Monique
Founder of Frisson Maison
Tell us a little bit about yourself! When did you start Frisson Maison?
The idea came to me sometime in 2017 when I thought about sharing so many of the things that I love, created and collected, with others too.
What made you want to launch the brand?
I realized that what really brings me joy is slowing down enough to truly experience - experience with all of the senses. This is such a meditative way of Being and very much about being present in the moment. The times you stop to look at and study a painting, to smell a fragrance, to eat a lovely meal prepared with fine ingredients, to feel and notice the textures on textiles, on the surface of an old wall.....this is all about noticing and being aware. In our fast-paced world, I feel that we forget sometimes to simply pause for a moment - or longer, to really experience the simplest of things. The simple things I have found are the most profound and something we mustn’t lose sight of. I also wanted to share treasures I've discovered on my travels and pieces that I've created (launching in the near future:)). It's transporting us into another place, stepping back in time and retreating to a world filled with calm and beauty. I wanted to pass on traditions to my children so they too can stop and see the world from the lens of creativity and beauty. For them to know that what truly matters in life is the simplicity of things, the care and love of details and above all, quality.
What are you most passionate about?
I have so many passions and was often told to 'hone' in and focus on one from many.....I simply can't, nor have I ever wanted to. I think that part of what I truly enjoy is the ability to go from one thing to another and I can say, I would never be bored because of this. I love gardening - and can easily get carried away with my perennial gardens. I would find a bare piece of land on my property and lo and behold, a new garden would emerge....I would tend to the ones that were growing and start new gardens at the same time. I love to paint landscapes, portraits, florals in oils and watercolors. I am passionate about the written word and love Copperplate and Spencerian calligraphy. I love indie and classical music (oh and Charles Aznavour is my all time favorite french singer). There is not a day that goes by that I don't have music on in the morning and it is on throughout the day. Music feeds my soul. I love textiles, embroidery, and textures - and most of all my two incredible children who are my greatest love....and teachers.
From the earliest memories I have always enjoyed spending time in museums and galleries and see them as a sanctuary. I am passionate about sewing and used to sew my own clothes as the ‘alternative’ teen and 20 year old that I was. I’ve studied at the Realist Academy of Arts in Boston, MECA in Portland, Maine, learned the Lunéville embroidery technique at l’École Lesage in Paris, immersed myself in figure drawing at local galleries and universities and dabbled in a myriad of other creative explorations over the years.
Where do you gather inspiration from?
I absolutely love books - whether they are coffee table books that are sheer 'eye candy' to me or biographies of artists and trailblazers - those who forged incredible and solo paths. I also absolutely love reading and learning about the history and stories of old crafts and traditions.
I was lucky to have 2 incredibly supportive parents who shared their talents and passions with me growing up. My father is an amazing artist who still paints and hand engraves and sculpts in metal, still today at 82 years young. My mother is the most gracious hostess and loves to cook, bake bread and pastries and there was never a shortage of food at home. She would create and decorate the most elegant wedding cakes for others. I remember helping her one day in the kitchen where I grew up, by gently placing the buttercream flowers she made, as they cascaded down from a 3 tiered cake.
I love the city for inspiration and to be exposed to new and different ideas, for its energy, that is so alive....the wonderful acceptance of people from different walks of life - the arts, the museums, the books shops, cafes....and then the countryside where nature does its magic.
If you could invite any three people to your dream dinner party who would they be?
Artemisia Gentileschi, Grace Kelly and Simone de Beauvoir
What advice would you give to your younger self?
To be true to yourself and that when you take care of You, others benefit tremendously.
What quote or saying do you try to live by?
There are quite a few that I keep in my journal but 2 that stand out are by Mary Oliver: “I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.” and “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” and the other by Saint Exupery from Le Petit Prince - 'And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
say bonjour