I met Melody through my local circle of the national women's entrepreneurship network, Bouge ta Boîte. She is an image consultant, and we immediately clicked—I quickly wanted/needed to use her services, and she wanted mine in return.
So, we did a "skills exchange": I benefited from her expertise, and she from mine.

A longtime fan of the House of Chanel, she wanted a bag inspired by her favorite model, the 22.
Chanel is a brand I only know from afar, and even less so this specific model. So, I studied it from every angle to understand its construction and try to capture its essence.
The goal was, of course, not to make a counterfeit but to create something she would love while taking on an interesting technical challenge. Since this style isn't usually my personal preference, it was also a great opportunity to step outside my comfort zone.

Custom projects based on an idea rather than sentimental materials are less common for me, but I enjoy them just as much.

I started with sketches, mock-ups using paper scraps, then fabric offcuts, and finally a large canvas piece (much like making clothing) to refine the assembly and proportions.

Then, I transferred everything onto sturdy paper to create a pattern.
Finally, I ordered two full leather hides, matching leather "laces" for the handles, and the hardware.

The leather turned out to be stiffer than I wanted, so I thinned it down completely using my skiving machine—a stressful process, but it paid off, even though it will still take some regular use to fully soften.
I also hand-marked the quilting lines and then stitched the dozens of meters required.

Once everything was assembled, I invited her to the workshop just in time for Christmas.
Total success—she’s thrilled!

Thank you, Marie, I love it!! ☺️