If we are committed to tanning leather and making the components of our accessories in an environmentally friendly way, but then we make each piece travel thousands of kilometres to assemble it: therefore eco-sustainability ends up right down the toilet. It is the simple programmatic concept on which the young French engineer Martin Meunier has decided to build a new leather goods brand. In general, nowadays, not only are large quantities of garments made of materials that are quickly perishable and often impossible to recover once they become waste consumed in the mass market but, to these, large amounts of energy consumed and pollution produced to transport them all around the world must be added too. A model diametrically opposed to that used by Meunier for his brand Valet de Pique. This approach has resulted in the “Émile” briefcase, a launch product made entirely of Italian full-grain leather assembled in France, as it used to be once. Yes, because Émile is inspired by the practically indestructible briefcases used by postmen a century ago and sewing them, as he tells himself to the fashion portal all-ic.com, is a small company from the 11th district in Paris: “It is a beautiful family-owned company, a historical activity that has been building belts and bags for electricians and post office workers for years”. To start his business, which in the future – as the young engineer hopes – will use only French leather, Meunier has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Ulule portal with the aim of raising 5.000 euros. A goal reached very quickly, if you consider that two weeks after the end of the campaign the startup has already reached a sum more than double: 11.000 euros. The money collected will be used not only to help the brand take its first concrete steps, but also to obtain the “Origine France Garantie” mark, which allows the consumer to trace every component of the purchased item.
