“Whether it was a bottle of wine or a bottle of water, a thermos of tea or coffee, I found I didn’t have a bag where it wasn’t going to spill all over everything,” said Kelley Moueix of the inspiration behind Maison Marrain, her luxe line of handbags crafted with work and wine in mind.
She should know; after a career at L’Oréal in New York and Paris, where she helped develop Giorgio Armani cosmetics, she moved to Bordeaux, France, for love, after meeting her prince charming and marrying into one of the most important winemaking families in the region.
She threw herself into life with husband Édouard Moueix, helping to run the family’s 11 vineyards producing cru classé wines in Bordeaux and Napa Valley, and found she loved it.
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“I was thrilled to be out of the rat race, experiencing such a beautiful place . . . learning how to cook and entertain the French way, embracing a slower way of living, the countryside and the lifestyle,” she said.
Ten years later, with her creative juices flowing inspired by the vineyard life, she launched Maison Marrain from Château Bélair-Monange, overlooking the tidy rows of grapes and the limestone village of Saint-Émilion. She created a line of bags and accessories designed for dinner parties and picnics, everyday work commutes and school drop-offs, “that would allow you to move throughout your day in the country or the city, day or night, and elegantly, discreetly carry what you need,” she said.
Kelley Moueix
The bags are “all about the standup structure, so they won’t topple over or crumple,” she explained. The interiors are designed in neoprene with organizational compartments to keep two bottles (of wine or other things) standing firmly, plus three open pockets for sunglasses, pens or lipsticks, and room for a phone and wallet.
“Today you have the carryall totes where you dump everything inside which are great but a disaster . . . or you have the overly organized bag with 75 slots for the laptop and charger and this and that but no open cavity for the unexpected item or shopping without carrying three other totes on your shoulder,” she explained of how she devised a better design, and also made it with an oval shaped base so if you’re not carrying a bottle, you can push the pockets to the sides so they’re not in your way.
Maison Marrain
“I designed bags for carrying wine but not only wine — you can also carry a wet umbrella and it won’t go dripping on everything in your bag, or a pair of ballet flats, or a scarf. And then I stick a pochette or pretty handbag in the middle, so you can put the tote bag down and have that for an event,” said Moueix.
The bags are handmade in France near Dijon in an atelier used by top luxury brands, and made in limited editions. “I started asking the factory to number the bags, no more than 10 at a time, because I like to switch colors and materials,” she said.
Maison Marrain totes.
The “DeuxVin” collection of saffiano leather totes come in vine green, noir black and Bordeaux red, of course. The “BonVivant” all-weather collection comes in richly colored, matte-coated canvas with leather trim, in blue marine and black, rust and brown, or earth and brown.
“In the last 10 years there has been a huge increase in interest in the gourmet world, the slow food movement, and being more intentional about what you are eating and drinking,” she said of how the brand taps into the zeitgeist, adding that Maison Marrain has appeal whether you drink or not. “The bags speak to a moment of taking time to enjoy life and have a piece that moves with you.”
Prices range from 295 euros for a pouch to 800 euros or more for a tote. Moueix is selling globally through her website, and looking to start wholesaling, eyeing Field and Fort in Summerland, Calif., Elyse Walker in St. Helena, Calif., Merci and Hotel Costes in Paris and Corso Como in Milan as potential partners.
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