Accessories brands Michino, United Nude, Studio Caro show at Première Classe in Paris

The Première Classe trade show was held on March 7-10 once again at the Tuileries Garden in Paris, having been staged at the Carrousel du Louvre last September. This season, the show featured 250 exhibitors, fewer than in the past, presenting their latest fashion and accessories collections with a focus on handbags, shoes, jewellery, and headgear. Première Classe was held in parallel with Matter and Shape, the contemporary design show launched by WSN in March 2024, which hosted almost double the number of exhibitors this session, generating new commercial energy.

The Michino brand exhibited its range of high-end leather goods at Première Classe. “French elegance combined with Japanese minimalism,” is how Yasu Michino likes to describe the brand he founded 10 years ago. Michino handbags are made in Italy in the Florence area, by artisanal workshops supplying some of the leading luxury houses. They are characterised by evergreen lines enhanced with subtle graphic details, and are priced from approximately €1,000. Michino, a French-Japanese designer who moved to Paris a long time ago, is a leather goods expert who has worked for labels like Givenchy, Balenciaga and Le Tanneur. A year ago, he decided to focus exclusively on his eponymous brand, which is doing very well in Asia and the USA.

Dutch footwear brand United Nude returned to Première Classe after a few years’ absence. It was co-founded in 2003 by renowned architect Rem D. Koolhaas, and is well-known for its extremely futuristic models (for example, it adopted 3D printing techniques early on) and de-structured heels. This season, it has gone in a rather more urban direction, with bright colours and XL platform soles. United Nude also presented a pair of boots, in black or white, featuring rows of transparent plastic pouches along the legs, which can hold letters forming sentences. A concept that was replicated on a handbag.

Studio Caro was launched at the end of 2024 by Estonian-born designer Caro-Liine Tikk, who has worked at Bally, and defines itself as a brand of sustainable luxury accessories. The first products launched by Studio Caro are handbags made in Italian workshops using leather from dormant stocks. The Caro Bag, the collection’s firstborn, comes in small (€1,940), medium and large size, and is decorated with a clasp in 24-carat gold and palladium. Studio Caro is planning to introduce other product categories soon, such as hats and home decoration objects.