Polène In

For a luxury industry struggling with oversaturation and tight margins, the success of Polène—and their Cyme tote, in particular—seems to prove that accessible luxury can generate a decently sized business with just a few stores and limited awareness. At least for the time being.

L Catterton seems to believe that Polène has cracked the code for profitable luxury without logo dependence or hype—but really, the core appeal is that it’s a European brand, produced in Europe, with a lot of opportunity to scale at retail. Photo: Courtesy of Polène

Sarah Shapiro

July 29, 2025

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It’s high summer in the United States, but fall fashion is already starting to hit stores. And this season, you can expect to see more of the Polène Cyme tote. The certified B.A.B.—or big ass bag, the term du jour—encapsulates the French-coded “clean girl” look, a not-so-subtle rejection of American consumers’ taste for luxury brands and designer labels. The brand was founded in 2016 by three siblings—Elsa, Mathieu, and Antoine Mothay—and while they have no explicit background in the fashion industry, their great-grandfather Léon Legallais did found the heritage Breton stripe brand Saint James.