by Lesetta
April 21, 2022
2 min read

Paris, France

I met Nathalie Dionne, a French Canadian who has been living in Paris and working in fashion for 20 years, at Premier Classe in Paris in September 2021. I had stopped for a coffee inside the event space and while I was waiting a woman, who was also waiting, heard me speaking English and asked where I was from. I told her and she said, “Oh good, I was wondering where all the Americans were this year!” And we immediately began chatting. After we were both well caffeinated, she took me to her booth to show me her gorgeous line of sustainable bags - Thalie Paris.

She told me the story of how, in March of 2020, during the first Paris lockdown, when the Parisians were only allowed to walk one km out of their homes for only one hour a day, she envisioned the launch of THALIE, “around the idea of a new era for sustainable luxury”. Her original prototype was the signature Livia wristlet of The Sushi Collection. Made of a recycled salmon “leather”, collected from French sushi restaurants, by a french marine tannery based in Lyon. She believed this was a great example of creativity in circular economy, and that the salmon leather is also an alternative to exotic skins. The process uses only vegetable tanning which gives the bags a beautiful finish such as luxuriant green, roaring red and an almost metallic blue. Thalie uses marine leathers in combination with upcycled leathers from French luxury houses’ dormant stock.

"Made of a recycled salmon “leather”, collected from French sushi restaurants."

We continued our visit the following day at her home in the 16th Arrondissement. I came to learn that her neighborhood greatly influenced the brand. She said, “The identity of Thalie Paris is very deeply inspired by the local architecture and environment of Paris' 16th arrondissement. The Haussmann architecture, the Art Nouveau doors, the marble walls are all elements that have defined Thalie Paris' aesthetic and designs. On the logo, the dot on Thalie's "i" is actually a florentine lily that appears on the metalwork of my Parisian balcony. The bags themselves are also inspired by the Parisian way of life : chic, modern and ergonomic designs, practical, light yet very sensual to the touch.” She also started producing some SS ‘22 styles with leathers from one of the finest LWG Gold certified tanneries in Italy. Their leathers are truly some of the finest.

Nathalie says “Our design philosophy is one that states that sustainable design can be made beautiful. I also like the idea of inviting women of the world to feel parisian, it’s a state of mind that translates into french eco-chic, and Thalie as muse by whom nature is reborn.”

"the dot on Thalie's "i" is actually a florentine lily that appears on the metalwork of my Parisian balcony."

We at Lesetta could not be more excited to be the first brand in the US to offer Thalie Paris luxury handbags. From their upcyucled Apolline clutches, to the Livia and Hermine styles from their “Sushi Collection”, we are blown away by the design and quality. And, we know you will be too.

Shop Thalie Paris