Alex and Marie: the strength of teamwork!

Specializing in women's clothing, Alex et Marie is a Capitale-Nationale company that has been in existence since 2015. Ambitious young women eager for challenges, Alexandra Ouellet and Marie-Josée Bergeron have joined forces to offer their customers a product of high quality beyond their expectations. Seeking to think outside the box in the fashion industry, entrepreneurs invest in each facet of their production. True representation of the proverb "unity is strength", the designers offer pieces of both classic and contemporary style to dress today's women.

The birth of a team dynamic

Before Alex and Marie, each of the two entrepreneurs had their own career in the fashion world. Since 2009, Alexandra had a line of children's clothing made in Quebec. As for Marie-Josée, she had a women's clothing line under her name. It was during a fashion industry event organized by the Quebec Chamber of Commerce that they met. Interested in each other's work, they decide to help each other because, as they explain: “We want to be in our production and it's difficult to be when you're alone in the company”. The two entrepreneurs realize how good a team they are and decide to join forces in a more concrete way. This is the beginning of Alex and Marie! The two women from technical backgrounds both have a creative flair. Even though their tastes may sometimes differ, this divergence drives them further; they thrive on challenges. For them, they are essential “to keep the sacred fire alive”!

Inspiration for a new collection

For Alex and Marie, each new season marks the beginning of a new creative process inspired by currents, colors, nature, architecture, in fact. They follow the trends…or not! One model inspires another and allows them to forge a signature. The two creators are motivated by the people who surpass themselves on a daily basis and the human aspect that comes with the job. It is also thanks to their clients who are simply radiant that Alexandra and Marie-Josée want to give the best of themselves. “The love of the trade” and the contact with a clientele of this kind only increases the pleasure that the creators have in working.

The foundations of a business

The designers behind Alex and Marie are two creation enthusiasts who put great devotion to it. This is why their company advocates exclusivity, which allows them to produce a wider variety of models in smaller quantities. They dedicate themselves to this creation, applying themselves in the work of the cuts and in the mixture of textiles. To the seasonal collections are always added pieces that constitute the basics of the female wardrobe: the Essentials. They ensure that each garment that passes through their hands has a certain character, a personality. In addition, the creation and making of their clothes must be done in Quebec by experienced seamstresses. They also want to make the most of the material used and therefore avoid textile waste. The cuts, on which the entrepreneurs particularly focus, are designed to benefit women and to be accessible to several types of morphologies. Transparency is a primary value; they advise their customers by suggesting models that enhance their silhouette. They create for "customers who are at the heart of the action their clothes are in their image. ".

A collection, step by step

The creative process leading to the sale in this company is constant. As the entrepreneurs explain, “Alex and Marie create two collections a year and two to three capsules depending on the inspiration of the moment. ". For them, it's really each of the steps from the creation of a garment to its marketing that enhances their work. The journey begins with research to find their inspiration. We add visits to their textile suppliers in Montreal. Back in Quebec, that's where they think, trying to find a guideline for this new collection and develop ideas. Once fixed, they order their fabrics, launch into the tests of textiles, cuts and continue to develop the elaborate models. It then takes four to five weeks for the first samples to be made. With these, the photos on both static and live mannequins are taken. Alexandra takes care of the gradation on cardboard, by hand, in the workshop while Marie-Josée embarks on the cutting. Part of the production is then delegated to subcontracted seamstresses. The promotion begins simultaneously, accompanied by online posting, quality control and labeling. Then, the collection is launched! Added subsequently to this are sales online, in workshops, in events and pop-up shops. Meanwhile, the designers are already preparing their next collection.

In the years to come, Alexandra Ouellet and Marie-Josée Bergeron are simmering a few projects that they are not slow to realize. They would like, among other things, to increase their points of sale strategically, while keeping the exclusive side of their business. They are particularly fond of pop-up shops and would like to get out of Quebec a little to make themselves known elsewhere, such as in Montreal and Toronto. Another of their wishes would be to have a more accessible workshop-boutique when they feel that their business is very well stabilized.

Finally, Alex et Marie is a local company that makes teamwork one of its greatest strengths. At the same time contemporary, classic, trendy and a little funky , the clothes created by Alexandra Ouellet and Marie-Josée Bergeron tend, above all, to highlight women. Their pieces are lively outfits that fit perfectly into everyday life. As a famous proverb says: “Alone, we go faster. Together, we go further. ".

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Reviewed by Catherine Baril

Photo credit: Alex and Marie