Hide and sleek

On Paris’s Rue de Richelieu, nothing marks the start of the day more clearly than the queue forming behind the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. These are not library-goers, however; they are shoppers waiting for the doors to open at French handbag brand Polène’s flagship boutique. By 10.00, the start of the shop’s business day, a considerable line has appeared, with more eager customers, mostly from the US and Japan, joining throughout the day. It’s a similar scene at the label’s New York flagship on Broadway and, judging by the number of shopping bags that people leave with, the company has fostered a committed client base worldwide.

The reason behind the insatiable customer appetite? Polène bags have all the hallmarks of luxury – artisan-made, produced in limited quantities and sold in sleek standalone boutiques across the globe – yet they retail at prices ranging from €330 to €520.

Polène was established in 2016 by siblings Elsa, Antoine and Mathieu Mothay, the great-grandchildren of the founders of the Normandy cult label Saint James. It is part of a wave of leather-goods brands filling a gap for competitively priced, high-quality bags with a designer sensibility. As the cost of luxury handbags by heritage brands has risen by up to 85 per cent in the past five years, these contemporary makers offer a compelling alternative, with production and sourcing standards that rival those of their premium counterparts.

All of the leather used by Polène is Spanish or Italian calfskin, with a dedicated quality development team travelling to Italy every two weeks to ensure consistency. Every bag is then crafted in small batches in the Andalusian leatherworking town of Ubrique, where Loewe also makes a lot of its hide accessories. The meticulous process, from initial sketch to finished product, takes at least 18 months and involves a team of 2,000 artisans – a long way from the 10 that Polène started with less than a decade ago.

“At a time when luxury-goods prices have reached an all-time high, we’re seeing an increased demand for contemporary bags,” says Sourcewhere founder Erica Wright, whose platform is dedicated to finding rare fashion items and servicing high- end shoppers’ requests on a one-to-one basis. “Consumers are seeking classic designs that evoke a sense of heritage and longevity in what is now an oversaturated market. They invest in these pieces as they would in a vintage luxury bag.”

Within a similar price range to Polène, Wright highlights Manu Atelier from Istanbul and Demellier from London – alongside the pricier Swedish label Toteme – as being particularly sought-after on her platform. Similarly, Kate Benson, the buying director at e-commerce giant Net-a-Porter, observes that these contemporary brands “have asserted themselves as wardrobe heroes”. The numbers speak for themselves: since August 2024 the website has seen a 300 per cent increase in searches for black Toteme bags and a 100 per cent increase in searches for pieces by Demellier.

The resurgence in the contemporary handbag market has also caught the attention of major investors. This summer, Bernard Arnault’s private equity firm L Catterton – which also has shares in apc, Ganni and Birkenstock – acquired a minority stake in Polène. The investment comes at a pivotal moment as sister group lvmh, whose portfolio focuses on premium fashion and leather goods, reported a 5 per cent drop in revenues in the third quarter of 2024 – the first decrease in years. This affirms the market shift – and suggests that we will be seeing a lot more of affordably priced brands like Polène in the coming year.

Though the company performs well online through its e-commerce platform, it has big plans for bricks-and-mortar retail in 2025: in addition to its existing locations in Paris, New York, Tokyo and Seoul, new Polène boutiques will also be opening in London, Copenhagen and Hamburg. An additional location on Paris’s Champs-Élyéees is also in the works.

This focus on directly operated retail has been a big part of its formula for success. Aside from its corner in lvmh-owned department store Le Bon Marché in Paris, Polène doesn’t work with other retailers – thus ensuring that its team has full control of the customer experience, including interior design and staff training. In fact, every element of the Polène shopping journey is thought out to feel as elevated as possible, from the architect-designed interiors by Valériane Lazard to the staff’s stylish, all-beige uniforms.

What also sets these smaller brands apart is that they are less bound to the fashion calendar. Instead of producing seasonal collections, Polène releases new designs only when the team is fully satisfied with them. That’s why its line-up remains relatively concise, currently featuring 13 models available in various sizes and colours. Its debut design, the Numéro Un top-handle bag, remains among the bestsellers, along with the half-moon-shaped Numéro Dix and the Numéro Huit bucket bag.

Thanks to the consistency in their designs, many of these contemporary handbag brands now enjoy a level of recognition comparable to that of well-trodden luxury names. Among the best examples is apc, which has become just as renowned for its maroquinerie as for the clean-cut denim it has been crafting since 1987. Its leather offer took off in 2017 with the launch of the Demi‑Lune – a rounded, cross-body bag that quickly became one of the brand’s best-known pieces. Today the company generates 40 per cent of its revenue from handbags, compared with 25 per cent in 2017. Like Polène, apc keeps logos small and understated; yet many of its designs have achieved the icon status that its luxury competitors continuously strive for. “People want to buy less but go back to quality and durability,” says apc founder Jean Touitou. “They’re getting tired of fashion as a sign of social status and are no longer looking for big luxury labels that are branding themselves too much.”

There’s also more public awareness around the high mark-ups of luxury goods. In an industry where pricing is often decided by prestige over production costs, customers are increasingly unwilling to pay a premium for a name. This has sparked a growing desire among consumers to be part of something smaller. For brands such as Manu Atelier, this sense of intimacy is part of the appeal. Its founders, sisters Merve Manastir and Beste Manastir Bagdatli, were born into one of Turkey’s most prominent leatherworking families and wanted to bring their craft to the world when they started the brand in 2014. Though its items are sold by more than 90 retailers globally, including Net-a-Porter China, Merve and Beste’s company is a family business in the truest sense, with their father training the artisans they collaborate with.

The sisters favour hand-stitching over machine production. “Customers feel that they are investing in something meaningful, personal and less mass-produced,” says Merve. “This level of hands-on expertise is rare in a world where many brands are scaling up production and outsourcing craftsmanship.” The firm also aligns well with concerns around sustainability, using leftover material for bag linings or upcycled collections.

While most contemporary leather-goods brands are aimed at women, there are some men’s equivalents shaking up the industry. Bennett Winch has become a go-to for made-to-last weekender bags, briefcases and backpacks, guided by a simple ethos: buy well and you need only buy once. Its bag sales now stand at 8,000 a year, in part thanks to an impressive list of 49 worldwide stockists. The Savile Row-based brand has carved out its own niche: competitively priced bags (starting at less than €1,000 compared with the average €2,500 at which similar products by heritage brands start) designed to be kept for ever thanks to a free lifetime-repairs service.

Yet the demand for independent bag brands is not simply about customers wanting to spend less for the same quality, according to the label’s co-founder Robin Winch. “They are looking for that value proposition beyond the price point,” he says. “Many of our customers could afford big names but their purchases are driven by their beliefs: they have become disconnected from conglomerates.” This new wave of accessories specialists are here to offer an alternative in a competitive market – and change handbag economics for the long term. — L
polene-paris.com; manuatelier.com; bennettwinch.com

Bags of style

There are now no compromises with more affordable handbags. Add a pop of colour to your arsenal – without breaking the bank – with these picks.

1. Toteme
2. Savette
3. Demellier
4. APC
5. Manu Atelier
6. Fane
7. Neous
8. Bennett Winch