julia monet
it’s not about the clothes
by barbara marlowe

You start to relax the moment Julia meets you at the door, barefoot and smiling. Doubts about the private appointment fade as you are offered a cup of tea and wander about the cozy, light-filled salon with billowy curtains and hand painted murals on the wall.

Get ready for a totally new “shopping experience” with Julia Monet, business owner, clothing designer and Ayurvedic Beauty Consultant. One look at the twinkle in Julia’s eyes and you realize it’s not about the clothes. Or the make-up. Or even the money. It’s about the heart and soul of style-your heart and soul as expressed in color and fabric. No matter what size or shape woman you are, when Julia Monet gives her full attention, you begin to feel more beautiful inside and out. And who knows beauty better?

Julia Monet began living her life with beauty and passion when she was age nine and set her sights on becoming a professional figure skater. “My parents never pushed me but just kept up with my dreams to be the best skater I could be,” says Julia. After years of daily training and perfecting turns to a degree of 1/8th inch, she became a Canadian Triple Silver Medalist. Then, at the age of 19, Julia joined The Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice. Her natural grace and flowing command on the ice thrilled tens of thousands of people in venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York City and Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

In show business, Julia learned about fashion design, make-up artistry and hairstyling. Yet almost as soon as she started, she felt there was more for her to be doing. In addition to having great physical beauty, outer skill and success, she also experienced much inner emptiness and unhappiness. As Julia puts it, after three years of stardom, she realized it was “time to explore a deeper, more meaningful world inside to balance my outer success.”

Julia threw open the door to her next passion—inner growth—leaving show business to find enlightenment! For seven years, she traveled Europe, Canada and the United States, receiving extensive training in meditation, Yoga, Sanskrit, Ghandarva music and Ayurveda. “It is our inner beauty that shines through brightly,” became one of Julia’s guiding life principles.

In the mid-eighties, Julia gave birth to Simone, a Day Spa that integrated all she had discovered on her inward journey as well as her experience in show business. Named after her daughter Simone, the spa featured a clothing store, a chemical free hair salon, massage, and products to elevate the mind, body and spirit.

Yet once again, Julia was drawn inward, and once again, she had the courage to trust her inner guidance, even if it meant leaving a successful business behind. Acting upon a strong inner knowing, Julia became a full-time parent and decided to home school her daughter. Julia and her husband moved to North Carolina, creating a new spiritual home and raising a very independent daughter. Then (of course!) Julia’s creative juices started to flow and she was ready to start another business, this time in Asheville. At age fifty, Julia wanted to honor her own needs as well as those of her clients. She wanted an intimate setting with low stress, maximum control and freedom of expression.

“J. Monet infuses my spiritual values into every aspect of my business, from the style and design of the clothes and fabrics, to the way I try to treat and honor the inner voices and feelings of my clients,” Julia states. “I want to create a place where women can bring their body issues and feel loved and accepted, a place of Grace, full of unconditional love, honor and respect, and a place where I can make the time to give my full attention and sincerely care about each woman’s presentation to the world. To me, these are all enlightened qualities and treasured by those who receive it!” And when a woman like Julia Monet engages her highest intention, magic happens.
J. Monet reflects the precision and dedication of a professional athlete, the grace and charm of show business, the wisdom and calm of great introspection, the kindness and nurturance of a loving mother and the joy and energy of a sprite!

Good fortune and serendipity bring women to J. Monet. For example, Kate Stockman, manager of a non-profit organization, found her way to J. Monet by asking a friend where she found such a “stunning outfit!” Professional women refer clients or are referred by clients. Lita Perkins, part owner of Hire My Husband found Julia through her husband! Women like Diana Harje, comptroller and Maureen Sher, owner of Asheville Pilates, met Julia socially. Still others have attended one of the numerous Fashion Fundraisers that J. Monet participates in for local non-profits.

Julia asks clients to come in individually for their first shopping experience as she prefers working one-on-one and giving her full love and attention. Barclay Law, owner of Design with Feeling, remembers being surprised at how much “private, personal time” there was with Julia. Diana left her first visit with an “incredible energy of being loved” that she naturally felt like passing along throughout the rest of her day.

Clients describe Julia in many ways although there seem to be common themes: “Julia is a beautiful woman, joy-filled, pixyish…Endearing with a childlike quality and great maturity…A big spirit…Warm, compassionate, loving…Discrete, kind and empowering…An energetic little being…Graceful, gracious and welcoming.”

Indeed, Grace fits Julia to a T.

There are many unexpected, pleasant surprises at J. Monet. Her clothes are often colorful and free flowing and offer an opportunity to embrace the feminine in a powerful yet fun manner that surprised Elizabeth Barbour, Coach to the Inspired Entrepreneur. Janie Halderman, entrepreneur, feels that Julia’s clothes “pull out the joy and femininity in me in a manner that is not pinched, cuffed or poked.” Mary Reeves, therapist, observes that Julia’s clothes help women to “loosen and lighten up.” For many women, to be seen in the mirror by loving eyes is a new experience and is the first step towards healing a negative body image. At J. Monet, each woman is celebrated for her individuality and encouraged to find her inner love and express it outwardly.
Occasionally, Julia agrees to see teams of mothers and daughters, or sisters and friends. Elizabeth gave a wonderful example of how shopping at J. Monet can be a powerful healing experience. Elizabeth was adopted; having recently reunited with her birth mother, Elizabeth brought her birth mother to Julia’s store, and together they tried on clothes. “To have someone honor the two of us who are so similar in physical connections helped both of us get right with our bodies.”

Kate offered another story of bringing her thirteen-year-old daughter in to create an outfit for a Mother/Daughter Tea they were to attend together. “My daughter looked like a Goddess, felt great, and now thinks the world of Julia.”

Indeed, Julia sees the Goddess in each of her clients and encourages women to feel and express their Spirit. All of the women interviewed say they receive compliments every time they wear a J. Monet creation. “I look and feel better when I wear Julia’s clothes,” says Janie. “Plus, the clothes are so affordable that it’s possible to purge my old wardrobe and only wear what I love.”
Ironically, both women who hate shopping, and those who love it, all enjoy shopping at J. Monet. Julia works with each woman’s individuality, customizing both design and colors. Elizabeth states, “By being part of the design process, the clothes feel like an extension of myself.” Maureen agrees, saying, “I feel I have my own personal label.”

J ulia’s designs can be dressed up or down and coordinate easily. They are washable and usually wrinkle free with no zippers, buttons or snaps. If you didn’t know it already, you might sense that Julia was once a dancer or skater, because the clothes are flowing and feel glamorous. They encourage movement!

An important part of the J. Monet experience is not only her line of clothing but also accessories, socks and jewelry handmade by local artists. Julia offers Ayurvedic Facial Treatments and her own line of Organic Ayurvedic skin care products and makeup. Ayurveda is a branch of the Vedic Philosophy meaning “Science of Life” that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. The wisdom of Ayurveda is based on the principle of balance in body, mind and spirit. Radiant beauty is the result of balancing the naturally occurring elements in each individual’s physiology.

In keeping with true Ayuvedic tradition, Julia’s line of skin care is based on the needs of each woman’s skin. Lita switched to Julia’s skin care products from another more expensive all-natural line and experienced a “more calming effect with the same effectiveness.” Barclay finds the Ayurvedic skin care products “easy to use and tailored to what my face is asking for.”

Julia’s clients recognize the depth and the connection of her spiritual beliefs with her business practices and products. “Being with Julia is almost like going to church. She lives what she believes and is firm in her integrity and tolerance,” says Diana. “She walks her talk,” notes Barclay. Lita “resonated with Julia’s spiritual life being the foundation of everything she does.” Mary summed it up when she said: “Like wheat in a basket, Julia gathers and brings together people, experiences and ideas, and many different and wonderful loaves of bread come out of it.”

As a community service, Julia creates Passion for Fashion Shows to raise consciousness of Women’s Inner/Outer and Lasting Beauty. All proceeds go to non-profits and she uses clients, friends and board members as models. The shows are very touching, loving and uplifting experiences, and for some women, being a model is the manifestation of a lifelong dream!

As one of Julia’s clients likes to say when spreading the message, “J. Monet is for REAL women, with REAL bodies, living REAL lives.” While this is definitely true, it only skims the surface. J. Monet is not about the clothing, but about transformation, setting an enlightened example of how a conscious woman can mind her business with love and respect, live her passion and contribute to women valuing and healing themselves.

Barbara Marlowe and Imagine Possibilities blend traditional psychotherapy approaches with mind-body awareness, creative improvisation, movement, quantum imagination and a little bit of magic. While Barbara knows J. Monet may not be about the clothes, she sure finds them fun to wear! You can reach Imagine Possibilities at 776-3459.