Perrin: Shopping in Paris for the Perfect Clutch
Tue 23 Jul 2013
Perrin‘s showroom-boutique is hidden away in a lovely, characteristically Parisian courtyard behind the gardens of the Palais Royal. So wonderful and peaceful, yet right in the heart of the city, it’s a very special find when shopping in Paris.
The handcuff clutch.
You don’t get there by chance. You need to know the address beforehand. And this is part of the Perrin experience. Not only will you end up with a clutch or a bag that no one else has, but you’ll buy it in an almost secret place known only to the privileged, happy few.
Glove making: that’s what Perrin was about at the beginning. It all started with Victor Rigaudy and his wife, Berthe, who came from a family of master glove makers. They lived in Saint-Junien, in the Haute Vienne region of France, which is the historic capital of French glove making.
From 1893 on, Perrin continued to reinvent itself, always exploring new tanning technologies and keeping up with the latest techniques in leather processing, especially during its years of subcontracting with French haute couture houses.
Today, though, Perrin is also about bags, clutches and more. If I had to pick only one word to characterize Perrin, it would be, without any hesitation, contemporary elegance—okay, so actually two words!
Besides the beautiful gloves still at the center of every collection, Perrin has been exploring the world of leather goods, from bags to clutches to even collars, sunglasses and totes for men!
Cabriolet clutch.
Judge for yourself: these are very refined products, easy to wear and easy to match. Take, for example, the cabriolet clutch. Can you sense its glove spirit? It’s the kind of clutch that will never let you go, and that you’ll never want to let go of.
Prends moi (take me) clutch.
There is also the wrist sleeve clutch, and the prends moi (take-me) clutch—how could anyone resist such a nice command? You can also get handcuffed, but in style with the appropriate clutch of course.
Stingray clutch.
All of Perrin’s products are made of French leather. Ostrich, lizard, stingray—you name it, Perrin has it. Stingray (say galuchat to sound French) is the most intriguing to me. Back in fashion, stingray has a skin that by its very nature makes it perfect for those rigid, elegant small bags.
The ball bag.
And last but not least, the iconic bag, which comes in three sizes now and will transform your outfit, is the ball bag, my favorite! I love it when a bag is like a signature, and this one definitely is. I have never seen anything like it before, which is why this Perrin bag is definitely one to remember.
35, rue des Petits Champs, in the 1st Arrondissement.
01 42 97 40 26.
Editor’s note: GG2P Travel Club members receive a gift valued at 100 euros with any purchase of a Perrin bag.