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Timeless Design Bags That Last a Lifetime

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A Q&A with Vincent Roussel, lundi’s Founder.

Vincent Roussel, founder of lundi, is committed to designing and producing bags and accessories that are both elegant and functional, while also being environmentally responsible.

With a design philosophy focused on listening to users and creating minimalist products that offer a perfect balance between form and function, lundi‘s products are built to last a lifetime.

In this Q&A, Vincent talks about his background, the inspiration behind lundi‘s designs, the company’s core values, and its commitment to producing less and producing better.

Hi Vincent, tell us a little about your background.

Before embarking on my own entrepreneurial adventure, I worked for several years in an advertising agency, before directing the marketing of various sports and textile brands.

What first got you interested in product design, and when did you decide to start your own brand lundi?

I have always had a passion for beautiful objects and design in general. I worked for a long time for sports brands, where product development was above all centered around functionality. These first experiences made me want to apply this design approach to more urban products, everyday products that are not intended for a top athlete but for everyone.

In 2014, I started designing bags and accessories whose primary objective was to accompany a man during his working week. lundi (which means Monday in French) was thus born and began to be distributed three years later.

What’s the philosophy behind the brand, and what are its core values?

Our philosophy is simple: we want to design products that offer a perfect balance between elegance and functionality. Minimalist products where every detail counts. We assume that lundi’s customers do not come to buy a product, but a set of services that this product is able to meet. Our five founding values are quality, minimalism, elegance, functionality, and responsibility.

You define lundi as “A creative studio listening to users”. How do you approach design and where do you find inspiration for new products?

Our design team works to analyze and understand the needs of our customers. Each product is designed with regard to the services it must render: transport your computer safely, optimize the storage of your cables, have an external battery at hand, keep your passport secure, leave for an overnight trip, quickly go through airport controls, be able to use a motorbike taxi upon arrival at your destination…

These services are multiple and well reflect all the functions that our products must integrate. The answer to these needs must not obscure the quest for elegance, quality, and durability of our products. This is why at lundi we want this functionality to be discreet to keep all the elegance of a product with clean and timeless lines. This minimalist approach is for us the best answer for designing products that will transform our daily lives.

Observing people in trains, planes, hotels, or simply on the street is our greatest source of inspiration. With our design team, we are also very attentive to the evolution of the way of working. Remote work, like the intense development of co-working spaces, has considerably changed our relationship with our work tools. The accessories that we develop must therefore correspond to these new needs.

lundi’s approach is very environmentally friendly and your motto is “Produce less and produce better”.
Tell us more about it and how your products reflect this vision.

For us, the most ecological product is one that lasts for many years and can be repaired. Regarding raw materials, we work primarily with vegetable-tanned leathers. A virtuous tanning process that limits the use of chemicals and guarantees a very natural leather, which will acquire a patina over time. For our metal accessories, we favor brass which offers very high resistance. And our zips are made by YKK, high-quality metal zips. Finally, we manufacture in reasonable quantities and under conditions that respect people and the environment.

Where does lundi manufacture its products and how did you find the best workshops to partner with?

We manufacture our collections in a workshop located in Istanbul, Turkey. A workshop on a human scale, which despite everything, has incredible know-how in high-end leather goods and gives us maximum flexibility. It is indeed very difficult today to find factories that agree to produce in small quantities.
The vast majority of European workshops require high minimum orders, which lead to large stocks and intensified consumption. These practices are contrary to our philosophy.

How has lundi evolved over time, and how do you envision its future?

Unlike a fashion brand, we systematically carry over our product models from one season to the next, gradually expanding our catalog with new shapes, materials, and colors. Our focus remains on developing new bags and accessories for men, with exciting designs planned for the future. Additionally, we’re currently working on developing elegant and intelligent office accessories that aim to beautify workspaces and simplify daily organization. Finally, we plan to launch a women’s collection in the coming months that embodies the same philosophy as our men’s collection.

What have been the biggest challenges that you had to face during lundi’s entrepreneurial journey?

Each day presents new challenges, as the world is rapidly evolving, and we must constantly adapt. One of our biggest challenges has been sourcing the best raw materials necessary for the quality of our products. It’s crucial that our design team integrates all the intrinsic characteristics of these materials into a coherent design. Ensuring our products are elegant, functional, and durable presents daily challenges that we are committed to overcoming.

What public figure, past or present, do you feel best represents the overall style of the brand?

That’s an excellent question that I haven’t given much thought to before. Our products are primarily aimed at businessmen, but I don’t believe there is a public figure who perfectly embodies our brand. I like to think that everyone can find a product in our collections that meets their needs without having to associate it with a particular personality or style beyond its functional purpose.

Leave us with a motto that the company will always believe in.

Travelling will never be the same.


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