Endless Summer Collection

Sometimes you live a moment and you just know that it’ll be a memory you hold onto forever. You breathe in the experience because nothing you do will make it last forever, not even a photograph, but then an opportunity comes along for you to reminisce and just like that, it all comes flooding back.

As you all know, I support local Montreal with zeal. It’s my thing. Throw handmade in the mix, and female-owned, and we have a hat trick. That’s how I came to Summer Memories, a beautiful and delicately handcrafted jewellery brand from, you guessed it, right here in MTL. Marie Josee and I had an instant connection – a shared love of all things dainty that exude powerful energy (yup, stones can do that). So, when I decided to launch shop-my-site platform, I knew my first collab had to be with Summer Memories.

Down memory lane I strolled to that summer in 2007 when I was traveling with my hubby (side note: mental travel through my imagination was legit an escape to another land, even if only for moment). I remember looking through a travel book and finding a tiny island in Italy that could only be reached by boat or helicopter. It had our names all over it. It was the best trip of my life and I’ll tell you why – that is where he popped the question and our love story truly began.

As I brainstormed ideas for the names of the pieces in the collection, I drew immediate inspiration from the island and that summer memory. I named the collection after the feeling I had when we left the island and I knew I never wanted the memory to fade. Without further ado – here is my collab collection named Endless Summer. Each piece has a name infused with the energy of that love-blissed summer and the names all come from that beautiful island.

So, without further ado, here’s the Summer Memories x Mademoiselle Jules - Endless Summer Collection!

The Panarea necklace is named after the island itself: Panarea island is the smallest of the seven Aeolian islands north of Sicily. I saw my first red moon, the Stromboli and of course, I drifted on cloud nine. The magic of the island left me feeling so connected the Mother Earth and that is due in large part to the all-natural materials used in the hotel and the fact that we were surrounded by nature as far as the eye could see. I used white turquoise in the necklace because it is the most spiritual of colours and has all the colours of the spectrum in it (even if you can’t see them). Turquoise also has healing powers as it balances your chakras and brings you inner calm.  

THE PANAREA: Pearls & White Turquoise Necklace

The hotel we stayed at was named the Raya. Facing the Stromboli, the hotel is perched on a hillside overlooking the sea. Myriam Beltrami, the owner, created an incredible space filled with bohemian vibes. Her magnificent taste brought to life a hotel that is basically a “cult hotel” amongst celebrities. It is tranquil and serene, the name itself just brings me back that summer.

THE RAYA: Paperclip Necklace with Pearl Pendant

That first night, many moons ago, we sat in our hotel and I saw my first ever Red Moon. Reflecting on the ocean, I can close my eyes today and still see the image and be embraced by the feeling of calm that it produced in me. Named after that moment, the Luna represents that surreal experience, the one that feels bigger than this world. The big pearl in the centre of the necklace recalls the moon and its irregular shape, an image of beauty despite (if not because of) its imperfection.

THE LUNA: Pearl Choker

An eyewear chain that can be worn long or doubled wrapped, the Perla is named after the La Perla Casa, a hotel just below ours that you could get to by taking a long, winding road. Like a snake down to the ocean, this necklace is that long road that brings you to the pearl. Did you know that pearls symbolize wisdom through experience? Bringing good luck and offering protection, pearls are pure and bring balance. As I created this piece, I was inspired by those walks that brought calm and a sense of safety as went hand-in-hand to explore the boundless ocean before us.

THE PERLA: Eyewear Chain/Pearl Necklace

Each piece has one common thread, and that is the symbol of the evil eye. Each bead is meant to ward off bad luck and be guarded against misfortune. Like an amulet, the evil eye is in the shape of an eye in the most radiant blue or green to offer spiritual protection. Repelling the negativity and evil that is brought from envy, I have always worn an evil eye somewhere on my body ever since that beautiful summer in Italy. When it breaks, the magic within has done its job to protect you.

The Perla, Raya, Panarea & Luna

I hope you enjoy the Endless Summer collection as much as I enjoyed creating it. Venturing back into the past to revisit my favourite summer memory, I invite you to close your eyes and travel back to your favourite summer memory. Where were you? Who were you with? Even though we can’t travel now, we can still escape through our imagination and by wearing pieces that have the power to move us.

You can find it exclusively here on my website, as of Friday, May 7th at 10am!

Psst- use promo code JULES15 for 15% off!

Xo, Jules

Photography by Patricia Brochu