Polène

Polène is a French leathergoods brand established in 2016 by siblings Antoine Mothay, Mathieu Mothay, and Elsa Mothay. The company operates in the contemporary luxury and premium accessories segment, with a focus on leather handbags and related leathergoods. Its products use Italian leather and are manufactured in Ubrique, Spain, a Spanish town known for leather craftsmanship and the production of fashion accessories. The brand has developed an international retail presence through a combination of direct-to-consumer distribution and physical boutiques. Its retail network includes flagship locations in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Milan, Seoul, London, Hamburg, Copenhagen, and Beijing. The Paris and New York boutiques were designed by French architect Valeriane Lazard, reflecting Polène's emphasis on a controlled, design-led retail environment. The company has also leased a 7,000-square-foot space on Oak Street in Chicago and announced a 68-square-metre experiential space within its Hamburg boutique at 71 Neuer Wall in September 2025. Polène's identity is closely associated with sculptural forms, restrained branding, and European production. The available reference material identifies its principal material as Italian leather and its manufacturing base as Ubrique, Spain, but does not provide a complete catalogue of product names, revenue figures, employee numbers, or detailed distribution data. Accordingly, its precise market scale and financial performance cannot be established from the supplied sources. In September 2024, L Catterton, a private-equity firm backed by LVMH, purchased a stake in Polène. The transaction marked a significant ownership and investment event in the brand's development, although the available material does not specify the size of the stake, transaction value, or whether L Catterton became the controlling owner. Polène remains an active brand with an expanding international boutique footprint.

Polène was founded in France in 2016 by siblings Antoine Mothay, Mathieu Mothay, and Elsa Mothay. From its beginning, the brand was positioned around leathergoods rather than a broad fashion portfolio. Its production model combines Italian leather with manufacturing in Ubrique, Spain. This arrangement links the brand's material sourcing to Italy while placing finished-goods production in a Spanish centre associated with leather craftsmanship. The company subsequently expanded its presence through branded retail. Its flagship boutiques in Paris and New York were designed by French architect Valeriane Lazard. These locations helped establish a consistent physical identity for the brand while supporting direct engagement with customers in two major international fashion markets. Polène later operated or announced boutiques in Tokyo, Milan, Seoul, London, Hamburg, Copenhagen, and Beijing. The geographic spread indicates a strategy centred on selective international stores rather than a purely domestic French footprint. The brand's retail expansion also included plans for the United States beyond New York. Polène leased a 7,000-square-foot space on Oak Street in Chicago, adding a planned presence in another prominent luxury retail district. In September 2025, the company announced a 68-square-metre experiential space within its Hamburg boutique at 71 Neuer Wall. The announcement suggests an effort to use stores not only as points of sale but also as environments for brand presentation and customer experience. A major corporate development occurred in September 2024, when L Catterton purchased a stake in Polène. L Catterton is a private-equity firm backed by LVMH. The supplied reference does not state whether the investment was a minority or majority transaction, nor does it provide financial terms. The investment nevertheless represents a transition in Polène's ownership structure and may support the brand's international growth, although specific post-investment plans are not documented in the available material. Polène is active and continues to develop its physical retail network. Publicly available reference material identifies its core category, production locations, founders, retail markets, and major ownership event, but does not provide sufficient information to document detailed product chronology, annual sales, profitability, senior management beyond the founders, or formal advertising campaigns.

• 2025

  Hamburg experiential space announced

  [1]Polèneen.wikipedia.org

  Polène announces a 68-square-metre experiential space inside its Hamburg boutique at 71 Neuer Wall.

• 2024

  L Catterton acquires a stake

  [1]Polèneen.wikipedia.org

  L Catterton, a private-equity firm backed by LVMH, purchases an undisclosed stake in Polène.

• 2016

  Polène is founded

  [1]Polèneen.wikipedia.org

  Antoine Mothay, Mathieu Mothay, and Elsa Mothay establish Polène as a French leathergoods brand.

Contemporary premium leathergoods with sculptural design, Italian leather, and manufacturing in Ubrique, Spain.

• Handbags

  Leather handbags

  Leather handbags are Polène's principal identifiable product category. The brand uses Italian leather and manufactures its products in Ubrique, Spain. The supplied sources do not identify individual handbag models or provide enough information to describe their launch dates, specifications, or commercial performance.

• Accessories

  Leather accessories

  Polène is described as a leathergoods brand, which includes leather accessories in addition to handbags. No specific accessory lines are named in the available reference material, so individual products and launch chronology cannot be confirmed.

• 2025

  Develop an experiential retail space in HamburgStrategy

  Background

  Polène's retail strategy includes branded boutiques in several international cities. In September 2025, the company announced an additional experiential format within its Hamburg location.

  Action taken

  Polène announced a 68-square-metre experiential space inside its boutique at 71 Neuer Wall in Hamburg.

  Aftermath

  The available material records the announcement but does not report attendance, sales impact, or broader changes to the retail strategy.

  Source

• 2024

  Accept investment from L CattertonM&A

  Background

  Polène reached an ownership and investment milestone as its international boutique network developed. L Catterton, a private-equity firm backed by LVMH, purchased a stake in the company in September 2024.

  Action taken

  L Catterton acquired an undisclosed stake in Polène.

  Aftermath

  The transaction introduced a major institutional investor, but the available source does not disclose the stake size, financial terms, control position, or subsequent operating changes.

  Source

• 2025

  Polène announces a Hamburg experiential space[1]Polèneen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  In September 2025, Polène announced plans for a 68-square-metre experiential space inside its boutique at 71 Neuer Wall in Hamburg.

• 2024

  L Catterton purchases a stake in Polène[1]Polèneen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  In September 2024, L Catterton, a private-equity firm backed by LVMH, purchased a stake in the French leathergoods brand Polène. The available source does not disclose the stake size, transaction value, or control arrangements.

1. 1Polèneen.wikipedia.org