French leather goods Brand Polène opens new store in Milan

Retail

Polène - Milan boutique. Credits: Polène

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French leather goods brand Polène is continuing its international expansion with the opening of its first physical store in Italy. Located in the Quadrilatero della Moda in Milan, a few steps from the Armani hotel, this new location illustrates the brand's desire to strengthen its presence in strategic European markets.

Architectural design inspired by local identity

For this Milanese project, Polène collaborated with the firm Norm Architects, which is also behind the Kinfolk Gallery in Copenhagen and a boutique for the Danish shoe brand Notabene. The boutique was designed around a typically Milanese duality: a sober façade that gives way to a richly detailed interior. The customer journey is structured as a sequence of rooms, offering a sensory progression through different materials.

The interior design highlights a gradation of textures and colours, from stone to wood, and finally to ceramic. This choice of materials is intended to reflect the exploration of raw materials to the finished product, which is central to Polène's identity.

Polène, Milan boutique. Credits: Polène

The retail space also incorporates elements that pay homage to the craftsmanship of Ubrique, Spain, where the brand's items are made. An area named the “Leather Orchestra” highlights the brand's artisanal identity through an interactive performance combining sound and material. Finally, like many recently opened flagships, Polène's boutique has integrated an artistic element into its design: a ceramic work by Italian artist Clara Graziolino.

Strategic development

Polène was founded in 2016 by Mathieu, Elsa and Antoine Mothay, the great-grandchildren of the founder of the Saint James brand. The company has experienced rapid growth. It relies on a Parisian design studio and a network of over 2,200 artisans to establish its position as a high-end accessible luxury brand. Its bestseller is the Cyme model, a leather tote bag reminiscent of a basket. It sells for between 350 euros and 590 euros for its mesh version.

Its direct-to-consumer (D2C) model is now supported by around ten of its own boutiques, including a corner in Le Bon Marché in Paris. Following openings in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Seoul, London, Hamburg and now Milan, the brand is also considering a potential opening in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

In 2023, the company recorded a turnover of 142.7 million euros, as reported by the newspaper Le Monde. One year later, in 2024, L Catterton, LVMH's investment fund, acquired a minority stake in Polène.

Beyond leather goods, Polène has diversified its activities:

Jewellery: introduction in 2023 of lines made in Italy and plated with 24-carat gold.
Circularity: launch of the Plèi Collection, which uses leather offcuts to create craft objects or decorative pieces.

Polène, Milan boutique. Credits: Polène

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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