“Le cuir est dans le pré” or “Leather is in the meadow”. This is the possible title of the story of a family from Loir-et-Cher. In other words, the story of Auriane de Saint Albin and her four children. On April 24, 2019, they set up a project that aims to produce and market bags and other leather accessories 100% made in France. A goal pursued with a particular pride, and based on an unquestionable awareness: as long as there are consumers of milk and meat, there will be raw hides to be enhanced by the tanning process.
Le cuir est dans le pré
Auriane’s philosophy is to “consume less and better” and to valorise French leather. The idea of “Le cuir est dans le pré”, as reported by the Marques de France portal, was born when the founders discovered two factors that gave them pause for thought. First: 3.4 million adult cattle are slaughtered each year in France for the food industry. Second: 95% of their hides go abroad to return in the form of manufactured goods. The idea is immediate; to valorise French leather “in their own small way”. So, they start by defining strict production standards. For example, they focus on maximum respect for animal welfare to create a local value chain. To do this, they rely only on neighbouring suppliers who share the same values, as they recount in the video that you can watch by clicking below.
How it works
Louis, one of Auriane’s sons, designs bags that are then made 100 kilometres away from the farm, in Perche, by a local artisan. In three years, the company has sold 2,500 pieces via the internet alone. And, a detail to be emphasised three times over, part of the proceeds of their business goes to associations that work for animals respect. A few days ago, the brand changed its name. It is now called Cérès, and looks forward to a further development of its business.
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