Style Q&A: Canadian brand Monos aims 'to create luggage that puts quality and design first'
Credit to Author: Aleesha Harris| Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 18:00:31 +0000
The days of clunky, oversized luggage pieces that create more stress and struggle than streamlined simplicity while traveling appear to be behind us.
And travellers have young brands like Monos to thank for that.
The Canadian travel accessories company, which is co-founded by three Vancouverites, aims to create durable and thoughtfully designed suitcases that will stand the test of time, trip after trip.
Hubert Chan, one of the founders of Monos, recently chatted with Postmedia News about the company, its cases and what makes them stand out.
Q. For those who aren’t familiar, what is Monos?
A. Monos is a proudly Canadian travel and lifestyle brand making premium luggage with an emphasis on thoughtful, well-considered design and high-quality materials and craftsmanship. We seek to inspire people, through our products and brand, to travel in a mindful and present way — to embrace the journey, not just the destination.
Q. Is there a story behind the name?
A. Our name is inspired by the Japanese concept of mono no aware, which is an appreciation of the impermanence of all things, and the unique beauty of fleeting moments. We believe that, all too often in our travels and in our busy lives, we’re thinking of what’s next, or how we can show our friends what we’re doing — we often forget to slow down and fully experience the present moment.
We believe that when we travel mindfully and immerse ourselves in the here and now, our experiences become so much richer. That ethos underpins our whole brand, and comes through in our design, visuals, and storytelling.
Q. What makes it different from other suitcase brands?
A. We wanted to create luggage that puts quality and design first. In this era of fast fashion and passing trends, very few things are built to stand the test of time anymore — both in design and craftsmanship. We believe that more people are becoming mindful of this, and are looking to own fewer but better things. We took this approach in creating our luggage, putting equal emphasis on form and function.
We put careful, thoughtful consideration into the big and little things: from rethinking the traditionally wobbly telescopic handle to be sturdier as well as more natural to use, to choosing only the best materials and components we could find, to thoughtfully considering the tactile and sensory experience of our interior lining fabric. All of these things — along with our brand that seeks to connect with people on a deeper level — add up to an experience that we think will really resonate with people in a way that other brands aren’t doing.
Q. Who is the target customer?
A. We make our products for like-minded people who appreciate the value of good design and are looking for well-made, aesthetically beautiful luggage that they can keep for a long time. We have invested in strategically located warehouses here in B.C. and in Ontario so we can serve Canadians — and our American friends — quicker. We can get our luggage to our customers anywhere in Canada and the contiguous U.S. in just two to three days.
Q. How, if at all, does being a Vancouver-based company impact the business and designs?
A. Being based in this beautiful city, we are blessed with daily inspiration in our surroundings and in the city’s zeitgeist and culture. Slow living and mindfulness are concepts that are pretty well understood in Vancouver, so it felt natural to build our brand around these ideas. And our luggage’s signature design was inspired by our home as much as our mindset. By pausing to appreciate the present in a city with so much natural beauty, we noticed a common visual rhythm in everything, from the radiating ripples of a raindrop to the gradation of colour in the sky during sunrise and sunset. We refined and distilled this rhythm into the asymmetric progression of lines you see on our luggage today.
Q. What is the price range?
A. Our collection of luggage currently ranges from $275 to $345.
Q. And where can people check them out?
A. All of our products are available on our website at monos.com.
Q. Lastly, what’s next?
A. We have a new colour-way, travel accessories, as well as some exciting new additions to our luggage collection coming very soon!