From its inception, WestmountFashionista has been a space where I’ve shared all of the beautiful things that I love. It’s also been a space where I’ve endeavoured to share the fashion industry in Canada. From larger global brands based here in Montreal to independent designers, I’m proud to highlight the incredible talent that calls Canada home. With that said, I’m so thrilled to introduce you to the amazing Leah Legault and her absolutely stunning knitwear line Caulis.
Handcrafted here in Montreal, Caulis represents all that is wonderful about the shift towards sustainability and a more ethical approach to fashion and production. With her background in luxury retail and a degree in visual arts, Leah brings a refined and artistic aesthetic to her recently launched knitwear line. Combining that with her love of knitting, Caulis is comprised of pieces that are beautifully constructed with the prettiest subtle details. Feminine and refined, Caulis also exudes a relaxed and welcoming vibe. The pieces are as comfortable as they are beautiful, lending themselves to be worn everywhere from a fashionable cafe to lounging at home.
I’m so thrilled to share this interview with Leah. I know you will fall for Caulis as much as I have. To pick up your own pieces, you can shop the line {here}.
What inspired you to launch Caulis Knitwear?
I’ve been knitting, crocheting and embroidering since I’m a pre-teen. Last year, two friends and I were self publishing a sustainable fashion magazine, Bienséance (you and I hosted an event together at Naïf!), and I would write knitting patterns to encourage our readers to find sustainable materials to make their own clothes. I got into searching for ethical and sustainable yarn via wholesalers and local wool mills, and I was able to find a lot of lightweight yarns for finer knits. A hand-knitter wouldn’t normally bother making anything large with yarn that fine, so I figured I could turn this into my own business instead. I found an old-school 80’s knitting machine in great condition on Kijiji and got to designing my first samples.
Who is the Caulis Knitwear client?
I think our client is someone who gets nerdy about the technical aspects of fashion, who’s maybe a bit picky about what they wear and ask themselves a lot of questions when they shop. I want our client to be impressed with our answers. Every aspect from yarn selection, dye process to garment construction has been considered for it’s quality, wearability and sustainability. I only use natural and eco-friendly fibers like organic cotton, TENCEL™ and 19.5 micron mulesing-free merino that I dye in-house.
The style is for the contemporary fashion customer who likes to follow trends and niche brands. I enjoy romantic, bold and feminine clothing, but tend to reach for more casual and comfortable pieces day-to-day. Certainly, I can’t be alone in loving getting dressed to the nines while not finding it practical for a day of running errands and chilling at home. So, I decided to create styles that are playful, contemporary and high quality, while being wearable wherever and accessibly priced.
What inspired your current collection?
I have been loving the trends of puff sleeves, exaggerated proportions and volume, and dressmaker-like detailing. Brands I’ve been paying attention to are Maison Cléo, The Knitter, Cecilie Bahnsen and Montreal’s Eliza Faulkner. I wanted to translate these quirky, romantic styles to the country-vibe of DIY knitwear. It’s basically like: “what would a prairie dress be if it were a sweater in 2020?”
If I’m honest, I’m basically designing for myself. My boyfriend once looked at me and said “the Leah uniform: tights and a sweater”. I had to admit that leggings with an oversized knit is definitely my “uniform” and has been all decade. I don’t think that’ll ever change, so I made a bunch of go-to sweaters that pair well with jeans or yogapants. Because I’m weak for matching sets, I also made few pieces to wear with them like tube tops, a hot short and a knit pant. Currently ISO a white vintage cowboy boot to complete the look.
Is there a meaning behind the name “Caulis”
Yes! At first I was just going to use my own name, but then a certain political candidate that I happen to share a last name with won Premier of Quebec. I was afraid people would hear “Legault” and immediately think of him instead, so I decided to google my last name and find more history on it. Turns out “Gault” was an Old French word for forest, and comes from the Latin word Caula or Caulis, which is the botanical term for the stalk of a plant. I liked that the word relates to botany since I only use natural fibres. I also liked that the word is a homonym for a Québécois swearword I occasionally use while making sweaters.
Was there a reason you chose to focus on knitwear?
I studied visual arts at Concordia, and took a lot of courses in their fibres department. I have more knowledge in textile construction and fibre processing than in patternmaking and design, which I basically learned on the fly. It was important to me that I’m able to understand and take part in as many steps of the production process as possible, to keep it traceable and sustainable. I tried weaving as well, but it just wasn’t my thing. Plus, I just really love knit fabric. It’s stretchy, forgiving, comfortable and is limitless in what can be done with it. Another thing I love about knitwear is that each piece of the garment is knit into it’s shape, so there is no cutting up rolls of fabric, meaning there’s no waste.
I know it’s hard to pick favourites but is there a piece that is particularly special to you?
The Baby Sweater. It’s my new favourite thing to wear this Winter, it’s warm and soft and so comfortable. I’ll wear it to a meeting, at home, to dinner, to bed…It’s the first one I designed and one I expect to keep around for future collections.
What’s next for Caulis Knitwear?
Next is Summer! Right now I’m working on crochet bikinis and beach bags, fine knit dresses and blouses. I doubt I’ll include any wool for Summer, mostly using this great organic pima cotton I found, TENCEL™ and maybe silk. It’ll be really soft and beachy. Planning to launch in June, just when the weather starts to warm up in Montreal.
Who is your dream client to see wearing Caulis Knitwear?
I would absolutely love to send Pandora Sykes a sweater. She was on my mood board, I love her style, her writing and her podcast The High Low is great.
Photography: Marjorie Guindon
