Marc simard artisan
OWN ONE THING THAT LASTS A LIFETIME
Hi, my name is Marc Simard and I craft handmade leather goods - wallets, belts, bags, and more - from my small home studio in Lac Superieur, Quebec. We moved up here when my partner Risa was 8 months pregnant with our daughter May, and ever since we’ve been out here renovating this old house, trying to make beautiful things, and trying to build a life and community that’s in line with our dreams for her future.
POSSÉDER UNE CHOSE QUI DURE TOUTE LA VIE
Bonjour, je m'appelle Marc Simard et Je crée de la maroquinerie à la main - portefeuilles, ceintures, sacs et plus - à partir de mon petit home studio à Lac Supérieur, Québec. Nous avons déménagé ici lorsque ma partenaire Risa était enceinte de 8 mois de notre fille May. Depuis que nous sommes ici, nous rénovons cette vieille maison, essayons de faire de belles choses et essayons de construire une vie et une communauté qui correspondent à notre rêves pour son avenir.
THE POWER OF ARTISANSHIP
Does the pressure of trying to make good ethical and environmental decisions weigh on you too? This stuff keeps me up at night. The state of the world, how to make sustainable choices — what sustainable even means — plus trying to make a living for myself and my little family. It’s a lot.
As a lifelong vegetarian working with leather, I live in the crosshairs of ethical questions. I guess we all do. Personally, I do this work because I believe in quality artisanship and materials. I also believe in using as much of each animal as we possibly can and making products that don’t put more plastic into the world. I work with leather that is a by-product of the North American beef industry and is vegetable-tanned by one of the last craft tanneries in North America. It’s not a perfect answer for all the challenges that keep me up at night, I haven’t figured out this ethical calculus that we’re all tangled up in.
All I can offer us is this: if you purchase one of these pieces — which I make by hand with a lot of love — you will own one thing that lasts a lifetime.