didn’t see how being a hostess in a restaurant could eventually support my career as a jewelry designer, but now looking back, it makes sense. Thanks to that summer job I had once upon a time, I can confidently welcome clients in the showroom in a professional yet approachable manner. Knowing that you don’t have to understand the big picture right away was helpful for me to push forward on a path that wasn’t always very clear.
I think the takeaway here is to follow your gut, try to get jobs you find interesting even if you don’t quite understand why, and trust that it will all lead you to somewhere you want to be.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.deuxlionsjewelry.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deuxlionsjewelry/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deuxlionsjewelry/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-ella-piché-9a493a117/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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