LANCEL Women
An icon in French leather goods, Lancel was founded in Paris in 1876. At the time, women had just taken up smoking, and Angèle and Alphonse Lancel took it upon themselves to create special accessories for the day's feminine smokers, along with a wide variety of decorative objects. In 1901, the business was inherited by their son, who began making leather goods and dreaming up ingenious handbags for carrying cigarette-holders and other smoking accessories. By choosing precious materials like reptile and calfskin, while always keeping a sharp eye for smart, fantastical designs, Albert Lancel was a pioneer in luxury leather goods and made the handbag a mark of style. The bucket bag, today an essential that's been reinvented many times over by other houses, was designed during this era. In 1929 Lancel established its boutique at the Place de l'Opéra in Paris, where it still remains today. The post-war period, and the advent of paid vacations, presented an opportunity for the label to extend their line to travel accessories: the 1950s would usher in the unforgettable Trotteur bags and Kangourou suitcases. Sold to the Zorbibe brothers in 1976, bought by Richemont in 1997, and then by Italian group Piquadro in 2018, the brand has gradually become even more cosmopolitan, today counting over 250 boutiques around the world. Dedicated to craftsmanship and refined creations that don't take themselves too seriously, Lancel has remained true to its founding values while remaining incredibly inventive. The tote bags, for instance, filled with thoughtful details, hidden pockets, and whimsical ornaments, are recognizable at a glance. A brand that's decidedly of our time, Lancel dreams in Paris and manufactures in Italy, near Florence, using magnificent leathers that are selected for their sustainability. Ancestral artisans and production tools meld with the latest technology to guarantee high-quality accessories that are meant to be as functional as they are timeless.
