North37Design

The America's Cup inspired the three San Francisco entrepreneurs behind the start-up North37Design.

We met Guillaume Fournier-Montgieux, one of the founders of North37 Design. He told us more about the story of the company, why he sees many opportunities for foreign labels in the United States, and how he discovered 727Sailbags which products are sold on the companie's website... 

Guillaume, you created a few months ago North37 Design, an online store for French eco-friendly well-made labels. Tell us how everything started. 

We are three cofounders : my wife, Elise-Anne, Lia Cicuto a native Californian with an Italian heritage and myself. Our company is the sole distributor of the French label 727Sailbags. 

We are very proud to represent them in the US and are doing everything to increase the awareness for their products here. The interest for the products is very promising. We just delivered an important order for a high-end store in Long Island ! 

How did you get the idea ? 

It all started last year with a gift from my father-in-law to his daughter : a bright, colorful, stylish handbag made of recycled sailcloth, a 727Sailbag. Simple, chic and unique! Why not sell them here in California in the city of the America's Cup? Then came the idea of the brand name as we were watching a race from our apartment in San Francisco, at latitude 37° North!

727Sailbags is a young and very successful French company. It originated in 2009 in Brittany where a sailing addict Jean-Baptiste Roger, Hobie-Cat 16 World Vice Champion got the idea of creating bags out of used sailcloths. Thanks to the dynamism and creativity of the team, 20 or more local jobs have been created since then, and the bags are now sold in 13 countries all over the world. I strongly believe that France can export a lot of ideas like this one. 

Tell us more about the products. Is there a best seller ?

This is a difficult question... Every item is selling so well! Besides the bags (all sorts of bags, sport, travel, messenger...), 727Sailbags designs furniture (lamps, bean bags, chairs, pillows...) and even polo shirts. And they opened a first store in Paris recently. 

The sailcloth material comes from sailing boats. Do they buy the sails? What would happen if they were not transformed into Sailbags?

727Sailbags collects used sailcloths from individuals or professionnals. In return these people get a bag made of their boat's sailcloth!

Sailcloths usually end up being burnt or sent to a landfill site. In both cases it's bad for the environment. Recycling is a necessity not just a trend.  

The color of the bags depends of the sailcloths that arrive to the factory. Everybag is unique. They are not two alike! Sailcloths from raceboats are darker than the one made of cruise boat sails most often white.

We love the authenticity label. What is the most famous sailcloth ever used by 727Sailbags?

Each bag carries a dream, the story behind the sail. The authenticity label is stitched inside the product. It details the type of sail used, the ocean in which it sailed, the type of boat, and the name of the boat for the most famous skippers. The most famous sailcloth? ... the limited edition created with Eric Tabarly's Pen-Duick sails !

The products are sold on north37design.com. Can we buy 727Sailbags somewhere else  in San Francisco ?

Yes. We organize frequently Private sales, like the one on the 18th of March at le Garage Bistro in Sausalito. Our bags are also sold in two stores: Frank's Fisherman and Chez Berlue. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us "[email protected]"

What are North37 Design's projects right now?

We will soon sell other high-end eco-friendly products, also made of used sailcloths, but of a completely different style.

And we will be in Newport Beach for the Boat Show at the beginning of April. Very exciting !