Drawing inspiration from reality to offer a kind of bandage — that’s how Gabrielle Laïla Tittley, also known as Pony, describes her artistic approach. Her boutique of the same name offers clothing, plushies, accessories, and more, though some of you may know her for the famous Club Optimiste Ponyland. In an interview, the artist opened up about what drives her to create.

Since adopting her artist name around 2009, Pony has come a long way. The illustrator has worked on numerous projects and opened several pop‑up shops in Montreal, including one at Ausgang Plaza, before opening her boutique on the Plaza in October 2020.

“I think that for some people, the pandemic was the best time of their lives. And for others, maybe it wasn’t such a great period. But for us, we were making masks. So I didn’t really have those moments of being alone or isolated. We were together a lot,” she recalls.

She describes opening her boutique during COVID‑19 as a unique moment — something she compares to a “no man’s land.”

Four years later, things have stabilized for Pony, making it the perfect time, in her view, to collaborate.

Regarding her boutique, she says she truly loves the multicultural aspect of the Plaza: “I really love the weirdness — that clash between innovation, tradition, multiculturalism. There are so many things that make the Plaza the perfect spot. I’m really happy to be here.”

The past few years have allowed Pony to experiment with many things. Now, the boutique no longer releases collections but instead does drops: “Once or twice a week, we release new items. The boutique is going to be different from before.”

“I’m a very sensitive person. I think that for a long time, I’ve had this emotional surplus, a surplus of everything inside me. And when I was younger, I was really just looking for ways to wring out that surplus,” she explains.

She also says she’s surrounded by very sensitive people, which leads to beautiful conversations. “We’re pretty much each other’s therapists.”

“For example, the plushies or any piece of clothing — the goal is really to make people feel as little alone as possible, as understood as possible,” she continues, adding, “If you feel less alone, I think it brings a comforting feeling to the reality of existing in such an upside‑down world.”

For Pony, the idea is to make life a little softer — without “putting on blinders,” as she puts it — while offering comfort, a bandage for reality.

“It’s more like saying, hey, everything is upside down, but you’re not alone in feeling that way. We’re aware together, we’re doing our best, we’re trying to get through it together, and we’re trying to have a good time despite everything.”

She also explains that each little dog has its own story and was created during a moment in her life when she felt the need to make a companion linked to that specific experience.

The first one was Anxiyéti, a mix of yeti and anxiety, representing loneliness or isolation. Kinzu, on the other hand, is a broken heart meant to support people going through grief, though its scope is broad.

“It can be human grief, pet grief, the loss of a job you loved, a dream, a part of your body, or a disability,” the artist explains.

“Dandy is simply an unstable borderline. It’s a dandelion with abandonment issues, and Count Vulva is a vampire tampon, a blood-sucker meant to support people experiencing menstruation during that time.”

Pony’s drawings are very colorful, or “really candy-like,” but for her, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“It’s like a song by Les Trois Accords, you know—you can enjoy it on the first level, it’s just ‘yay,’ and kids can appreciate it. Or like a Disney movie. Then, when you watch that same Disney movie today, the one you watched as a kid, you pick up on new messages you didn’t notice before.”

It’s the same principle for her work: her creations can be enjoyed at the surface level, but also have deeper meanings.

“I really don’t think I’m the best illustrator; I think I’m good at making connections, creating double meanings. I think I’m strong in concept, and that’s what excites me the most,” she says.

Don’t hesitate to visit the Pony shop at 6534 St-Hubert Street on your next trip to the Plaza.