Polène opens Beijing flagship with upcycled leather interior
Spanish luxury leather goods brand Polène has opened its first flagship store in China at Taikoo Li Sanlitun in Beijing. The store spans two floors and combines leather, walnut, and Xuan paper to reference local craft traditions.
A large magnolia made from leather marks the entrance, while the interior uses compressed bricks produced from 12 tonnes of leather offcuts from the company’s Ubrique workshop. Polène says the material was developed to retain a soft tactile quality while creating a mineral-like finish.
The space includes an experiential presentation titled Craft at Work – A Theatre of Artisanship, which brings together three themed chapters. These cover the brand’s Paris design base, its production roots in Ubrique and a workshop scene where miniature bags move along conveyors beside large sculptural pieces.
Jewellery and recent bag styles are also displayed, with the company confirming that its Chinese New Year range will arrive first at the Beijing flagship. Chief executive officer Antoine Mothay said the store follows two years of online sales on Tmall and forms part of a wider expansion plan that includes Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Singapore, South Korea and Japan.
