A regular business trip for jet-setting Calgary fashion designer Paul Hardy starts in Rwanda, where he is spearheading the Reversal of Fortune project, a manufacturing initiative designed to provide sustainable income for women who have been marginalized by war and HIV.

Next, he proceeds to the fabric markets of Paris, followed by a visit to his knitting mills in Scotland and Ireland. Staunchly averse to checking luggage, here’s how Hardy does three weeks on two continents with one carry-on bag.

Why he’s strictly a carry-on guy
The first time Hardy showed his work in Paris, his fashion collection arrived — but his luggage didn’t. “I ended up wearing Gap undershirts and a pair of Gap khakis during Paris Fashion Week,” he says. “It was the most humbling experience ever.”

Bag it up
Hardy travels in style with a distressed leather bag by L.A.-based designer Marc Marmel. He also has a more rough-and-tumble option — a heavy, army-canvas bag with saddle-leather strapping. “I found it in an antique store for $40, and it is genius,” he says. “I can fit so much stuff into it and nobody would ever want to rob me, but I think it’s a really stylish bag.”

Roll with it
Folding is for Gap employees. Hardy gets three pairs of jeans, a suit, two sweaters and more in his carry-on by rolling everything tighter than a Cuban cigar.

Layer it
Layering is key, particularly in the fall, says Hardy. A nice cardigan looks good on its own, or dressed up with a tie, and can also be worn as an insulating layer under a suit jacket, eliminating the need for a bulky coat.

Think Day-to-Night
Hardy packs items that can be dressed up or down, such as a classic slim-cut black suit with a sateen lapel. “The jacket looks good with jeans; it can be worn as a suit, or even dressed up to look like a tux,” he says.

And he never leaves home without his Lanvin kicks. “The toecap is patent leather, so they’re a dressy casual runner,” Hardy says. “They’re the most comfortable walking shoes for me, and you can easily wear them for a dressy event because of the shiny toecap.”

Read more of Paul Hardy's packing tips at our sister publication avenuecalgary.com.

Photo by @sahxic