OUR HISTORY
Going back at our origins in 2005, les Artisans d’Azure started with the desire of his founder Samuel Gagnon-Tremblay to access products that were really adapted to the reality of the local LARP scene. The first few years were dedicated to learning the skills and gather the knowledge necessary to design, craft and deliver what was really needed by the medieval enthusiasts community. Our first retailer was le Troll aux Trousses, a web platform that allowed us to move away from word of mouth and reach out to new costumers. Front that point, the workshop professionalised quickly in term of technique, volume of production, and administration.
In 2009, les Artisans d’Azure are formally registered and hire their first production manager Maxime Turgeon. A first store front opens in Montreal, doubling as a leather workshop. Front 2012, the company, now incorporated, steps up its game further with a full numeric turn which greatly helped with standardisation, logistics, and overall productivity. A new wave of founding helps us reach a new level of efficiency and to grow faster than ever.
In marsh 2015, les Artisans d’Azure outgrew the first shop and moved in our actual location. With this much bigger space, about three times what we used to have, we now have room to develop and hire our first counsellors to focus more on costumer service, not without getting more craftspeople for the workshop.
With the fusion-acquisition with Anne-Marie Taillefer’s team from l’Arbre Mécanique in late 2017, this is now more than 20 people that are living of the passion for roleplaying and costumed events. Our team team keeps getting better at contributing to the local LARP and Cosplay scene in Montreal and North America.
Our Mission
To improve the decorum in LARPing activities with authentic and accessible products adapted for those events.
Our Values
INTEGRITY
Stay true to ourselves and to our mission
We demonstrate our integrity through the attitude of each members of our team, from one to the others. Therefore, we are looking for honest, courageous and authentic persons. We have a profound desire to respect our engagements and to recognize the responsibilities of our actions. Our concern towards transparency and the respect of our own principles build our credibility and the trust of our customers and partners.
INCLUSION
Encourage diversity
Live Action Role Playing events occur in a universe of leisure and fantasy, where freedom and the respect of others are required. At Les Artisans d’Azure, this value is an integral part of our decision process, our listening, our conciliation and of way of developing our products; men, women, orcs, elves, faeries, all have a right to a service and a quality corresponding to our abilities and to the heights of their dreams. The selection of our team’s members, hailing from various backgrounds, is confirmed by their personalities, their values and their skills.
COLLABORATION
Work together towards success
Competition, except against ourselves, is not a focal point for Les Artisans d’Azure; along experience we came to realize that strength comes from alliances and partnerships. We were born from the support of the collectivity, and it is only natural that give back to this community. Day by day, our artisans work together and share their tasks, their ways of working and their ideas. We encourage the transfer of knowledge through formations and communication.
CREATIVITY
Innovate on all aspects
Our method to improve the decorum within Live Action Role Playing events is twofold: surprise our customers with the aestheticism and complexity of our custom orders, and fulfil their needs with products both simple and ingenious. We encourage creativity towards the imagination and creation of solutions, concepts and ideas which allow us to be more efficient and original.
SELF-IMPROVEMENT
Aim always higher
We wish to explore our craft and its techniques to continue being a leader within our sector. This value encompasses our internal policies of constant progress, of desire to grow, of self-development, and the blossoming of the LARP environment. We are open to new skills; we are looking for artisans with a strong intellectual curiosity and who have complimentary aptitudes, both practical and theoretical.