Love Medals is Making Hearts Flip
February 10th, 2009 | Published in Designers
Words by Maria. Above photo by Robert Kent.
Your heart does a summersault at the sight of those eyes, the very ones you only have eyes for, and at the pleasure of their smiling gaze that falls only on you. How do you express this heart-flipping sensation, especially at a time so close to Valentine’s Day? Perhaps official recognition for the person that won your heart is in place. Love is a wonderful thing, but it can be equally painful. It only seems fair that the many trials and challenges one has to face in love’s arena must be properly acknowledged—and not just between lovers, but also between friends and family. Medals are given out to soldiers for their feats in war, so playing with the famous phrases: “make love, not war” and “love is a battlefield”, Love Medals has just the thing to recognize the feats of those vulnerable hearts.
The coffee shop we sit in is noisy, but I am instantly drawn to the engaging aura of Talia Alexander, creator of Love Medals, and Nick Hart, her business advisor. They came to work together just over a month ago after Hart fell in love with the idea of Love Medals and what it represents. “We had an instant connection,” Hart and Alexander say almost at the same time, so no “jinxes” get to be called out. “Talia showed me her idea and I was wowed. I just thought, ‘I love it’,” says Hart. Love Medals is exactly what the name implies–it celebrates the many types of love that exist between people in the form of a medal. It’s pretty much the most straight-forward and charming way to tell someone that you appreciate their love and want to award them for it.
The idea for this concept came to Alexander during a lengthy stay in Japan and, to her, the creation of Love Medals was something that was simply meant to be. “I really believe that the idea came from the universe and it is something that is bigger than just myself,” Alexander explains, “it’s not just ‘me and my idea’—it’s bigger than that— it’s a really positive and beautiful thing, so it’s something that people are really attracted to.”
Everyone needs a bit of positivity in their lives and after a not-so-positive time in Alexander’s life, she felt it was time to put her idea to action. Having graduated from Emily Carr where she studied photography, she has always had a connection with the arts, so her choice to pursue a career in jewellery did not come as a surprise to her. “Jewellery has always been in my life somehow—popping up here and there,” says Alexander, “when I was thinking about what it is that I wanted to do in life it just kind of came up again.” While she was in Japan, Alexander taught herself how to make jewellery. She fillied in the blanks as she went, drawing from the experience she’d gotten working for a local jewellery company and by reading a lot of books—an impressive accomplishment that in her eyes was no biggie. “Well, I’m an artist,” she’s quick to state after my eyes widen and I praise her feat, “I went to Emily Carr… I mean, it’s all art-related,” she adds modestly.
Handmade with sterling silver, high-quality Japanese ribbons, and in some designs Swarovski crystals, Love Medals come in a variety of shapes, colours, and sizes. They range from the simple ribbon-and-heart “Mini Love Medals” (retailing at around $50, pictured left) to the more glamorous “Romance Love Medals” with intricate hearts hung on satin ribbons (retailing at around $140, pictured above). The variety of designs allow for a wider audience and although most are more feminine, there are several designs that can appeal to a male consumer like the amulet Warren and the medal Keefer. Aside from having a good base variety in their current line, Hart and Alexander have plans to create several different lines. “Love Medals is a very adaptable concept and there are many different facets in the market we can tap into,” explains Alexander, “essentially, there will be a line for every type of individual or purpose.” “Our goal is to be as universal as possible,” adds Hart.
And the universal message of love is something that Love Medals is beginning to successfully convey. “Out of all the things in the world to be in business in [Love Medals] is probably the one thing I’d ever be the happiest to be a part of,” says Hart, “just because it’s got such a good message behind it and such a good vibe.” Even in the noisy coffee shop nearing the end of our interview we can certainly feel the positive vibes–and it starts to show: “Even you! I love you!” exclaims Alexander at Hart to prove the point of how many people have fallen in love with the idea of Love Medals. She proceeds to hug him and correct herself with, “I ‘Love Medal‘ you!” Hart looks mock-uneasy, but then laughs and hugs her back. I definitely want in on the hug at this point—too bad the table’s in the way…
Love Medals is currently available at:
The Front and Company
3773 Main Street, Vancouver
Fine Finds
1014 Mainland Street, Vancouver
Two of a Few
356 Water Street, Vancouver
Smoking Lily
569a Johnson Street, Victoria
Tenth & Proper
4483 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver
Love Medals donates a portion of their proceeds to the Compassionate Eye Foundation.
