Our history
THE BRAND
We are a sister and brother team and we wanted to work together on an exciting project.
We are winegrowers and were drawn to the idea of giving new life to harvest residue.
We are entrepreneurs striving to support the French local economy.
We are Elodie and Camille Schaller (sister and brother) and we live in the vineyards of Chablis, in Burgundy.
We make wine ourselves and decided to set out on this adventure when we read an article in a wine magazine about a new material that had been created from harvest residue. An Italian company has developed this innovative material, which is similar to leather.
We created our own sketches and designs for the pieces.
Maison L'Arôme
Elodie and Camille Schaller, sister and brother
The material looks similar to leather,
and is made from the residue obtained when grapes are pressed.
THE MATERIAL
Some people call it “grape leather”, others “wine leather”. That’s not strictly correct: the material does indeed look and feel similar to leather, and it does derive from the grape-harvesting process, but only animal skins can be called “leather”. “Vegetable leather” doesn’t work either, that material is animal skin that has been tanned using vegetable substances.
The innovation we are working with here is something very different .
Basic ingredient: grape pomace. The solid, dry substance that is left behind after the harvest is over and the fruit has been pressed: the skins, stems, pips, and so on.
This grape pomace is then dried in an oven and ground into a powder. Next, the powder is mixed with vegetable oil and a water-based polymer, which forms a paste. The paste is dyed then spread out in strips before being left to dry and transformed into the final material.
This vegan material is guaranteed to be free of solvents and heavy metals. It’s an innovative and ecological alternative to animal leather.
Know-how
CREATION
We have designed and sketched out the items ourselves: our pieces are both elegant and practical, chic and timeless.
We then partnered with a family-owned workshop in Paris to develop mock-ups and prototypes.
Finally, we entrusted production to an organization employing people with disabilities (80% of staff). The pieces are hand-made at this company, whose clients include some of the biggest names in luxury.
Designed in Chablis, Burgundy...
.
THE CHOICE OF
MADE IN FRANCE
Even though all the pieces were designed in Chablis, we also wanted to manufacture them in French workshops, for a more responsible approach to production and to benefit from high quality local know-how.
We’re winegrowers, so that decision was an easy one!
ECO-DESIGNED
FROM A TO Z
In line with our choice to use an eco-designed material derived from harvest residue, we wanted to pay the same attention to the packaging.
That is why:
-
Our handbag and cross-body bag are presented in 100% recycled fabric totes, also made in France
-
Our wallets come in boxes made of cardboard, and can be used to store photographs
-
The labels that come with each piece are printed on recycled paper, which is also made from harvest residue.
Optimized packaging
