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The month of May has arrived and in Quebec, it usually means that Spring is finally here. Everyone steps outdoors to feel the sun on their skin and people begin to sit down on park benches again, watching the leaves burgeon. Nature is coming alive once again and the children scream with delight! It’s one of my favourite seasons.
So this year, to celebrate our first Spring back in Quebec after a few years abroad, I wanted to introduce to you 11 new cheerful and colourful styles of handkerchiefs. This small spring collection brings together a variety of thicknesses and sizes - and as always, each handkerchief tells a story: extraordinary hankies named in honour of extraordinary stories!
So without further ado, here they are.
Léon
Léon is a beautiful two-ply handkerchief, featuring a unique pattern created by Lou, founder of Bleu Tango in Paris. Decorated with majestuous peacocks on crisp royal blue organic cotton poplin, Léon is lined with sateen to offer you comfort and extra absorbency. It’s an absolute must for the warm summer weather!
Léon’s Story
When we arrived in Provence six years ago, we settled down in a beautiful home located in the countryside, between two vineyards. We had the most breathtaking sunrise and sundown, being nested on a hill, with vines as far as we could see. At nighttime, when the sun went down, we would sit quietly on the stone terrace with a glass of cold white wine which we sipped on as the children zoomed by on their bicycles or jumped in the pool. And, from far away, we heard strange screams coming from the hills: Léoooon, Léooooooon, Léééooooon! At first, we wondered what this unusual sound was! But later, we learned that our neighbours at Château Revelette had a family of peacocks and that funny scream was theirs! So you see, it was quite obvious when I found this beautiful fabric with peacocks that I would name it Léon.
Brigitte
Brigitte is a lightweight white and yellow gingham handkerchief. Summery, it reminds me of lazy simmer afternoons, when we settle down in a park or on the beach with a picnic and a cool glass of rosé.
Brigitte’s Story
Why did I name this handkerchief Brigitte? For two reasons: the first is that this lovely name reminds me of my mother-in-law whom I love dearly and who wears this colour scheme so well. And the second is that in the sixties, the famous Brigitte Bardot wore this type of checkered fabric, inspiring women to adopt the style, too!
Ettore
You might remember this handkerchief’s navy cousin featured in our Fall Collection! This season, Ettore is offered in pastel hues - elegant, soft and comforting to welcome the arrival of Spring.
Ettore’s Story
Ettore Sottsass initiated the Memphis Movement in the eighties - a group of designers who was renowned to give a new life to terrazzo/granito, which this print subtly refers to with its unequal and colourful spots!
Arthur (blue)
This liberty handkerchief in cool shades is lightweight, silky and oh-so-soft. I absolutely ADORE it as a summer handkerchief!
Arthur’s Story
In the 1875s, Arthur Liberty printed the first Liberty fabrics, which quickly became extremely popular in the textile world. Even today, Liberty fabrics are highly sought after. Offered in over 100 variations each year, each roll of fabric is hand-drawn and printed in Italy near Lake Como.
Arthur (red)
This gorgeous liberty handkerchief features a warm colour scheme. Just like its cousin, it’s lightweight and silky - the perfect handkerchief to cuddle your nose during springtime and to keep you company as your eyes water during wedding season.
Arthur’s Story
In the 1875s, Arthur Liberty printed the first Liberty fabrics, which quickly became extremely popular in the textile world. Even today, Liberty fabrics are highly sought after. Offered in over 100 variations each year, each roll of fabric is hand-drawn and printed in Italy near Lake Como.
Conrad
When we came back to Montreal last summer, we rediscovered the pleasure of walking in the heart of the botanical gardens - a small oasis of nature at the heart of the city. The Montreal Botanical Gardens offered us a welcome moment of calm and beauty in nature that feels good for the soul!
Conrad’s Story
Brother Conrad Kirouac is at the origin of the creation of the botanical gardens. A specialist in Quebec flora, he conceived this large-scale project to preserve Quebec’s floral heritage and to popularize botany. Today, the botanical garden has many gardens, including the Japanese and First Nations gardens, which are renowned around the world!
Cabana
Featuring beautiful blue and white stripes, the Cabana handkerchief reminds me of the beach towels that can be found in many large hotels by the sea.
Cabana’s Story
The blue and white stripe pattern has always had a reference to the nautical world. Borrowed from sailors by Coco Chanel, stripes became popular in the fashion industry and are still all the rage today! Cabana” stripes (Spanish for “little hut” or “little den”) are now the most popular stripes for the poolside or beach!
Zar
Lined with white organic cotton sateen, this crisp turquoise handkerchief features maximum absorbency. It’s the perfect companion to mop your sweaty brow as the warm season unfolds!
Zar’s Story
This summery handkerchief was named after Queen Zar, Queen of the first Egyptian dynasty, Queen Zar always wore a bracelet with turquoise stones, which she believed protected her.
Simba
Incredibly soft and thick, the Simba handkerchief is a revisited version of our black and purple limited edition Simba model, which was a huge success! More sober, but just as pretty, this one features a printed fabric with thick Tencel lining.
Simba’s Story
In Swahili, “Simba” means lion… And if you have kids, you’ve probably already made the connection with the famous Lion King! I named this handkerchief Simba because its tropical foliage pattern reminded me of the jungle. And although my first instinct was to name it Henri, after Henri Rousseau whose work I love, the name Henri has already been given to our beautiful white and red polka dot handkerchief! So here is Simba, I hope you like it!
Molly
Fashionably crinkled like an elegant summer scarf, the Molly handkerchief is all white and speckled with black. Very thin, it takes up very little space in your pocket despite its large size.
Molly’s Story
I named this lightweight handkerchief Molly in honour of Molly the Dalmatian, who was adopted by an Ontario fire station as their mascot. The local firefighters trained her to teach local children about fire hazards and what to do in case of a fire (lie down, roll over, crawl, etc.).
Timothy
The Timothy handkerchief is incredibly lightweight, almost translucent. It is made of ultra-fine white cotton with powder blue stripes.
Timothy’s Story
This extra fine handkerchief was named after Timothy Linh Bui - director of the 2009 American film “Powder Blue”. The connection to our airy summer handkerchief? It’s the reference to its soft shade of blue!
So are you ready to replenish your handkerchief collection with some of these cheerful summer handkerchiefs?