Stix was born Margret Christine Salzer, in Vienna, Austria. Fleeing the Nazis in Austria, she moved to Paris in 1938. There she began designing "haute couture" ceramic buttons and other small fashion accessories, with pieces commissioned for fashion houses including Lanvin, Balenciaga, and Schiaparelli. She was then held for a short time in the concentration camp at Gurs. After being released, she emigrated to the United States in 1941, living in New York City for the rest of her life.