Brigitte Montaut, how did you come across the Atelier Renard?
It was back in 2000. I literally fell in love with this workshop, which was looking for a buyer. I knew nothing about leather, but I sensed an incredible history, know-how and magic in this place. This made me want to embark on the adventure, to continue the work undertaken by Joseph Renard in the 1930s. My challenge was to thoroughly renovate the site without touching the soul of the House, to focus on excellence and to develop bespoke creations.
What goes on behind the big blue door of the Place du Palais Bourbon
Some very beautiful human encounters! A bag is a personal object that tells the story of the person who wears it. Creating an exclusive piece for a customer necessarily involves metaphorically stepping into their world in order to advise them on the choice of shapes, leathers, colors and even thread: all the details that make a bag unique and of exceptional quality. For me, real luxury is exactly that: an alliance between the time that can be unstintingly devoted to each individual, the rare quality of leather, and the joy of inventing your own object – all coupled with expertise conveyed through a perfectly skilled touch, right the way through to the smallest stitch.
