"Less is more" is one of Aurélie Le Cléac'h's mottos. This determined Breton has applied it to the letter to create in 2017 her textile brand, Maison Balancines, which revisits the marine wardrobe.

The result? Models with soft colours, chic but refined, feminine without being too girly, ultra desirable! We immediately want to put on these beautiful wool jumpers, for days at the office, as well as for weekends by the sea. In line with the questioning of the ecological footprint of fashion, Aurélie has also worked hard on the quality of the clothes with her local workshops. The aim is for her products to be timeless and sustainable, for a reasoned impact of the brand, a desire dear to the designer.

From her home in Brittany, never too far from the sea, Aurélie has emptied her bag for the blog Bar-da !

Who are you?

I am Aurélie Le Cléac'h. I have been passionate about clothes since I was a child. Even if I don't have the classic background of someone coming from fashion (I studied law for a long time before working in sports project management), this passion resurfaced and materialized in my desire to concretize a project around clothing.

I wanted to launch a knitwear brand that was a bit revisited, more feminine and chic. I started with the sailor jumper. In Brittany, where I live with my family, there is a real know-how in this field. This allowed me to organise a short production circuit to launch Maison Balancines in 2017.

Which bag(s) do you use on a daily basis?

I have several bags, but I keep coming back to the same format: the big tote bag. I have a whole collection of leather tote bags, one of which I am particularly fond of (one of my husband's first gifts) in petrol blue patina leather from Linde Gallery. 

The bag in the picture is one of my favourites that I use for travelling. It's a Prada model that was given to me as a gift.

When I go to work, I also add a totebag and a schoolbag. I can be very busy!

 

What do you take with you?

The interior is supposed to be organised! But at the end of the day it's a different story! I work with several zipped pockets or pouches: a pencil case for my pencils, a small survival kit with lip balm, a mini credit card holder with my business cards, keys, my Iphone and a pencil. I also put my paper diary in it. I also have a Maison Balancines hat that I wear all the time.

In my totebag, I sometimes put a camera and often a bottle of water. And in my briefcase, my computer and a folder.

What items do you always carry in your bag (your must-haves)?

My minimum of survival :

- a lip balm from an organic and eco-friendly brand that I love, Laboratoires de Biarritz

- a tape measure

- a paper-mate pen

- a pair of sunglasses

- a fine merino hat from my Maison Balancines collection 

- my new shores leather key ring to better distinguish my keys

- my multifunctional wallet 

- a mini perfume among those I wear regularly

How do you find your keys?

I have just bought a Rivages key ring to find them better.

An anecdote (a (mis)adventure with your bag ...)?

It goes back to my law studies. At the time I was a trainee and had to go to a law firm. I had invested in a nice, classy bag to carry my files. Very confidently, I put it next to me. I ended up getting off at the metro station I had in mind, leaving it...in my place on the metro. Well, I went back to the station and eventually found him when the metro came back in the opposite direction, he was still in his place. He had made his little round trip by himself. I must say that it was unexpected, even if the train was almost empty. In retrospect, it's very funny!

What do you take with you on holiday?

I like to change my bag when I go on holiday. Empty the one I'm using, and take a nice bag, even if I risk losing it or having it stolen, and organise things well inside. I sort things out, lighten up on everyday things like my paper diary, but I always keep a notebook and often a few pencils. I can take a lighter leather bag or a cotton totebag or a basket, even if the latter is not always practical. In any case, it's when I change my bag that I start to feel like I'm on holiday.

When you go out, how do you carry your bag?

For the evening, I usually opt for a black mini clutch bag, from Fendi, without logo, with a gold chain or, to make it even more chic for me, no bag, just my little card holder inside my coat or dinner jacket pocket with my phone .... I think it's very chic to wear nothing.

How do you reconcile your professional and personal life in your bag?

The pro is in my binder: with my binder and my notebooks.

Do Parisian women have a specific relationship with their bags?

To tell the truth, when I'm in Paris, I like to look at everyone, Parisians and tourists alike. You definitely see a lot more it-bags than in the provinces. It's always interesting and inspiring to see what women wear on the street, their styles and attitudes. It's particularly revealing of their fashion desires.

Your self-portrait

I would say a quote from the adventurous sailor Bernard Moitessier:

"All the good and beautiful things that men have done, they have built with their dreams.

And for a mantra, in my current preoccupation, a slogan that could be read on placards during the climate march: "Planet before profit" .

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@maisonbalancines