The Only Vegan Bag You’ll Need This Fall (Win!)

Lambert is a Canadian brand whose lovely founder, Mélissa Lambert, makes vegan bags and accessories with a mission to make our lives easier via practical, versatile and chic styles and by integrating all the useful compartments. Think: bags that can be worn with comfort and ease for all occasions, that are able to adapt to different activities in your everyday (your shoulders and back will thank you for it, too!). We chatted with Mélissa about her creations, and are giving you a chance to win a Lambert bag of your very own! —Noa Nichol

Hi Mélissa! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

From a very young age I developed a strong interest in entrepreneurship since my parents were both entrepreneurs. I completed several degrees and spent seven years as a brand manager in a large telecommunications company before finally living my dream and launching my own business.

When and why did you launch Lambert, and what piece started it all?

I was pregnant with my second child and began looking for a multi-purpose bag that was both chic and practical. I couldn’t find anything on the market that met my needs. I was also looking for a nice maternity bag and it was impossible to find one. That’s when I got the idea to create the bags I had always dreamed of wearing. I started working with a young Canadian designer to put the ideas I had in mind to fruition. We launched with three models: the Sara, Charlotte and Mia (the perfect maternity bag designed to be worn as a backpack, a differentiating aspect). In September 2017, six months after giving birth, I launched my online store. At first it was a personal project, but as the demand for my bags grew I quickly understood I had to find a location for the holiday season that was approaching. I decided to open a pop-up store in the heart of Old Montreal. We had an excellent (and also very exhausting) holiday season! After, I realized that I had created a real brand and that I had to devote myself to it full time in order to ensure its growth. I decided to quit my job and become a full-time owner of my company. During the summer, I had the chance to take part in the show Dans l’œil du dragon (Quebec’s Dragon’s Den), which gave Lambert great exposure all over Quebec. Since then, we’ve been constantly developing our products and points of sale.

From a fashion/style perspective, what is Lambert all about?

For each and every one of our bags we focus on their practicality, which makes them unique to the market. We design our bags to include various compartments so that each item put in the bag can remain tidy, while at the same time ensuring are bags have a minimalist, chic and elegant look. We want our bags to be versatile and accompany the customer from morning at work to her “happy hour” in the evening. It’s a big challenge to combine practicality and fashion in the creation of a bag model, but we firmly believe that we succeed every time!

Tell us about the brand’s (and your) commitment to sustainability, ethical manufacturing and humane consumption.

We are a very transparent brand; we present the design of our bags on our website, we explain that the creation of the design is made in Canada and that the production is made in Guanghzou, China. We chose this region because they known across the world as experts in vegan leather goods, which allows us to offer bags of the highest quality. For us, it is very important to choose partners who share the same values as we do. Animal ethics and sustainable development are at the heart of Lambert. We have PETA certification that proves no animal has been harmed in the design of our products and we use polyurethane (compared to our competitors who use PVC, which is much more harmful to the environment). We are also currently looking for vegetal leather materials, which would allow us to be vegan AND eco-responsible. This kind of material would be biodegradable, therefore excellent for our beautiful planet. We are constantly looking for innovations, as much for the design, as for our environmental practices.

Is it safe to say, once you go vegan leather, you’ll never go back?

Absolutely! Not only is vegan leather designed with animal ethics in mind, but we firmly believe customers will have never seen a material such as ours you that closely resembles real leather. What’s more, unlike real leather, vegan leather is water resistant, so there is no need to worry about it on rainy days. The comfort and ease of caring for a vegan leather will further solidify your desire to shop vegan bags.

What Lambert bag are you currently rocking on repeat?!

The Charlie model, which is available in five colours, because it is versatile and perfect for summer. (The versatility of our bags makes them very popular; you can achieve several looks with one bag.) I also love the Elie. We collaborated with an influencer, Elie Duquet, who is very well known in Quebec. We created this bag from the beginning with her and it became a great seller!

designlambert.com

Win! A $130 Lambert Olivia Bag!

We have a winner! Congratulations Dana N. of Regina, Saskatchewan, who will receive a Lambert Olivia bag in black!