Oh, The City.
Birthplace of empty wallets, cardio with shopping bags, food babies and food coma's.
Beautiful sightings, hidden gems and tourists.
But no fear, Coeur Belgique is here (haha, I am so funny)! Your guide along The City.
First up is Jules & Co, a little jewellery shop here in Antwerp, hidden in de 'Nieuwe Gaanderij', situated at the 'Huidevettersstraat'. Or for the beauty junkies among us, near the MAC store, and for the fashion junkies next to & Other Stories.
Melanie founded 'Jules & Co' in 2013 after she got the needs to open her own little boutique. Although she studied Office Management and Applied Linguistics, she is doing a great job, if I may say so.
Jules & Co, I really love that name. It is casual and carefree, and lingers. When I ask her how she chose the name for the shop, she smiles and proudly tells me that Jules is her grandfathers name, since he always inspired her to do things.
Whenever you walk into her little place of heaven, you are always greeted with a smile and a 'Hello'. Oh yes, she is a one-woman-business so far. Did you now Jules & Co has a webshop as well? You can check her webshop here.
The interior is clean and white so the jewellery and accessories are genuine eye-catchers, where they find their home on wooden shelves or in gorgeous glass boxes. There are no 'big' pieces, but this is heaven for everything dainty, elegant and simple. If you love layering jewellery, this is Walhalla. Melanie chooses jewellery with a slight bohemien feel and relies on her intuition.
When I came in for the pictures and a little interview (read: we almost talked for an hour, little right haha) I wondered what the future will bring. Melanie is really realistic, no I-want-a-shop-in-Paris-kinda-dreams but just to let the webshop grow and play around with the shop interior.
But, without even telling us, she already designed a few pieces in collaboration with I.Ma.Gi.N. Jewels. Sneaky, haha! I am not telling which ones, you'll have to go to her and ask her (tip: animal). But it might happen more in the future, to be continued...
As Jules & Co is most known for jewellery, Melanie also sells accessories, little bits for your interior, clothing,... just much more!
She sells a lot of brands, to name a few: Anna + Nina, I.Ma.Gi.N., Betty Bogaers,... etc. Just go in with a heavy purse, you might need it.
I have to admit, in case you didn't notice, I love Jules & Co. Everything is so timeless, elegant and as she said simple. Simple jewellery, for a simple mind. I already wrote a post once, showing a few of my favourite pieces (here).
As I end my interview with 'Describe yourself in only three words', two come out pretty easily and fast: I am chaotic and social. The third one seems to be hardest, as we (yes, again, my chummy was with me) suggest 'free-spirit", which she kinda joined in with. Well I'll give one: she is just lovely.
'Bankrupt' or 'Filthy Rich' (do you get value for money)? The pieces are right in between H&M and Wouters & Hendrix. Not the best quality (remind you they are dainty), so care is needed as in when your necklace is stuck in your huge scarf, DO NOT PULL. But all in all, you get what you pay for.
'And I will walk 500 miles' or 'In the blink of an eye' (easy to get to)? It is really easy to get to since it is near 'Groenplaats', where you can get public transport. And it is really close to the 'Meir', Antwerps shopping street.
'Asian Paparazzi' or 'Hidden Gem' (flooded by people or still unique)? As I notice myself, still a lot of people don't really know Jules & Co. So it seems. I think it still has the 'hidden gem' factor, although a lot of people have heard from the shop.
'Feels Like Home' or 'Yeah, visiting the family-in-law' (how is the atmosphere)? It just feels like home. The shop might not be the biggest, but that is cosy and we cannot forget the personal touch you get whilst shopping.
P.S. Did you know Jules & Co already? How did you get to know about the shop?
Social media Jules & Co:
Instagram: julesenco (link)
Facebook: Jules & Co (link)
Bisous S., X