Michel and Sally Perrin of Perrin Paris – the chic and individualistic handbag line from French tanneries that have been in the Perrin family for many generations – will open their very first Perrin Paris boutique, tonight in Los Angeles on Beverly Drive. The host committee for the party is just crazy: the list includes Martha Stewart, Glenda Bailey of Harper’s Bazaar, David Arquette, Mandy Moore, January Jones, and Rachel Zoe.
FashionRules visited the boutique this morning as Sally – in tight jeans, a Stella McCartney sweater, high Sergio Rossi boots and an Hermes leather cap – and Michel, were putting finishing touches on the boutique, with its cappucino colored walls, pale couches, and Jean Michel Franck in the 1940′s feeling. Even the wall mirror is rimmed in tan suede. There was a Perrin boutique many generations ago, in San Francisco – but it burned down in the big San Fran fire in the early 1900′s.
Sally and Michel lived in Paris for ten mirrors, had two daughters, then came to visit the Beverly Hills Hotel for Christmas one year, and promptly picked up and moved the girls to L.A. Their amazing modern house was designed by Chahan Minassian, the French architect who also designed the boutique – and their Paris apartment, since they still spend much of the year in Paris.
Sally has been acting as Creative Director of the brand, and being the chicest woman in L.A. – with her short hair, fabulous figure, and big eyes – not to mention her taste level – the Perrin Paris bags are looking tres chic.
The favorite is the Riva Ball bag – in large size, or small. The bronze color is the best. It’s lined with a brown suede bag, since it’s a cut out weave of a basket that circles around your arm. It may be the chicest bag we’ve ever seen. It took two years to refine, and one bag takes fifty hours to construct. The tanneries are in Vietnam, but the bags are worked on by French workers who attended a leather crafts school in France – many are from Hermes.
“The origin of the leather is important,” explains Michel. “The skins for our bags are perfect. It has to do with the weather in Europe. We have been in business a long time, and we know where to buy the hides.
Sally goes to France six times a year to work on the designs – such as the “Je Te Tiens” bag, which is an evening clutch with holes for your fingers, so you don’t lose it. The Bavolet bag is a small patent handle bag covered in gros grain ribbon. The iconic glove bag is a fine black leather glove on a handle – very Salvador Dali surrealist chic. Le Menotte is a handcuff bag – a clutch with a bracelet in leather.
There are also a new series of clutches called the “Martha bags” – in various fabrications, from about $295 to $450 – they hold cards, money and keys, and were designed by Martha Stewart herself. A hundred dollars of each of those bags will go to the New York based charity Stand Up to Cancer.
Another great new product from Perrin Paris are their stunning sunglasses – which they collaborated on with Histoire de Voir in Paris. The sunglasses match the bags – elephant grey, tortoise and black – and they have leather arms. We’ve never seen glasses with leather arms. And eventually, the glasses will be made of all leather, and no acetate rims, when the technique is finalized.
Meanwhile, there is a “glove tree” in the store, that holds all of Perrin’s unbelievable gloves. Some are patchwork, some are tied with leather ribbon, and there are even long leather sleeves with no hands, that are unreal. You’ve seen gloves – these are beyond gloves.
Lighting it is a Murano chandelier from the 1950′s.
It’s almost more chicness than we can handle. There are also some new Perrin Paris shoulder bags that allow you to be handless – and they hug the body in an ergonomic way. So Karine Roitfeld. Do yourself a favor and visit this store yourself – 346 North Beverly. It’s a leather gem.
