Bag Stories
Rich with many carefully preserved bags and clutches spanning decades, Germaine Guérin’s Heritage collection is made up as much of the objects themselves as the stories they carry. Because it’s the little stories that shape the bigger picture, we want to share with you some anecdotes, ranging from the funniest to the most moving.
"I just had to have it"
The original Lorette bag, one of Germaine Guérin’s most iconic models, marked its era and captivated many style icons. When this porosus crocodile piece joined the Maison’s Heritage collection, its owner shared the story behind it. Greek and a great admirer of Maria Callas, she didn’t hesitate to make a detour to 243, rue Saint-Honoré during a stay in Paris to buy the same bag as the woman who, to her, embodied absolute elegance. “I just had to have it” she told us simply, as if it were obvious.
"The beginning of an entire collection"
She had only just started working when she walked past the shop window. Love at first sight. The snake chain, the delicate finishing, the Volutes and the summery colour. She did the math, hesitated for a long time, then she went inside. She didn’t just buy this bag, she treated herself. Her first real paycheck, her first real bag. And, in her own words, “the beginning of an entire collection.”
"I've had it for a long time"
This box calfskin bag comes from a loyal customer who regularly visited Paris, always leaving with a suitcase that simply wouldn’t close. This 1950s model? A “necessary” purchase, quietly slipped between stacks of dresses. Her husband never knew how many bags she owned, or whether they were new or not. She always had her ready answer: “I’ve had it for a long time.” Irrefutable.
The Suitors’ Bench
This suede calfskin bag from the late 1940s belonged to an American client living in the beautiful Highland Park neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. Widowed at a young age, she chose to pack her bags to travel the world, rather than venture into marriage again. Although she had a bench on her porch where suitors would wait, only the Germaine Guérin bags she bought in Paris ever crossed the threshold.
The clutch for special occasions
This clutch, made of black velvet and lined with silk, belonged to her mother and was reserved for special occasions: weddings, baptisms, important dinners. As a child, she saw it as a fragile treasure, to be handled with the greatest care. One day, her mother gave it to her, a symbolic gesture filled with history. For her, this clutch embodies her mother’s elegance and countless shared memories.
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