I was so touched that Steevy Blower, a Fashion Marketing Student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, had chosen to write an article about Filou. It all started with the Wishbone Necklace she picked up at Spend on Trend :) Thank you Steevy!!
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We Filou Fiona, We Feel You
By Steevy Blower
By Steevy Blower
Playing perfect host
for an intimate interview, let alone refuge from the lingering downpour of
rain, Shop Cocoon, a kitschy collectors boutique where they showcased artisans
work once a month, was a suiting safe haven to sit down and chat with Fiona
Louie, the proprietor and designer behind Filou Designs. Dressed in an animal
motif printed dress, a thickly knotted polka dot scarf, and subtle cat-eyed
specs that sat perfectly perched under heavy bangs, Fiona exuded an immediate sense
of quirkiness and charisma. With unexpected wisdom, Fiona offers detailed
insight behind why becoming an entrepreneur has positively impacted her life,
her business, and Vancouver’s creative industry.
“I was interested in
so many kinds of art forms, it is actually quite interesting that I stuck with
one,” laughs Fiona. After studying Fine Arts at UBC and working under a
goldsmith, Fiona dabbled in many areas of the creative industry, but “just
couldn’t shake the jewelry.” She attributes the hair clip fad in the late
nineties as a catalyst to her budding talent in working with silver to create
“classic and timeless jewelry with a sense of whimsy, and sometimes a sense of
humour.” In 2005, Fiona went to working full time with Filou Designs and has
not stopped creating since. Using her almost innate desire to travel as
inspiration for many of her pieces, Fiona has definitely seen her fair share of
the world. Fiona recently returned from Africa and Paris and aptly created two
new collections: an animal themed collection, comprised of enchanting detailed
deer head rings and fox pendant necklaces complete with dainty silver chains,
in addition to a letterpress collection including customized stamped silver
pendants and rings. It’s Fiona’s connectivity to her pieces that evoke
the customer to consider past or present meaningful associations to the
jewelry.
Her creative process is complicated, but all
the more unique to Filou’s aesthetic. Utilizing a mixed media method (read: collecting
organic materials from Vancouver’s natural landscape, sculpting wax with her
fingers to create detailed molds, or employing a burnout method that plays with
the negative and positive forms of unlikely objects such as coffee beans and
chocolate chips) Fiona puts a laborious amount of heart into each Filou piece.
“The creative process for me is, maybe, twenty five percent; the rest of my
time is spent on the business aspects” states Fiona. As an entrepreneur she is
“busy when the business is busy,” and is responsible for furthering her
business beyond just creating jewelry. Marketing, photographing, and selling
her jewelry are endeavors that she has had to undertake in order to keep Filou
growing. “As an entrepreneur you are wearing all these different hats…and I
have had to learn through experience.” Her admirable determination and her
savvy business sense have landed Fiona in a current state of contentment both
personally and creatively, and she doesn’t envision herself stopping anytime
soon; “I guess I just like it, naturally I just keep going. Also, it is the
curiosity to see how far I can take it. I like challenging myself.” She has explored expansion into the United
States, but continues to focus her efforts on growing her business here in Vancouver;
“there’s people here who care about locally made products.”
Vancouver’s
jewelry and fashion industries have undoubtedly become heavily saturated with
the fast fashion players, but it is Vancouver’s local designers and artisans,
like Fiona Louie, that truly stand out in the Great Sea of Mass Production. Fiona’s
pieces suggest a sense of comfort, simplicity, and appease the global trend
towards escapism, instead of pacifying the insatiable buying habits of today’s consumers
– surely something we can all use a refresher course in. It may be an oxymoron,
but Filou Designs deserves to be put on a pedestal because our perception of
what deserves a pedestal needs to change. Ultimately, it is local businesses like
Filou Designs that are facilitating this globally recognized change. When both
the designer and the customer care about product origin a lovely marriage
develops; one that is slowly changing the somewhat shallow connotation that the
jewelry and fashion industries bear.
Fiona’s
business and personal philosophy play a paramount role in the evolution of
Vancouver’s fashion industry. Everyday she works to create a strong sense of
connectivity between her, her jewelry, and her customer, and that is the kind
of entrepreneurial work that deserves to be recognized and sustained. When
asked what is next for Filou Designs, Fiona is currently focused on gearing up
for the upcoming Christmas season. “I don’t know what my next collection is
going to be yet,” answers Fiona, but it’s definitely something we can all mark
our 2013 calendars for. For now, find Fiona’s jewelry at the upcoming Make It Vancouver market (Nov 8-11), the Eastside Culture Crawl (Nov 16-18), in store at Shop Cocoon
(3345 Cambie St.) and Favourite (123 Carrie Cates Ct.), or online at filoudesigns.com.
