Totes, Clutches, Crossbody, Duffel, Fanny Packs, Beach, Saddles, Backpacks, Satchels, Briefcases, and many more different types of bags – designed, crafted, and hand-stitched even to provide an authentic, genuine, hand-made touch with premium materials, fibers, yarns, threads, and leather.
From collectors of designer and branded bags to fashion enthusiasts who just love matching bags with different wardrobe styles for every occasion and place. It has to match! It has to just go along with it! And most times the wardrobe styles have to be decided around a particular bag.
At the same time, when speaking about creating or bringing anything into existence in this day and age, every strategy, action, and goal is considered on how to reduce pollution, waste production, and harm to the biodiversity and the ecosystem by incorporating and integrating sustainable innovations in the making.
Hence, efforts are taken by people in all industries as well as entrepreneurs to think highly about encouraging sustainability in their works and operations.
In the fashion and apparel industry, sustainability can be encouraged by – not harming the inhabitants of biodiversity and the ecosystem, reducing enormous waste production, reducing the use of natural resources by opting for sustainable approaches and methods, and more.
Therefore in this article, we will be talking about the story of one such entrepreneur who climbed high and reached the skies of the Hauts-de-France (region in France) in designing and handcrafting her very own feminine handbags or ‘sacs’ for women by a more sustainable fashion.
Mathilde Le Gagneur – Founder, Designer, and Entrepreneur:
Having always had a passion for the field of arts and design, Mathilde Le Gagneur developed a liking for and was very soon smitten with her entrepreneurial enthusiasm from a very young age to do something different that bridged the gap between her identity and something that she would love working on.
She took to drawing very quickly in school and was sure along with her family that she was destined to be a part of the fashion industry in one way or another.
Mathilde Le Gagneur left her hometown in Normandy, in the northwest of France, and traveled to Paris for her enrollment and studies at the National School of Applied Arts – Olivier de Serres, when she peaked at 18 years of age.
Soon after a short study and experience at Decorative Arts School – Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs (ENSAD), Mathilde Le Gagneur left for London to enroll in a public art school – Central St. Martins. This place is where she blossomed and started to quickly gain experience from this impactful phase of her life.
With an interest in clothing, a teacher back at Central St. Martine in London helped Mathilde Le Gagneur lock a job opportunity down in the famously known Louis Vuitton.
Here, she designed and worked on a variety of pieces as a French Fashion Designer for Leather Goods and designed wallets, clutches, purses as well as jewelry for bags.
Her hands-on experience working in a huge reputable and popular place like Louis Vuitton, Mathilde Le Gagneur became pregnant and had at the same time bought a house back in her hometown Normandy. After moving there for her pregnancy, she was motivated and driven to do something that would launch her into the industry landing her on a bigger and recognizable platform.
This is where Atelier Le Gagneur was founded and established.
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Atelier Le Gagneur:
A self-made and handcrafted leather goods company named – Atelier Le Gagneur was founded by Mathilde Le Gagneur in the year 2017. The company and its business operations were established in the founder’s hometown – Normandy, Northwest France.
With the experience of living amongst a vibrant and aesthetic culture and lifestyle that felt comfortable and truly like home for Mathilde Le Gagneur, she soon started designing quality feminine handcrafted bags or Sacs (French for ‘bags’) for comfortability, functionality, elegance, rawness, and all with a touch of sophistication.
Atelier Le Gagneur – Made in France, Designed in Normandy, was hand-made and designed with utmost care and passion.
Raw materials such as raw linen canvas are used going through a meticulous treatment of water-repellent. The OEKO-TEX Label is partnered up with Atelier Le Gagneur in testing their materials for 350 chemical exposures before giving the all-good signal.
The raw linen canvas is sourced from Masters of Linen and Ecotex, where the linen is woven in Belgium.
The leather material is sourced from Vegetable-tanned French cattle collars. These leather materials are sourced from French Tanneries of Arnal and Sovos-Grosjean. Leather naturally softens over time and hence the founder provides solutions as to how to care for her leather bags more carefully.
Her bags are either upcycled or recycled in her mission to lead an environmentally sustainable business. Satin, Denim Upholstery material, and Wool are some of the items used as an eco-friendly strategy.
Currently, Mathilde Le Gagneur is on a temporary journey to finding a partner in marketing to help her continue to the next chapter of Atelier Le Gagneur.
The right color, utility, fashion sense, durability, origin, material, feel, smell, and especially the designer who made it, are the factors that every woman would consider and research when planning to purchase any bag. A form and symbol of accessory statement in the fashion world, bags are designed in different styles for various occasions – be it casual and day-to-day, or for glamour and luxury. French Designer of Leather Goods – Mathilde Le Gagneur has made her dreams and passions come true with Atelier Le Gagneur, and is excitedly waiting for the next chapter to begin!