Published by Press release
Creating in her Mile-End workshop for more than a year now, Corinne Bourget gave birth to all kinds of accessories entirely made of leather. Together with Baron, she came up with the idea of a travel wallet for designers, architects and businessmen circling the globe yearly.
“I’ve always been attracted to leather. When I was 14, my father bought me a kit to make all kinds of shapes with leather. I instantly liked the material“, tells Corinne. Immersed in the world of leather as a child, Corinne completed her studies at l’Institut des métiers d’art and then went to try and learn new creative techniques in different workshops in France and Australia. “I worked in a small shoe shop in Australia and I found it very inspiring. They used stronger, thicker and stiffer leather: a manlier product. Perhaps this is where my intent to target male customers comes from.”
For her partnership with Baron, Corinne has made a classy wallet designed for globetrotters, named Peregrino. It can slip into a pocket and can hold a passport, credit cards, tickets and even a boarding pass. “I chose to do a masculine model because I was often told that it was hard to find this sort of high quality accessories for men, in Montréal“, explains Bourget.
Always thinking about functionality when she designs a new piece, Corinne began by taking the dimensions of the passport, the centerpiece of every trip around the world, before experimenting with prototypes. Peregrino’s final design was then refined and made more convenient.
Corinne’s other projects are also leather centered. She loves how the skin ages, the fact that it lasts longer and can be passed down from generation to generation. “Who hasn’t received an old leather bag from their grandmother? Over time, the leather’s texture becomes rougher. This is a material that sits between textile and woodworking. I would say it’s closer to cabinet making, because we do a lot of sanding and the tools are similar.”
Meanwhile, Corinne spends half her time making her own projects and the other half doing tailored-made orders. Her creations are already available on Etsyand Annex Vintage Art , 56 Saint-Viateur, in Montréal.