I saw Jamin Puech bags at a Japanese boutique – I was automatically drawn to them. The designs are so intricate and delicate and with craftsmanship that is so rare these days. It reminds me of old buildings with wood that have been carefully carved by artisans that did not pass on their skills. You really have to see them in person to appreciate it. Every stitch of each bag is beautifully made, the details are overwhelming, down to the self knotted toggle tie in the velvet beaded bag. The bag opens up like a box and the inside is lined with luxurious silk. The variety of materials used on each bag is truly extraordinary, they range from crystals to beads to plastic to macrame to cotton to raffia to rattan to lycra to leather to silk to wood and more if you can believe it. There is a definite ethnic tone to their designs and they articulate the multicultural feel by using craftsmen from Madagascar, Vietnam and India but the final product is put together in France to have the Made in France label. Although the designs are amazing, the look is not for me personally but I just had to share this treasure. Jamin Puech boutique in NYC 247 Elizabeth St (212) 431-5200 and Paris at 61, rue d’Hauteville (33) 01-40-22-08-32. Frame silk beaded bag $700, silk beaded velvet bag $660.
