Our history

Born in Biarritz, Herve Chapelier shuttled between the United States and Bordeaux, where he forayed into the study of economics. Herve Chapelier then landed in Saint Tropez, where he began to sell his first bags. Those were designed for the traveler, a reinterpretation of the famous duffle bag, but with sharp colors like orange, red, pink, yellow, purple…adding handles inspired by the automotive industry. Soon Saint Trop’ became too small, and the creator moved to Paris. It was there, at the very beginning of the 80s, that Herve Chapelier would launch his backpacks, which became a wild hit among high schoolers, followed in 1985 by the nylon cabas that were adopted by all teenage girls and students, who were attracted by this lightly gentrified accessory. In Europe, Asia, and the United States, several millions were sold.

Since then, the success of the cabas bag remained a constant, even as the collection broadened with the introduction of the pebbled grain coated canvas bags, chic and timeless. Its English-green label with the golden-lettered “Herve Chapelier Paris” has become a sign of distinction.