Written by Sam Knowlton
Edited by Léah Champagne
To start off another year of Circle of Fashion, Anne-Marie Chagnon was kind enough to invite us to her 30th anniversary exhibition as a part of Montreal Fashion Week. And oh, what an exhibition it was. Let me walk you through the exhibition, her unique niche as a jewelry designer, and the unconventional philosophy behind her work.
Before diving into the event itself, let’s talk a little bit about the designer herself. Anne-Marie Chagnon is a Montreal-based jewelry designer known for crafting beautiful pieces from raw and experimental materials, subverting traditional accessory design. Although local, her work has become anything but. From receiving the Étoile de Mode at the BIJORHCA PARIS trade show to having been sold at the Peabody Essex Museum, she’s truly left her mark on the fashion world.
Before heading to the venue, I truly didn’t know what to expect, and looking back, I wouldn’t have been able to. Upon entering, we were given a glass of champagne, which was quickly contrasted by a tub of tiny potatoes, each with a random letter written on it with a permanent marker. Each letter corresponded to a hidden discount you would receive if you chose to purchase anything at the end of the event. While my K potato landed me a modest $5 off, some were rumored to go as high as $300. With your little potato and glass in hand, you could finally experience the show.
Rather than the typical fashion show, where you might expect cameras flashing on a long runway, this one felt much more vibrant and warm. It was almost like a party and museum exhibit all in one, with a DJ playing house music, surrounded by jewelry and art on the walls. There was also some of AMC’s written work detailing her journey and artistic process.
Despite all the buzz, what quickly caught my eye was what lay in the very back of the hall: an art piece displayed on beautiful purple curtains draping from the ceiling. As we drew closer, we discovered it was merely a veil for what hid behind it, the potato decorating station. At this point, you may have a couple of questions. For one, what’s with the potatoes, and what is a potato decorating station doing at a fashion show? As it turns out, it’s about as on-theme for AMC as it gets. Through my curiosity, I stumbled upon a placard titled LA PATATE or “The Potato”. In this placard, AMC details how she first decorated a potato over 25 years ago and how they’ve become a sort of symbol for her that reveals how “singular beauty can arise where it is least expected”.
AMC’s jewelry and, by extension, her style are extremely raw and unapologetic in nature, allowing her work to become statements in themselves rather than mere accessories. Her necklaces and bracelets are loud and sharp in design, often featuring very rigid and polygonal shapes, contrasting the more popular rounded and conservative pieces you’ll often see in your day-to-day. Another recurring theme in her work is floral designs, which feature a uniquely fossilized look as if they’ve been buried for centuries and then been brought back to life in silver and gold molds.
I later spoke with her to pick her brain about the inspiration for these exhibits and, in particular, what she wants people to take away from her message, especially as younger students fascinated by self-expression. She told me that the social pressure we feel at our age is intense, and urged me to zoom out. As you get older, she said, you realize the people you were so eager to impress won’t always be there. What remains is the body of work you build and what you actually care about—and that’s what should guide you.
So I left with newfound wisdom and an appetite for fashion that was very much satisfied through this special and completely unexpected experience. If I had to articulate what lessons I learned, they’d go as follows. First, as Anne-Marie told me in our discussion, just go with your gut. Whether that be in fashion or in your pursuits, you’ll hardly ever regret it. Second, especially within the world of fashion, don’t be afraid to go out there and explore for yourself. You never know when you’ll find a new designer or brand that will inspires you or give you a new outlook on this art form we love.
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