Polène History: Founders, Ubrique and How to Pronounce Polène

Polène is a Paris leather goods house founded in 2016 by Antoine Mothay with his siblings Mathieu and Elsa Mothay, and its bags are made by leather artisans in Ubrique, in Andalusia, Spain. The name is French and is said roughly “poh-LEN”: two syllables, the stress on the second, and the final e left silent.

That short answer covers most of what people want when they type the brand name into a search bar, but the story behind it explains why the bags look the way they do. If you want the workshop side in more depth, our guide to where Polène bags are made goes further into Ubrique, and the Polène Numéro Un guide picks up the first bag in detail.

Who founded Polène, and when?

Polène was founded in Paris in 2016 by three siblings: Antoine, Mathieu and Elsa Mothay. The house is still headquartered in Paris, which is why you will see it written as Polène Paris on its own packaging and website.

The idea is usually traced to 2014, when Antoine visited a leather workshop in Spain. What followed was not a quick launch. He spent around a year and a half on research, much of it in Spain, learning how the workshops there handled leather and who could make the shapes he had in mind. That patient start matters, because the brand’s whole look depends on cutting and folding that only skilled hands can do well.

Which country is Polène from? France and Spain

Both, in different ways. Polène is a French brand, designed and run from Paris. The making happens in Ubrique, a small town in Andalusia that has worked leather for generations, where artisans hold the signature folds in place with hand stitching. The leather itself comes from certified European tanneries, with Italian, Spanish and Dutch calf used depending on the model.

There are a few exceptions worth knowing. The Nomad Solé in Porcelain Bag, a larger woven shopper, is made in Madagascar. The Tsubi in Natural Bag pairs certified organic raffia from Madagascar with Italian calf. The small leather “pebble pearls” on the Solé are made in France from upcycled offcuts, and the Béri Lif in Polar Bag is covered in leather leaves cut from offcuts too. So “polene france” is right for the brand, while “made in Spain” is right for most of the leather bags. Our piece on French handbag brands shows where it sits among its Paris peers.

The Numéro Un: the first Polène bag

The first bag was the Numéro Un, and it is still among the bestsellers. The full size measures 32 x 16.5 x 23 cm and weighs 925 g, with an adjustable 120 cm strap so it can go on the shoulder, across the body and in the hand. Inside there are three pockets, one zipped, plus a back pocket and a magnetic closure. The Numéro Un in Black Bag is the version most people picture, and the Numéro Un in Camel Bag shows off the mix of smooth and textured Italian calf that the Trio construction uses.

The family has since grown into Mini, Nano and Micro sizes. The Nano is often cited as the brand’s top seller, and the Numéro Un Nano in Chalk Bag is a good example of why: a phone, cardholder and keys, and nothing heavy to drag a shoulder down. The Numéro Un Micro in Taupe Bag is smaller again and works more like jewellery with a strap.

Why the models have numbers

The early bags are named with French ordinal numbers. Numéro Un means one, Sept means seven, Huit means eight, Neuf means nine and Dix means ten. The brand has not given a public reason for the numbering, so we will not invent one; what you can say is that the names read cleanly in any language and tell you which family a bag belongs to.

Each number is a distinct shape. The Numéro Sept in Taupe Bag uses textured Italian calf with a suede interior and a gold-plated stainless steel clasp. The Numéro Huit Edition Textured Camel is a softer, rounder piece. The Numéro Neuf in Blush Bag belongs to a family that also comes as Mini, Large and an East West version measuring 32 x 37 x 13.5 cm. The Numéro Dix in Textured Black Bag is a 24 x 20 x 7.5 cm zipped bag weighing 386 g, sold with two straps, one long and one short for wearing as a baguette. Our Numéro Dix guide covers its variants.

The named lines: Cyme, Mokki, Béri and the rest

After the numbers came names. The Cyme is the line most shoppers search for today, a textured Italian calf bag with a velvet microfibre lining; the Cyme in Sand Bag shows its folded, fan-like shape, and our Cyme guide walks through the Mini and Tote versions. The Mokki in Textured Glade Bag measures 24.5 x 32.5 x 11 cm, has two compartments and weighs 860 g.

The Béri in Cognac Bag is a long, curved shoulder bag that has spun off Onda and Rizom editions. The Tonca in Chalk Bag is compact at 17 x 24 x 7 cm and 366 g, with a strap that adjusts from 32 to 59 cm. The Nodde in Black Bag is a zipped 21 x 16.5 x 7 cm bag in smooth calf, with a hobo, a bucket called the Seau, a pouch and a card holder in the same family.

Then come the more sculptural pieces. The Boky in Textured Camel Bag is built from three assembled pouches, two zipped and one magnetic. The Shuldo in Ebony Bag is a large slouchy hobo, roughly 49 x 56 x 10 cm, with a cut-out handle and no strap. The Solé in Tan Bag mixes those pebble pearls with waxed cotton and carries a removable pouch. You can see the full spread on the brand hub and in our shoulder bags edit.

Polène design DNA

Put any two Polène bags side by side and the family resemblance is obvious. The leather is folded, curved and pleated so the shape does the talking. Visible branding stays small: an embossed logo, a branded clasp on some models, and very little else. That restraint is why people ask whether the house belongs alongside older names; we look at that in is Polène a luxury brand.

Care is simple. The brand says its leather needs little maintenance. Keep it away from long spells of sun and heat, water, grease and perfume, and remember that dark and new clothes can transfer dye onto pale leather. If a bag gets wet, dab it with a soft cloth and let it air dry; no cream is needed. Do not overfill it, store it in its dust bag, and know that Polène offers a repair service at cost. If you like the look but want to compare, our list of brands like Polène is a good next read.

How to pronounce Polène

Say it “poh-LEN”. It has two syllables. The first is light, close to “po” in “pocket” but with a rounder o. The stress falls on the second syllable, where the grave accent on the è opens the vowel so it sounds like the e in “pen”. The final e is silent, so there is no third syllable: not “po-lee-nee”, not “po-LEEN”.

The model names follow French too. Numéro Un is “noo-may-ro uhn”, Dix is “dees” and Neuf sounds like “nuhf”.

Polène around the world

France

The brand lists two Paris boutiques: the flagship on Rue de Richelieu and a store on the Champs-Élysées.

United States

The brand lists a New York boutique on Broadway in SoHo, and a Chicago space on Oak Street has been leased. American searches for the brand are among the highest anywhere, and the crossbody sizes suit city days on foot.

United Kingdom

The brand lists a London boutique. For British weather, the textured calf versions shrug off light drizzle better than pale smooth leather, but dab them dry all the same.

Germany and Europe

The brand lists boutiques in Hamburg on Neuer Wall, Milan on Via Manzoni and Copenhagen. Northern European winters favour the darker shades and the zipped models.

Japan

Tokyo’s Minami-Aoyama boutique opened in 2023 as the brand’s first store in Asia. The brand also lists boutiques in Seoul on Garosu-gil and in Beijing.

Australia and Canada

None of the boutiques the brand lists is in Australia and Canada, so shoppers there tend to start online. In Canadian winters a zipped model under a coat is the practical pick; in an Australian summer, keep pale leather out of long direct sun.

Polène history: common questions

Who owns Polène?

Polène was founded in 2016 by Antoine Mothay with his siblings Mathieu and Elsa Mothay, and it is headquartered in Paris.

Is Polène French?

Yes. Polène is a French brand designed and run from Paris, while most of its leather bags, including the Numéro Un, are made by artisans in Ubrique, Spain.

How do you pronounce Polène?

Polène is said “poh-LEN”, with two syllables, the stress on the second and a silent final e.

What was the first Polène bag?

The first Polène bag was the Numéro Un, which is still among the brand’s bestsellers; its Nano size is often cited as the top seller.

What do the numbers in Polène bag names mean?

They are French ordinals: Numéro Un is one, Sept seven, Huit eight, Neuf nine and Dix ten. Polène has not published a reason for the numbering.

Where does Polène have boutiques?

Polène lists boutiques in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Milan, Seoul, London, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Beijing, with a Chicago space on Oak Street leased. Our where to buy Polène guide covers them city by city.