Our Story

Every Monark box begins with a simple belief: gift giving should feel like an act of love, not a task on a list.

I'm Marlo, founder and creative director of Monark. My path here wasn't a straight line — it started in nursing, where I learned what it means to show up for people in their most vulnerable moments, and how much a thoughtful gesture can carry. That instinct for connection never left me, even as my career did.

Creating became my outlet long before it became my work. In 2018, I trained as a metalsmith, the quiet focus of shaping metal by hand gave me a kind of calm I hadn't found anywhere else. For a while, I set that aside for a corporate path that looked successful on paper but left little room to create what I was passionate about. 

Then came a season of profound loss, and with it, the unexpected gift of time. I stepped back, and spent a year in reflection.  Learning, experimenting, and slowly building a body of work that felt genuinely mine. What emerged was clarity. I wanted to build something beautiful and intentional, and to take the stress out of one of life's small but meaningful rituals: giving the perfect gift.

That's how Monark was born, a Canadian made luxury gift brand, handcrafted in our studio on Vancouver Island, alongside hand picked curated products to make gifting simple, meaningful, and elevated.

We're represented by the monarch butterfly for a reason. It's a symbol of transformation, a reminder that even the hardest seasons can give way to something beautiful. That's the spirit behind every box we create.

In a world where gifting has become rushed and impersonal, Monark brings back intention. Each box is thoughtfully curated. Many of our pieces are handcrafted in-house, alongside other Canadian makers we're proud to work with. The result is modern luxury with heart — gifts that feel as good to give as they are to receive.