Peter Cohen in the Paul Marius Boutique in Marina Port La Royale. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT–Imagine yourself appearing in a movie during the Hollywood golden age, a romantic drama perhaps from the 1940s, imagine the clothes you would be wearing, carrying a briefcase or suitcase, perhaps concealing a leather-bound brandy flask in your waistcoat pocket as you board the 3:30 steam train at Paddington.
Long before the advent of cheap mass production, clothes and accessories had a certain quality, were hand-made with fine attention to detail, and made to last. Leather, being a durable and classy material, was most often preferred by ladies and gentlemen for accessories such as travel luggage and handbags.
If you’re feeling nostalgic for this style that has come back in vogue, and want to stand out from the crowd with something unique, quirky and, yes, fashionable, visit the Paul Marius boutique in Marina Port La Royale.
There is a wide range of interesting leather accessories on display that reinvents the meticulously-made leatherwork of a past era. The boutique opened in the marina in December 2018.
“I was in Marseille last year and happened to visit a beautiful Paul Marius shop and was really impressed by the leather products. They were so cool,” enthuses boutique owner Peter Cohen. “I immediately looked into seeing how I could bring it to the Caribbean. We contacted Paul Marius and after a long back-and-forth they eventually agreed for us to become a dealer. So, we are the first Paul Marius shop in the Caribbean, this side of the Atlantic.
“You do see a few shops in Guadeloupe and Martinique with Paul Harris products, but we decided to take it further. We have our own website to promote the brand, but we are not allowed to sell on line, unfortunately, in the Caribbean.”
There are some 40-50 Paul Marius shops in France and one is opening soon in London, in Sloane Square. Paul Marius today counts on some 600 collaborating Indian artisans and about 100 French workers involved in development. The brand was created in 2010 by Florent Poirier.
“We really like the product. It’s manufactured in India and designed, marketed and developed in France,” adds Cohen. “They have people in India that make sure the quality is very high. It has a retro style that we like, beautiful old-style leather that’s functional. We believe there is a market for it here. We’ve got handbags, briefcases, suitcases, rucksacks, wallets, travel pouches and much more. There’s even a reporter’s bag and the leather rucksacks are becoming very fashionable these days.”
Given the superb quality and attention to detail, prices are not that expensive, anywhere from 10 euros at the bottom of the range up to 265 euros and nothing above 300 euros. Many of the smaller items make ideal gifts.
Cohen, like other business owners in the marina, deplores the glacial pace of reconstruction progress, or the lack thereof, at the marina and urges visitors and local residents not to be put off by its appearance and lack of activity.
“Do come and visit us. You won’t be disappointed,” he says.
Paul Marius boutique is located in Marina Royale between the restaurant Be Cool and the Sarafina Bakery and café.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/85042-paul-marius-retro-style-leather-goods-boutique-opens-in-marina-royale
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