Welcome to my world!

Come see us!

Francis

Here are some of my behind-the-scenes shots of the creation of an advertising campaign that brought together the prestigious “dream team” of Birks, L’Oréal Paris, Denis Gagnon and m0851:

Follow us on Facebook to see more . . .

Francis

So here are the little prizes from today’s shopping!

A bag for my mom, it’s been a while I wanted to offer her a beautiful and high-quality bag, so it’ll be perfect for Christmas 2011! (I hope she won’t be reading this post, or else, hey Mom !)

A computer bag. Yes I know, I already have one, but (because there is always a but) you should know that my computer is my working tool and therefore, I carry a computer bag about 5 days a week. I did try to carry a computer bag with my purse and my lunch bag, but after several months of public transports twice a day (I realize that I’m actually persistent) with all those bags, I’ve given up and decided to only carry my computer bag with the strict minimum that I need for the day (all women will understand me, we have a tendency to carry around our entire lives in our bags). So we understand each other now, I can’t just go with only one computer bag.

Which brings me to the fabulous strict minimum. Believe me, it definitely was a must that I renew my « minimum carry-ons ». And I fell in love on this flashy pink! And so of course, I almost bought the entire collection. Almost, because I had the voice of reason with me, a friend who was maybe not the most well placed to give me advices given her bags collection (we cogitate, push each other into purchase, it’s actually quite mysterious the behavior of two girls in a store). Business cards holder, wallet, multi-cards holder, I am ready to go. But the best of all, it’s my friend who got it: the same purse that the cobalt blue on which I just flashed on, but in pink. Amazingness!

A satchel, don’t you find it awesome! And I did not have a satchel yet (I know, it’s a scandal, can you believe that!) But this one is not for me but for my sister-in-law! (some of us are lucky to have me as a sister-in law)

It was snowing this week, so it was a perfect timing to convince my boyfriend that he could not spend another winter without a suitable coat. So, I dragged him (almost forcibly) to the sale with me (before getting rid of him to focus on my purchases with my friend) and there I come across the perfect vest: warm, perfect length, detachable fur (he’s not a big fan of fur, but I give myself a couple of months to make him change his mind) and AM-AZING especially! There, here’s a gift honey!

When you work a lot, it’s alright to reward yourself every once in a while, don’t you think so? (I am a big believer of this philosophy, it makes all those little excesses ok). So, tell me all about your m08 purchases this weekend!

♥
Aurélie

Want to receive a 70% discount on our bags, clothing and accessories? Come and partake at our sample sale located at 5555 Casgrain Street (St-Viateur corner) in Montreal from November 25^th to 27^th.

Friday: 9AM to 7PM / Saturday : 10AM to 5PM / Sunday : 12PM to 5PM

Think Holiday shopping!

 Sneak peek : Follow us on our facebook page to discover the pre-sample sale. The countdown has officially begun!

The m08 team

MELISSA, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I love fashion and digital media marketing. I like to think I’m on the cutting edge of fashion and digital, but when it comes to family I’m a traditionalist. I live in Vancouver, British Columbia. I grew up with the Vancouver rain but was born of Filipino parents in California and spent my conflicted teenage years at a high school in Portland, Oregon.

ISAAC, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I love Melissa. I live in Vancouver, British Columbia. I firmly believe in that saying “Home is where the heart is.” I was born in Zimbabwe, grew up in South Africa and Canada, and my family background is Ugandan. Most of my energy is focused on health care improvement and unique approaches to reducing poverty.

How did you discover m0851?

Melissa: One evening in 2008 we were walking down Alberni Street in Vancouver, and Isaac noticed this new store.

Isaac: I saw the store a few days earlier. I couldn’t go in but did note the beautiful lines of the jackets on the mannequins in the window.

Melissa: Okay, one evening in 2008, Isaac took me to this new store he wanted to check out.

Isaac: Honestly, I saw mostly women’s bags in the window and wasn’t sure whether the store was unisex, but I thought Melissa would really like it so we stopped in one day.

Melissa: I fell in love with the gorgeous leather bags and Isaac was marvelling over the chic interior design of the store.

Isaac: You forgot to mention you were feeling up everything in the store!

Tell us about your first m0851 purchase.

Isaac: As usual, Melissa was chatting up the store owner, Kimberly.

Melissa: We were walking out of the store empty-handed when Isaac noticed a mannequin wearing what Kim informed us was The Safari Jacket.

Isaac: I fell in love again. I remember Kim’s warning: If you try it on,  you’re going to walk out with it.

Melissa: Of course, I encouraged you to try it on.

Isaac: Indeed, you spotted the jacket and I made the purchase. That was our first m0851 purchase.

What do you like the most about m0851?

Melissa: The clean design and the way the leather feels against your skin.

Isaac: Every jacket I own seems like it was custom-tailored just for me – whether it’s the leather, wool or that crazy waterproof Matrix-looking synthetic.

Do you have a special weakness?

Melissa: Shoes. Shoes. Shoes. If m0851 made shoes, I might not have money to eat.

Isaac: That’s my Melissa!

Is there one piece that has caught your eye? Why?

Melissa: My next purchase will definitely be The Vachetta medium bag in chestnut. It’s the perfect bag to throw all your essentials in when rushing out the door.

Isaac: I think every girl needs The Flat Zip in black. It goes with everything and is suitable for any occasion. Simply elegant.

What are you going to do after this interview?

Melissa: We’re going to “Thierry,” a chocolaterie-pâtisserie-café, for some macaroons and gourmet hot chocolate.

One last – hairy – question: How do you pronounce “m0851″?

“Em-Zero-Eight-Five-One”

And now, with a brand new store that opened last week, it’s as if m0851 were staging its own “Back to School” in Toronto, in a new part of the city, after a – long – month’s absence. (Which truly does make the heart grow fonder!). As you know, m0851 is a brand, and behind every quality brand are the people who make it what it is. As I’ve already pointed out, I love the youthful aspect of m0851. So picture in your mind a Young m0851 carrying a new store in its backpack and arriving with great expectations in Bayview Village! Sweet!  (Wow, have I just set the scene for the next blockbuster best-seller?!)

There’s one thing about m0851 that I have to share with you. It’s this: To the good folks at m0851 the design of their stores is as important as the design of their products. They are so self-reliant  – it’s unbelievable! This quality-driven attitude is reflected in everything they do. And, as with their fine products, m08 people insist on doing things their way, according to their – good – taste, without slavishly following flash-in-the-pan trends. This holds true for their stores.

Ergo, I officially declare that m0851’s new motto should be, with a tip of the hat to the great philosopher Descartes, “I create therefore I am.”  What’s even more fascinating to me is that m08 defines itself as an architectural design brand as well as a fashion brand. When you think about it, this all makes perfect sense and explains why you feel so good when you walk into an m0851 store (probably as good as the way my computer feels in its soft quilted bag):  you are entering –totally – the beautiful world of m0851.

Speaking of which, you may have already heard this wonderful news on Facebook or Twitter: m0851 now offers its own guest rooms. Yes, you read me right! Just above the store in the heart of Antwerp, Belgium, is a classy Bed & Breakfast created by m0851. Now, that, to me, is absolutely the ultimate way to live. I must admit that I would love to play the role of investigator for m0851 on assignment in Belgium over Christmas. My selfless investigative work would, of course, be just for you! (That, dear friends, should give you an idea of the lengths I am prepared to go to for you to discover m0851 in all its glory!)

I will definitely keep you posted.

♥

Aurélie

Are you ready for October yet? I totally am! October is my month and this year I’ll be celebrating my first quarter century. Hooray! So, in a burst of inspiration, I decided to try something new that will involve you: I will open every month with a brief portrait of one of you, dear friends, since you’re the ones who’ve made the m0851 brand what it is. It is you who make it come to life. So get ready for the first Tuesday of every month!

What do you think of this idea? Oh, come on now, let’s see some enthusiasm! (Please, I’m counting on you.)There, that’s the spirit! To get things off to a great start this month, I’d like you to meet Marie.

Marie, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a social media strategist. Which means that, yes, I pretty much spend my entire life on Twitter, Facebook and other social media websites. However, contrary to what people often think, it is not always as much fun as it looks! On weekends, I usually try to “unplug” and take a time-out from Facebook.

I live in the district called La Petite Patrie, one of my favorite neighborhoods in Montreal. I like its quality of life, its proximity to the Jean Talon Market, the children playing in my street, and I especially love my new garden: Next spring, my goal is to transform it into an urban oasis.

How did you discover m0851?

When I came to Montreal in 2002, I was intrigued by all the leather bags I was seeing carried by so many people. I would spend hours on the m0851 website, dreaming about those great handbags that I could not afford during my “I’m perennially broke” student days.

Tell us about your first m0851 purchase.

I remember it well: It was in 2009, and I had finally decided to treat myself. I had this crush on a round bag, with so many storage pockets that I knew would finally allow me to stop spending hours in front of my house trying to find my keys at two in the morning! Since then, my bag collection has grown: three handbags, including my calfskin bag, my most recent purchase – as of today. And I can’t leave out my accessories collection (card holders, cases for my business cards, wallet). As you can see, I’m a real fan!

What do you like the most about m0851?

The quality of the leather that gets even better over time: it softens but stays beautiful. I also like the versatility of the bags. You can either carry them as a handbag, or over your shoulder while riding your bike. You can even take them to dressier occasions.

Do you have a special weakness?

Yes, there is one item that dominates my wardrobe: cardigans! I have dozens of them, in different colors and styles. In the winter, they keep me warm in comfy layers. In the summer, I always have one at hand to survive over-air-conditioned places like restaurants, movie theatres and offices!

Is there one piece that has caught your eye? Why?

Without a doubt, the Vachetta leather bag. That bag is a true classic that’s missing in my collection.

What are you going to do after this interview?

Get a new purse!

One last – knotty – question: How do you pronounce “m0851″?

I’ve always pronounced it “Em-O-Eight-Fifty-One” because I read somewhere that those numbers represent the date of birth of the label’s creator. I hope I’ve got it right!

And now :
• Your code name m08: m1283
• Your favorite season: Fall, when all the leaves change color and the nights get cooler
• The book on your nightstand: Right now, l’Extravagant voyage du jeune et prodigieux T.S. Spivet, from Reif Larsen. An amazing book that combines a story, notes and sketches in the margins. A must!
• The one song that’s always playing on your ipod: My obsession of the moment: Do you like my song, from Elephanz, super loud, on repeat, guaranteed for a good mood.
• Your favorite meal: My mom’s osso Bucco, a must every time I go back to France. It is the one meal that would save me every time I’m feeling down.

If you’d like to be my interviewee next month, send me an email at s1086@m0851.com! I’m looking forward to meeting you!

♥
Aurélie

This season, the two colors grabbing the spotlight at m0851 are cobalt blue and mahogany. Cobalt Blue? It’s time for full disclosure: Blue in general (and cobalt blue in particular) is my color. It’s the one color that could make me stop wearing black. That shows you just how much power cobalt blue has over me. I used to call it electric blue, but obviously, yet again, I was off the mark.

The other morning while fiddling with my cereal (you know, the kind that bloats, floats and then spills out of the bowl, which only adds to your morning stress) and at the same time trying to turn the pages of the most recent issue of Loulou, something happened. I came across  across this outfit. I have to admit that this past summer’s color-block trend (sorry to those of you who hate that term) tempted me, but I could never pull it off. Still, this total cobalt blue look is nifty, right?

And – lo and behold! – the very next day, on my weekly pilgrimage to m0851, I came across this little bag. It was love at first sight. And a perfect tie-in to the look that caught my eye in the magazine.

So how about you? Do you think you’d dare to go all mahogany or all cobalt blue this fall?

♥

Aurélie

I knew I had to remedy this pitiful situation. So, I asked Faye for a level 101 crash course on leather. I just had to be able to at least pretend that I knew what I was talking about when people asked me about my computer bag. “Why, darling, of course, it’s aniline leather . . .”

Now, now, dears, don’t fret. I’m not planning to become tedious all of a sudden and annoy you with a bunch of complicated, incomprehensible details about leather. That would be ridiculous – especially coming from me – and besides it would be B-O-R-I-N-G.

Still, I know you must want to know a little bit about the types of leather used by m0851. “Yes!” I hear you cry out in unison. So, here we go.

There are four types of leather.

Aniline leather. This is a full-grain leather, which, in concrete terms, means that it comes from the upper part of the skin. Impressed? I really like this kind of leather because its gloss finish gives it a funky quality.

Week-end bag.

Danka leather. This type of leather is much like aniline but with a matte finish. Now don’t worry your pretty little head; you’ll still look cool. (Remember this: it’s always essential that you look cool, even if you’re a tax consultant. — Oh, how I love coming up with theories!) Like all quality leathers, Danka’s look becomes like a second skin and gets better and better over time. Just as we do! Yes, we do!

Computer bag.

Vachetta Leather. This is cow leather. (“Moo!” – Sorry. Get a hold of yourself, girl!) Here’s a little history lesson, dear friends: Vachetta was the first type of leather used to make classic objects such as Roman sandals, cowboy belts, etc. Mainly accessories. At m0851, this leather is used only for bags with a “raw-edge” style, naturally cut and without an additional layer. And it is vegetable-tanned since cow leather is very resistant. I must admit this to you: this knockout shopping bag is beckoning to me.

Classic.

Blackboard Leather. This is a full-grain cowhide leather, just like Vachetta. Even though I suck at knowing the different kinds of materials, I understand why the name “blackboard” was chosen thanks to my current hearth throb, this fabulous bag. Unless you were born yesterday and have never seen a chalkboard in a classroom, this is a term we can all relate to. I find its vintage aspect appealing, especially since I did not receive as an inheritance from my grandmother her nifty purse bought in 1956. So much for that part of  family history for me, but I can still make it happen for my future granddaughter, who will be thrilled to show it off to her girlfriends at school. (I just know I’m going to be the coolest grandmother.) And until that day comes, it is the bag to have: It improves with age and looks as if it is getting younger as the years go by. You could say it is the Benjamin Button of the bag world!

Luggage.

And what about you? Which types of leather ring your bells?

♥

Aurélie

So… Z to A, what is it this time? Actually, it’s the name of their last campaign. It’s as simple as that. If you still haven’t seen it, hurry up and take a look at their catalogue, it is amazing (no but seriously, remember that I receive no share from m08)! But we may wonder, why Z to A rather than A to Z?? Well, as you’ve probably already realized, at m0851, they do everything upside down, and more specifically, they love doing the opposite (and that’s actually why we love them!)

So here’s the explication, it is as simple as that ! Well, not really. There’s a « real » explanation.

Do you remember the last two catalogues? Rural (which led them win the Grand Prize Grafika (might as well use this opportunity to say hello and great job to this guy!) and Urbain? In those last two catalogues, we can see some pieces of m0851 in their daily usage, both in the country or in the city, wore by us, or at least…mannequins in this case. Come to think of it, we could have done as well at home with our brand new purchases from m08 and with the family camera, yes Mister the photograph. And if we take a look at the long path that the product followed, from its fabrication until being on our shoulders, we therefore started from Z with those catalogues. You, me, our jacket and our m08 bag, while rolling in fields and biking around. Life, to sum it up.

For this last catalogue, m08 has decided to bring us back to their place, therefore, back to A. Everything is made here, and it is not a joke (except for the scarves, et this too, by the way, I will have to tell you the story next time). Everything, even the display stands. I swear, m08 has its own cabinetmaker. It’s definitely worth it to go to their annual sale just to see how amazing their offices are (seriously, even their toilets, and that says everything, just like in a restaurant. This is where you see the real quality of an enterprise, don’t you agree?).

But now, I really have to tell you about the HUGE machine. M0851 has an incredible team, some people who are there from the start and who make our bags, jackets, etc. (from A to Z this time). The leather comes from Italy, and then hop hop hop, everything is done in Montreal. You’ve got to admit that these days, it is a bit upside down to be creating some clothes in Montreal and then to be selling them in China (M08 has its own boutique in Tapei in case you did not follow our adventures on Facebook). And this is an “upside-down” that I love. Don’t you?

And so, this machine. It is gigantic. When I was young(er) I used to work in a factory, to get some money throughout the summer. But what I can tell you is that the machine I used definitely was not as fancy as this one is. First, it was much smaller and I could not even praise that this machine was eco-responsible.

Why eco-responsible? Because it identifies every single measure and shape of the leather and optimizes the cut in order to waste as little leather as possible for each of m08 design that’s been saved under the software. You get the picture. An engineering thing but an engineering thing that speaks to us.

Take a look at this giant! I have to precise that I’m far from being amazed when looking at machinery but this time, I have to admit that it impresses me a bit. Especially the fact that it is the only machine with such a technology level in North America, since the majority of brands subcontract their fabrication in emerging countries, let’s be honest.

So this machine impresses me as much as its manual use amazes me. For me, the persons who cut their leather themselves create the soul of the brand.

So here you go, this is also this side of m0851 that I discover day after day, a mix of high technology and know-how and a side I wanted to share with you today.

Have a great weekend everyone!

♥
Aurélie