Boho Montreal, colorful and friendly

The Pinterest follower that I am fell in love with boho, Scandinavian, refined decors. While macrame seemed old-fashioned, laughable, its comeback was spectacular, declined in different ways: wall hangings, plant hangers, bags, Christmas decorations, key rings...

While chatting with Karèle Bellavance, owner of Boho Montreal , I listened to the story of a simple, persevering designer who has a flair for trends. Dividing her time between her business and a job as a waitress, Karèle thrives on projects, without ever stopping, it seems to me.

Visual arts as a background

After a technique in visual and media arts, a baccalaureate in visual arts at UQAM and a technique in fashion design, Karèle has everything in her pocket to make a living from the arts.

“I was never able to express myself in my room, I had a kind of repression, an important need to represent my universe”. And simply, while she was looking for inspiration on Pinterest to decorate her apartment, the young entrepreneur discovered macrame. As fashion is in its infancy, Karèle struggles to find tutorials and the necessary equipment, she has to redouble her efforts.

Then, faithful to her generation, she exhibited her creations on Instagram, without expectations. The interest is nevertheless present, thus is born Boho Montreal.

Colourful, licked, sympathetic

“At the beginning, I spread myself more,” explains the founder of Boho Montreal. One thing is clear, then associated with her graphic designer sister, she decides to create a strong brand image before even opening a shop: “I wanted to be established before I even started. I didn't want it to be messy,” she explains. This reflective image is, according to Karèle, an added value that allows a great shopping experience.

Then his sister went back to school. The designer was now alone to manage everything, from visuals, to accounting, to packaging. So, even if it uses social networks, its marketing has a lot to do with its customer service.

She describes her style as colourful, polished and friendly. “I remain humble, I don't take myself for someone else. I believe a lot in word of mouth. Human contact, small gifts in a package, it's important for them to feel special. When they open their box, they say to themselves “it's my party”.

If at the beginning, she felt scattered, today Karèle has developed a very organized side: “I don't make deposits in store, it generates less inventory for me to produce and deliver. I create according to my inspirations”.

Spontaneous creation

Because she lets herself be guided by her inspiration, every week is different: “a week ago, I'm tempted to do five or six in a row, go! Then for two weeks, I will work on something else. It's really spontaneous creation,” she says.

During her creative rage, Karèle does not seek her inspiration on the internet. Wants not, macrame remains basically a simple technique to which we add our vision. She first creates her base, taking a support, she chooses a color she likes, or simply the ecru color (that of the strings), she spontaneously cuts her strings, puts them on her support, then begins to create. "I have no idea what will come out of it, but it creates something unique every time."

Even if she respects certain lines, even if sometimes she undoes everything and starts again from the beginning, her technique remains to go there “by feeling”. And when is it over? "I take pictures of it from all angles and automatically upload it." It thus keeps a stable frequency, without too much “harassing” its customers.

Macrame being very associated with the 70s, Karèle nevertheless tries to correspond to as many people as possible: “not too girly, not too boho”. Despite this, her aesthetic remains Scandinavian and boho: “It doesn't appeal to everyone, but I'd rather follow myself than just present a product to look good to everyone. I follow my values, maybe not everyone likes it, but I have my target clientele,” she explains.

Share your knowledge

Since 2014, when she had little competition, Karèle has developed a reputation. Putting her knowledge to use, she decided to share her art through training workshops of about 1h30-3h . Even if at first she realizes that she is forming her own competition, Karèle quickly puts her fears aside: “there will be competition in all areas, there are so many buyers”.

Using the new creaco.ca platform, Karèle invites us to creative activities that change from the ordinary: "between girls, with tea, pastries, we exchange, we talk about our lives, I need this in fact to tell me that, firstly, I can continue, the girls like it, and also, secondly, just the fact of exchanging as long as you go to the bar with your friends, why not sign up to a creative activity and do something with your hands". She sees this as a way to go back to basics, to invest in the local, but above all to start manufacturing again.

The evolution of Boho Montreal

And macrame in all this? Karèle definitely has a gift for seeing the fashions that are coming, she was one of the precursors in Quebec of the return of macrame. Moreover, she has no ideas, fashions come and go and if this is the case with macrame, she is ready to reinvent herself. Maybe in textiles, maybe not: "I prefer to live from day to day and we'll see". For the future, Karèle sees many possibilities for Boho Montreal, including a still secret project that would allow Boho Montreal to evolve over time.

Karèle Bellavance had this entrepreneurial side in her, combined with her creativity. From this amalgam was born a “creative business”. When she chose to name it “Boho Montreal”, she intended to allow her business to “last over time, to evolve”. The name evokes many different possibilities and styles, but it also evokes a creative way of life that many identify with.

To discover the boho works and find out more about the macrame workshops, go to the member page !

Reviewed by Eveline

Cover: Credit: Jessica Grenon