Shops We Love: Chic & Basta

Online boutique Chic & Basta is helping draw attention to local, Quebec-based artisans. “It became our mission to be ambassadors for these creators,” says Louis Durocher, who runs Chic & Basta with Manon Martin, his wife, from their home in the Eastern Townships. The store features a range of covetable, “perfectly imperfect” pieces, like minimalist vessels from Montreal’s Marjorie Camiré and sleek wood utensils from the Chaudière-Appalaches region — proof that artisanal methods and mod style can happily coexist.

“We really want to renew what ‘handmade’ means,” Louis says. “It can be authentic and have soul, but also be contemporary, modern, beautiful.” The pair is also focused on responsible production, favouring eco-friendly, small-batch pieces that are made to last.