Avid TikTokers may already be au fait with the burgeoning handbag label Poléne, such is the French brand’s prevalence on the social app.
But for those not ITK (and for those not constrained to bright lights of their phone screens), Poléne is perhaps a new term for your fashion vocabulary. That being the case, I did some digging to: firstly found out more about the brand and secondly to uncover how it became TikTok’s new favorite label.
So, let's start with the basics: what is Poléne?
Founded in 2016 by three siblings, Polène is a label that create high-end leather bags. Combining minimalism with creative expression, the brand designs unique and sometimes unorthodox-looking bags, as well as more subtle options, too.
Although Poléne is far from unknown in the world of fashion (it has 1.7 million followers on Instagram for starters), its capital skyrocketed in the early part of 2023 thanks to its clean-yet-opulent aesthetic ticking ample boxes for this year’s quiet luxury trend. And again its vogue rose more recently following a rise in searches on TikTok.
Although Polène itself has only 37,000 followers on the social platform (I mean, it’s more than I have), the search numbers surrounding the brand on TikTok are much more impressive.
The hashtag ‘#Polene’ has amassed over 210 million views at the time of writing, while the more specific ‘#PoleneBag’ search term has garnered nearly 90 million more. But why?
Going by multitude of TikTokers singing the brand’s praises, Polène’s main USP is its oversized tote bags and cross-body bags, both of which have become the label’s most sought-after products.
There’s more to it than that, though. Design-wise Polène has it spot on. Everything it makes is both fluid and graceful and devoid of glaring insignia. There’s a sculptural integrity to each of its products, one which plays into the quiet luxury trend.
What struck me most about Polène, though, was its affordability.
For a brand that exudes wealth and luxury in both its design and craftsmanship, the fact the majority of Polène’s bags retail for less than $500 is a surprise.
Sure, $500 for a bag isn’t exactly cheap, but compared to what other luxury labels are charging for less exciting designs, it certainly puts things into perspective.
In short, Polène is bucking the trend when it comes to quiet luxury. Sure, its designs are the epitome of stealth wealth and its materials are luxurious and plush, but to get your hands on one won’t break the bank too much. And, as everyone knows, TikTok loves a bargain.
