About HEN + Bear

About HEN + Bear

About HEN + Bear

About HEN + Bear

About HEN + Bear

My name is Genevieve Smolders, owner and designer of HEN + Bear (hatched in 2011). I have a Bachelor of Design degree obtained from Ryerson University and now reside in Neustadt, Ontario in a beautiful “ontario cottage” heritage home. My local, handmade creations are crafted with love in my beautiful sunlit studio on the farm. All of my pieces are inspired by love of fashion, travel and life events. Customers from all over the world can relate to my work and are drawn to the bohemian / free spirit vibes. The brand has grown over the years and now my line is sold in 30+ boutiques in Canada from St. John’s to Victoria. What is a HEN/WHY K, Growing up with a name like Genevieve (when you don't live in Montreal) is difficult. So, naturally, Genevieve got shortened to Gen, and almost everything rhymes with Gen- pen, Ben, den... HEN! My mom and those closest to me have always referred to me as the cute little animal, so when it was time to name my line, Genevieve Smolders designs sounded a bit too serious for me. So, like it or not HEN stuck! Am I a HEN/Am I a Bear? I'm so confused! Tbh, Bear was launched in 2015 to fill a male void in the costume jewelry industry. We thought: guys like jewelry too! But everything available was either wayyyy too expensive or cheesy. In walks Bear. Over the years, however, the ladies liked the "male" stuff just as much as the gents, and the last thing we wanted to do was gender-bias- so we melded both lines together... You can be a HEN or a Bear- Read their story