A couple of years ago in the month of May, I was in Paris on a buying trip, looking for new lines of products and visiting with some of my established suppliers. I had heard of an aspiring artist whose creativity and leather craftsmanship were remarkable, and I had made an appointment with her.
I left my hotel an hour early so that I would walk, stop for an espresso and a mini croissant halfway, and get in the mood of my much-anticipated meeting in the heart of Paris, between the Picasso Museum and the National Museum of Modern Art.
The window display caught my eye, and I knew I had reached my destination. I stepped in and was greeted by the smell of fine leather – The store was a join-effort between several upcoming artists who were sharing this one special creative, “hip” place to exhibit their few, but super high-quality leather products.
When I met Nathalie, I was impressed by her sweetness, her simplicity, her humility, and I asked her to tell me the story of “le carnet”, as she called it.
Nathalie is a modern gal. She has a smart phone and a tablet. She travels for business and for pleasure. She also loves to write and to organize her important notes. All this inspired her to create a one-in-all organizer for her phone, her passport, business cards, credit cards, and, most importantly, her refillable notebook. When she runs errands in Paris, she uses it as a wrist purse. When she travels, she puts it in her tote bag and reaches for it as often as needed.
I truly fell in love with her contemporary, yet classic creation. I did not think that I would use the notebook often, but I decided to give it a try. I bought one, a black one to match the large travel purse that I was wearing that day, and I organized all my important belongings (phone, passport, and credit cards), leaving the less-often-used items (book, sunglasses, lotion, tissues, etc.) in the bottom of my purse.
A few days later, I was still in Paris and getting ready to take the train to Brittany. I had been using the leather organizer, “Le Petit Parisien” as I renamed it, constantly, and I realized that it had become a good little companion. I never had to look for my identity card or my credit cards more than a second. I would easily pull out “Le Petit Parisien” and voilà! Whatever I needed was at my fingertips.
What about the notebook? The paper is so beautiful, I thought… I can’t just scribble shopping lists on such beautiful paper. Plus, I use Siri for those lists. No need to write them down. True ...
As the weeks passed by, I started using the notebook feature, writing important notes, unforgettable lines and remarks, powerful lyrics, memories that belong on beautiful paper more than in a phone. "Mommy, you have this look in your eyes that always makes me confess the truth," I wrote on the first page. My son said that to me when he was six years old, and I never want to forget. So, I wrote it down, followed by many more meditative quotes and inspiring stories.
And “Le Petit Parisien” more and more became a sidekick, my Parisian sidekick.
When I got back to the States, I contacted Nathalie and started importing “Le Petit Parisien”, which is becoming more and more popular while bringing a very practical and affordable fashion statement from Paris.
Mustard, Eggplant, Metallic Green, Silver or Gold... "Le Petit Parisien" is available in several colors and textures for a contemporary look and a chic French touch.
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