A Dialogue Between Leather and Fabric: The Story of a Unique Tote Bags by Two Artists

The collaborative project between textile artisan Katherine Paré and leatherworker and weaver Julie-Soleil Nadeau emerged from a shared desire to reuse existing materials to create unique and durable tote bags. They designed two models by combining leather and fabric. These bags are intended to be both aesthetic and functional, and not just mere shopping bags, by using treated materials to withstand the test of time. Julie-Soleil explains:

"No one is going to reinvent the tote bag, it's a fairly simple model. The goal was mainly to reuse the material we already had, and to decide together, with Katherine, about the patterns which would include a print from a piece of dyed and colored lace. We wanted colorful bags, even if they were unique pieces."

This project is the result of a fusion between two crafts where the goal is to offer creations that are entirely artisanal.

When Collaboration Comes to Life: From the Initial Idea to the Finished Product

The creation of these bags required a true synergy between the two designers. Katherine added her personal touch by working the fabric to make it resemble leather, using a complex gluing technique that gives the material a suprising rigidity:

"It's a gluing process: I use denim on which I've printed glue and then the fabric, and then more glue, and finally I pressed it all together."

Meanwhile, Julie-Soleil revived fabrics that she had woven with the help of her mother, more than fifteen years ago! The choice of materials, both leather and fabric, was carefully considered, with each step of the creative process marked by close collaboration. The duo spent time testing samples, sketching and making decisions together about design details. Their collaboration proved fruitful, with each creator bringing their expertise to achieve a coherent and harmonious final result. Julie-Soleil sums up this synergy:

“We each had our parts to do, but we had to agree on the style of bag. It’s a real collaboration!”

Technical Challenges that Shape the Final Design

As with any creative project, challenges appered during the realization process. The gluing of Julie-Soleil’s fabrics, for example, required particular attention due to their porosity. This step, although complex, resulted in a hybrid material that was both beautiful and functional. Katherine appreciates the contribution of Julie-Soleil’s expertise for the leatherworking aspect of the project:

"Several years ago, I received a grant from the Conseil des Métiers d'Art to learn how to make bags, a bit of the basics of leatherwork. I made a few, but I quickly realized that - phew, phew, phew - it's a whole other profession and making everything from A to Z was really hard and intense."

Another challenge was the repetition of the model, an unusual exercise for these two designers, accustomed to constant innovation.

“Katherine and I often have difficulty repeating the same thing,” confides Julie-Soleil.

Nevertheless, they decided to rise to the challenge by creating a bag model that could be reproduced for the online store, while reserving the more colorful variants exclusively for in-store sales.

Goals : Evolving the Project Towards Even More Varied Creations

For this first collection, Katherine and Julie-Soleil chose to only work with black leather; a decision that left them feeling somewhat unsatisfied. Katherine expresses her enthusiasm for the future:

"This time, we're left wanting with the black leather... It's prudent but still very beautiful! But when we went to the leather supplier, they had wonders! Reds, greens, purples!... I definitively want to produce more bags."

The prospect of playing with different leather colours opens endless possibilities for future collections. Julie-Soleil, for her part, sees this project as a confirmation of her abilities to create tote bags; an idea she had already considered for her personal collection. She concludes on an encouraging note:

"This project allowed me to see that it's not that complicated to dmake, it doesn't take too long either. It just gave me that little boost saying: Ah OK! I can do it!"

In summary, this collaboration between Katherine and Julie-Soleil not only resulted in the creation of unique and aesthetic tote bags, but it has also strengthened both designers' confidence in their ability to innovate and overcome technical challenges. The combination of their techniques and know-how promises bright prospects for the future, with the possibility of even bolder and more colorful creations!

Discover all the collaborative projects in this special 50th anniversary collection