The strapped howe clutch- photographed and styled by Assembly New York.

The Cona bowling bag - modelled by Ali Mapletoft, shot by Lea Salomone.

We really enjoy seeing the different ways in which people interpret M.Hulot and how it is worn and styled.

The first image from Assembly New York,who are stocking the Strapped howe clutch bags, is just wonderful in its minimalism. What better way to show off the two tone colouration and Italian leather than a pure white outfit. Classic but cool, perfectly done!

The second image is of Ali Mapletoft, founder of UK scarf label Age of Reason. Wearing one of her own scarves, and dress by Kelly Love, she uses the Cona bowling bag to both contrast and anchor those romantic and anarchic prints.

I remember really clearly hearing about the opening of Darkroom, in 2009, and feeling so excited.

Here was a store that finally acknowledged the affinity between fashion and interiors, championed colour in new and original way, and that positioned clean and classic design alongside ethnic and tribal product. And to set this all off- the interior was painted black!


It felt like a breath of fresh air, and after my first visit,  I was literally reeling!

Suffice to say, my love of Darkroom has continued, and so it was in October of last year that I sold them the M.Hulot Strapped Howe clutch in red, navy and green. Having arrived in store at the beginning of the week, I couldn't resist visiting, to see them sitting in my favourite colour blocked environment!

I am sure you're all Darkroom aficianados, but if you're never made the trip, or are not yet prive to this bold and unique world then do check it out...

www.darkroomlondon.com

A

Today I took a little trip to Hub in Stoke Newington, North East London, to see some M.Hulot pieces in Situ!

Being a North London gal myself Hub is a personal favourite of mine, with far too many desirable pieces in one space for a girl to keep a hold on her purse strings.

Hub founders and buyers, Lou and Georgie, have created a truly welcoming store. With beautifully edited choices of laid back cool and colour selections to die for, you can't help but swoon.

Nestled amongst brands such as Grenson shoes, MM6 clothing, Beth Graham and Camper, and displayed on wooden ladders and matt painted shelving, M.Hulot is in good company.

For SS13 Hub have cherry picked the Burr wallet, the Kampuchia coin purse, the Strapped Howe and the Bru satchel- the perfect choice from small leather goods through to faithful satchel. 

www.hubshop.co.uk

A

Many years ago, long before I had any ideas to create my own bags and accessories, I came across a poster on Spitalfields Market and wanted it instantly. The poster was for a film, 'Mon Oncle,' that I had never even heard of, let alone had the pleasure of watching.

My desires were met with a firm NO from the Hulot husband, "How ridiculous to have a poster for a film you have never seen!"

I was so drawn to the bold orange and green, the stripey socks peeping from the 'too short' trousers, the swing coat silhouette, the boy's satchel, the cheeky dog and the loopy scrawl that I said nothing,  but thought "I'll just have to watch the film then."

... and so my love affair with M.Hulot began.

When deciding on a name for my line of bags, M.Hulot seemed like the perfect choice. The character's struggles with the modern and fast-moving world surrounding him, are portrayed in such a touching and endearing way, that you know it's his world that you want to be part of.

I wanted it to be the same with the accessories. In a time when the 'it' bag ruled and embellishment and hardware featured heavily I wanted to design simple styles that the wearer could connect with. This philosophy continues four seasons on.

The character Monsieur Hulot is often in my mind and the other day I was delighted to see this article on the D & AD website which talks about and illustrates the use of sound in 'Mon Oncle.' For existing fans and new devotees alike, it's a great and heart warming read (and listen).

We're delighted to be featured in the February 13 issue one of our favourite magazines, Monocle.

Sitting alongside other heavy duty leather goods from Paris and the US, we're in a good space!

We were also excited to see an article on the Istanbuli photographer, Ara Guler, whose work we viewed at The Istanbul Modern on our first trip to the city. Although, he has shot around the world, his loveliest work is the ongoing documentation of Istanbul, his home city. A true local, he has recommended the Kiyi fish restaurant, which we look forward to seeking out on our next trip to our Turkish makers.

With the popularity of our last 'behind the scenes' blog post I thought I would let you in on M.Hulot's very first designs back in 2011!

You will recognise some of the pieces, even if not in their final form, where as others bit the dust when I started coming across those painful production restrictions for the first time!

It seems like a long time ago now, yet I feel so much affection remembering those first ideas for the now signature pieces, the Garrard Clutch and Prussia Satchel.

The continued popularity of these styles has allowed us to return to them, release new colourways and to reimagine and tweak them to perfection! Look out for further innovation on these styles in SS13 and AW13 to come.

A

Happy New Year! Although we're super excited about our AW12 sale (and it seems as though you lovely lot are too) we can't help but look forward to the SS13 collection which will be arriving in February.

In anticipation of the new pieces we thought we would share our inspirations, designs and development. Hope you enjoy it!