The French embodiment of Quiet Luxury
There’s been a lot of chatter about ‘Quiet Luxury’ lately, partly fueled by the hit HBO Max TV series “Succession” in which the characters portraying the old money channeling mega rich billionaire many-times-over Roy family lounge around in their multi-thousand dollar sweaters and shirts, passing casual judgment on the entry-level luxury embodied by the ‘ludicrously capacious’ Burberry bag carried by a rich-passing non-guest to their party.
As you know, I have been living in France for quite a while now, and there’s no corner of the earth that has adopted ‘Quiet Luxury’ quite as pervasively as in France. Here, logos are shunned, recognizable traits of luxury brands are better hidden than seen, engagement rings larger than 1 carat are eschewed for being ‘too American’ therefore ‘tacky’.
It is no surprise that many French brands embodied this ‘Quiet Luxury’ notion at the core of their identity - well, at least before they decided to cater to the much larger and lucrative international consumer market. Take Celine for example, under the creative direction of its previous artistic director Phoebe Philo, its iconic pieces were the embodiment of ‘Quiet Luxury’.
Celine Box bag, black box leather, EUR 3,400
The sleek and logo-free design of the Box bag is as French as it gets. It is what French women would wear with a pair of straight-cut slightly washed jeans, a navy blue relaxed-cut blazer jacket and a pair of Chanel-style ballerina flats whether or not they are actually from Chanel.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Celine’s origins are quintessentially French. It is the story of a husband and wife (Celine Vipiana and her husband Richard) who created a made-to-measure children’s shoe business in 1945 which eventually grew into a luxury leather goods boutique. We can say that Phoebe Philo’s artistic vision stayed very close to Celine’s original brand identity. However, brands inevitably grow and evolve, and today’s Celine under Hedi Slimane is more reflective of LVMH (Celine’s parent group)’s brand strategy with clear branded logos and positioning to capture the vast youth consumer market on the international stage.
As much as I still love Celine as a brand, I do miss the old Celine. Luckily, there’re still quite a few French brands out there, old or new, who stay true to the French embodiment of ‘Quiet Luxury’. This Lanvin bag called Sac Concerto (EUR 1,790), for example, is the epitome of logo-less elegance. The leather feels sublime. The closure is smooth and seamless. Even though its price is still considered ‘entry-level’ luxury (which is a good thing), no one can accuse the bag of being tastelessly loud or ‘ludicrously capacious’.
Lanvin Sac Concerto, EUR 1,790
If big brands are not your thing, I’m excited to share my recent discovery with you. Ateliers Auguste is a French brand founded in Paris in 2012 by two brothers who love design and architecture. I popped by their boutique in Le Marais in Paris a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised by the quality and craftsmanship.
Ateliers Auguste boutique, Le Marais, Paris
Ateliers Auguste’s designs are inspired by the works of great architects such as Le Corbusier (Radiant City in Marseille) or Frank Lloyd Wright (Guggenheim museum in NYC). Its sleek lines and classic designs do remind me a bit of the old Celine. Prices range from EUR 300 - 600 (2023 prices). The majority of their leather bags are made of calf skin and are hand crafted in Italy. Contemporary and minimalist are at the heart of their brand identity.
My personal favorites are the Mini Monceau cross-body Gold Edition in box-calf leather (currently sold out) which reminds me of the Celine Triomphe cross-body, and the Mini Marly handbag Gold Edition in box-calf leather (EUR 525) which exudes the 1960s vibe of Grace Kelly carrying her now-famous Hermes Kelly handbag on the crook of her arm.
Mini Monceau cross-body Gold Edition, black box leather, EUR 425
Mini Marly Gold Edition, black box leather, EUR 525
Whether the similarities to Celine’s handbag styles appeal to you, I think Ateliers Auguste does offer a great value proposition for those who appreciate timeless designs and quality craftsmanship.
Quiet Luxury handbags from French brands: Lanvin, Ateliers Auguste