Shop Collections - Awol - THE ART OF TRAVEL

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Our Collections

About our Collections

Our limited edition, travel-inspired collections have been handcrafted using only the best quality materials and methods. Every collection has a travel story behind it that inspired the artist to create it. All the collections are designed in Canada, inspired by the world, and produced in limited editions: once they’re gone, they’re gone. This ensures we focus on quality over quantity, while keeping the creative output high.

2_montreal collage collection of contemporary fashion accessories for men and women inspired by montreal
The Montreal Collection

Inspired by the energy, creativity and skyline of Montreal, this design features the city’s most iconic details—from STM subway arrows and cracked icy sidewalks to colourful Plateau roofs and street art featuring local legend Leonard Cohen. Every element somehow all fits together in an eclectic, diverse and vibrant mix—just like MTL.

The Montreal collection is a mix of hand drawn illustration and collage, inspired by the unique vibe pulsing through the city. In my early twenties I used to come here for the nightlife, and after moving away to Asia for a few years, I stopped by for a weekend to experience it once again. Only this time I never left. For the past 15 years Montreal has been my home: the city I love, live, work and create in. This collection is dedicated to Montreal, the place I am so lucky to call home.

2_montreal collage collection of contemporary fashion accessories for men and women inspired by montreal
1_awol dreamer collection photo montage inspired by flying around the world looking at the sky in air balloons
the dreamer collection

The Dreamer collection is about having your head in the clouds, dreaming up stories, ideas and adventures before you make them a reality. Inspired by Jules Verne’s avant-garde tales of exploration, air-ballooning in Turkey, paragliding in Argentina and exploring roads less travelled, this imaginative collection is about all the amazing possibilities that exist just beyond our imagination.

When I was little, I grew up in a country in Eastern Europe where travel was restricted. We substituted physical travel with voracious reading, which opened up my imagination to worlds I could only dream of. Later on in my life, when I was able to travel to some of the places I read about as a kid and experience them for myself, my dreams started to take form. This detailed illustration was inspired by travels in the sky, and was hand-drawn with pen and ink on paper over many years and continents.

1_awol dreamer collection photo montage inspired by flying around the world looking at the sky in air balloons
1_awol new york city travel collection of fashion and home decor accessories
the new york collection

Whenever I need a jolt of creativity and a reminder that anything is possible, I go to New York. From the Art Deco architecture, historic buildings and modern street art to the hot dog stands and disorderly chaos of people hustling through the well-ordered street grids, this collection is my love letter to the city that never sleeps.

When I was 8 years old, my family and I immigrated to Canada. I will never forget flying over New York city at night: the lights from the airplane were magical, and went on forever – they defied comprehension. We stayed with friends in New York for a few days, and I remember experiencing a kind of expansiveness and energy that was totally new to me: the dizzying height of skyscrapers, the wide avenues that went on forever and everyone moving fast. Since then, I’ve returned almost every year to get my fix of NYC. The New York collection is a mix of hand-drawn illustration and collage techniques that capture that first feeling I had when I set foot on its grid for the first time. That feeling hasn’t changed in over 20 years.

1_awol new york city travel collection of fashion and home decor accessories
1_awol italy collection vibrant blue silk scarves and silk eye masks inspired by the italian seaside copy
THE ITALY COLLECTION

In this landscape painting, I’ve tried to capture the feeling of the Italian coastline, from Cinque Terre down to the Amalfi Coast. This is what I see when I close my eyes and picture long Italian summer days spent by the Mediterranean sea. Italy is the country that calls me back over and over again, and leaves me wanting more each time I leave.

I’ve shared Italy with loved ones and explored it on my own. It started with Rome, my university graduation gift: I walked around so much marvelling in the sweltering August heat that my feet swelled up and I had to go barefoot. Classy. I learned Italian and returned a few years later, exploring Tuscany without an itinerary, a map or a GPS, on a little scooter that was forbidden on the highways. In every little town, I would simply stop and ask a local: “which way to the sea?”, and then head the way they pointed. Eventually I made it to Cinque Terre and my breath stopped. Each region is so rich with la dolce vita, it’s impossible to do it all justice. This collection is just one version: painted with oil paints and pastels on canvas, I tried to capture the blissful feeling of witnessing the beauty of Italy’s seaside vistas for the first time.

1_awol italy collection vibrant blue silk scarves and silk eye masks inspired by the italian seaside copy
1_limited edition collection of tote bags and luxury fashion and home decor accessories inspired by france and the mediterannean seaside
THE FRANCE COLLECTION

Over the past few years I’ve explored France with the best local tour guide: my French boyfriend. Being from the south of France, he’s made it his mission to show me his beautiful country, from the glamorous seaside destinations to the lesser known nooks and crannies: we’ve had camping car adventures, long and short road trips, and have hiked together through the Alps and the Pyrenees, eating and drinking our way through France in every season.

The South of France is so much more than the glitz and glamour of the Côte d’Azur. It’s the lazy summer breezes, the freshest seaside oysters and slow-moving sailboats. It’s where we go to slow down, walk along the shorelines and people-watch from town square terrasses sipping on lukewarm Pastis … in quintessential marinière style, of course 😉 This collection was inspired by the French seaside and was drawn with pencil, pen, marker, paint and ink on paper.

1_limited edition collection of tote bags and luxury fashion and home decor accessories inspired by france and the mediterannean seaside
1_spain collection of luxury fashion accessories and bright graphic waves silk art
THE SPAIN COLLECTION

This rolling, ebbing and flowing landscape is an interpretation of my first-ever sailing experience in the Canary Islands, from the stormy seas, motion sickness and sleepless nights to the region’s incomparable shorelines and natural beauty. I quickly discovered that I was totally unprepared for life at sea! But even though it wasn’t all smooth sailing, the magic of the sun rising from the sea at dawn is something I’ll never forget.

The Spain collection artwork is an organic color blocked design inspired by the breathtaking Spanish-territory landscapes I witnessed from sailing through endless sunrises and sunsets, with dolphins and whales keeping me company through sea-sickness, beautiful discoveries and endless horizons.

1_spain collection of luxury fashion accessories and bright graphic waves silk art
1_portugal travel inspired collection of home decor accessories handcrafted cushion covers copy
THE PORTUGAL COLLECTIOn

The Portugal collection is inspired by Lisbon, Porto, and everything in between—the mix of old and new, heritage and modernity, delicious sardines, vibrant art & design, and sublime sidewalks. Every street is a gem to discover, bombarding the senses with eclectic awesomeness. I went to Portugal during a transition period in my life, after walking away from a relationship into an unknown exploration of self. It was the first trip I took alone, and I spent weeks strolling quietly through Portugal’s cities and its’ lesser-known small towns.

Mostly, I just stared at the intricate sidewalk designs, decorative building facades and ate more sardines than I would like to admit, attempting to digest all the craftsmanship and beauty around me. The Portugal collection is a recreation of drawings and notes from my travel sketchbooks, and features hand-painted and hand-drawn designs I collected during my long walks along Portugal’s hills, streets and sidewalks.

1_portugal travel inspired collection of home decor accessories handcrafted cushion covers copy
1_awol sailing travel collection of home decor and fashion accessories with a nautical design
THE SAILING COLLECTION

My boyfriend and I set off on a sailing trip in the Atlantic Ocean with one of his friends who gave up piloting planes to sail a boat around the world. On our adventure in the Atlantic ocean we encountered seasoned sailors, magical landscapes, blue skies and storms, and a simpler way of life revolving around the cycles of the sea. This collection is my homage to sailing life, and to a unique travel experience I will treasure forever.

Designed through a mix of photography, painting, and pen & ink illustration, this artwork is my homage to seafaring exploration, navigating the winds, and floating on blue seas during this once-in-a-lifetime travel adventure.

1_awol sailing travel collection of home decor and fashion accessories with a nautical design
Discover the blog

The Travel stories

 

The place where Alex shares her travel adventures, inspiration, photography and the creative process behind each collection. Get behind-the-scenes glimpses into the artwork, from vision to production, to see how travel inspires creativity and ideas become beautiful things.

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