Louise Carmen, a designer who founded her eponymous brand in Paris in 2016, probably didn’t expect to attract so many personalities.
What could possibly be the common thread between Lana Del Rey, Laurence Boccolini, and Kendall Jenner? These three celebrities have recently fallen for the same leather accessory. Not a bag, a wallet, or a pair of shoes, but a notebook signed by Louise Carmen. Or should we say THE leather notebook that all the stars, French and international, have been clamoring for in recent months.
During her visit to Paris last October for Fashion Week, singer Lana Del Rey caused a stir on social media by signing a 10 euro note at the Louise Carmen store in Passage du grand cerf. Before her, director Laurence Boccolini had also visited the same store to get her hands on the famous notebook. Last November, Kendall Jenner, with 284 million followers, included one of the notebooks in her gift guide post on Instagram, with a link redirecting to the product. On January 30th, Camille Lellouche also entered the famous Louise Carmen boutique. Actress Shay Mitchell, influencer Sabina Socol, and British singer Raye also own their own model.
What explains the wild success of these notebooks? A system of refills and personalization. Louise Carmen’s Instagram account is filled with videos explaining the concept: at the Paris store counter, a salesperson, or Louise Carmen herself, presents to the client – who has made an appointment in advance – different sizes, leather cuts, colors, embossing, accessories, engraving types, and other options. During the discussion, the client makes their choices and leaves with a unique notebook that they can keep for life. As for the prices, they obviously vary depending on the chosen size, selected materials, and finishes. The base prices before personalization? 129 euros for a “pocket” notebook (the size of the palm of a hand), and 209 euros for the larger format.
