By Kim

When most people hear about veganism they think food. It’s pretty easy to find food labeled vegan nowadays. Do you ever go shopping and find boots or handbags labeled ‘vegan’? It’s usually more challenging to find clothing and accessories that are completely vegan.

Yesterday I went to Montreal for the Mat & Nat Sample sale. Mat & Nat is a popular Montreal-based company that specializes in making designer, eco-friendly handbags and accessories.

I’ve always wanted a Mat & Nat handbag but didn’t want to splurge. I thought, why spend $200 on ONE handbag when you can get four at H&M for the same price? By the time they fall apart you are usually looking for a change anyway.The 90 per cent off regular price tag at the sample sale seemed like my kind of a deal. It was. I ended up getting a pretty sweet handbag, and a wallet. They even gave me a free clutch when I told them I came all the way from Ottawa!

Unlike shoes or boots, I have usually been able to find stylish vegan handbags at most stores. One thing that I never really thought about was, what are the cheaper bags made from? They are usually constructed of PVC or some other less than environmentally-friendly material. Mat & Nat uses recycled bottles and non-animal products in all of their creations.

I recently heard an interview with the creative director of Mat & Nat on CBC. He said that they have a vegan-only lunch policy at the office and when they go out to lunch during work hours. Although that might be a little authoritarian, I think it’s good in keeping with their environmentally friendly lifestyle of the company. Most workplaces have a dress code in place, so why not have a food code?

If you are going to Montreal this week, you should definitely stop in at the sample sale and pick up a new handbag, wallet, or laptop bag (Mat & Nat products are not just for women!) at the sale price.

The location is 333 Chabanel, Suite 505. Just off Autoroute 40 near the Saint Laurent/Saint Denis exit. Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. After shopping, why not pop in to Aux Vivres (http://www.auxvivres.com) for a coconut blt wrap and a bombay banane smoothie for lunch! That’s what I did! 🙂

If you can’t make it this week, Mat & Nat products can also be purchased online: http://www.mattandnat.com/