Opelle Showroom

When Amy Malcolm was unable to find a leather bag to suit her urban lifestyle, there was only one thing to do: take matters into her own hands. She needed a bag that could take her from day to night, withstand the whims of a city cyclist and work in the Canadian climate — all the while looking both current and timeless. “It had to be equally be punk and luxury,” Amy says. The fact that Amy had never made bags before wasn’t about to stop her.

At the time, Amy was happily working in tailoring for a private clothing label. Despite her lack of tote-making skills, she was knowledgeable about sewing, pattern drafting and fashion as a whole. Fortunately, leathers do not require dry cleaning instructions or have to mold to the female form in the same way as a jacket would. Armed with her know-how and a lick and a promise, the hopeful entrepreneur quit her gig with only a single paycheque to her name. “It was a totally different ballgame,” Amy notes.