Cover The Fauré Le Page boutique at Greenbelt 4
The Fauré Le Page boutique at Greenbelt 4
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Augustin de Buffévent, president and creative director of Fauré Le Page, settles the score on how to turn an 18th century gunsmith company into a luxury leather goods brand
While exploring auction houses and museums, Augustin de Buffévent stumbled upon the house of Fauré Le Page, a near-forgotten but respectable footnote of French history that once manufactured weapons for the elite, from Louis XVI to Napoleon. It has been reborn into the 21st century, designing luxury handbags and other leather goods for the modern age. Though it could be a little challenging to romanticise notions of warfare and weaponry, to De Buffévent, today’s fashion consumers are taking on a new battlefield.
Today’s Fauré Le Page caters to the daily toil of the present. It boasts 11 locations spread across four continents. Its flagship store in Paris is situated along the Rue Cambon, just a stone’s throw away from where Coco Chanel ran her first hat shop. The family-owned business is helmed by De Buffévent, who also acts as its creative director and principal. Well-versed in navigating the trenches of Parisian couture, he previously held some prestigious titles at Dior for over ten years.
“I’m attracted to French craftsmanship, which I think comes across as very obvious. It’s embedded into our culture, and I’m very sensitive to it,” he says.
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Above Fauré Le Page Creative Director and Owner Mr Augustin de Buffévent
Fauré Le Page Creative Director and Owner Mr Augustin de Buffévent
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De Buffévent believes that if there’s a symbol to Fauré Le Page, the iconic Tree of Life installation stands as a motif in their Greenbelt 4 location. “You only see the branches, but there is a lot going on underneath the dirt. The roots represent the House’s heritage,” De Buffévent muses. “A tree can only grow if it has long roots.”
“Fauré Le Page is an old house with an old name. [Though] we like to do things without taking ourselves too seriously,” he says. “I’m happy to have a different story to tell. The brand’s exciting origins only add to its dynamism.”
The original Fauré Le Page is deeply etched into French culture. It traces its origins to 1717 when the company was founded by Louis Pigny, a gunsmith who first set up shop in Paris near the fashionable Palais Royal. Classical novelists from Balzac to Pushkin have referenced these weapons in their works. De Buffévent even recalls how his grandfather hunted badgers with a Fauré Le Page rifle.
“The origins of today’s leather goods industry can be traced from the gunsmiths of the past since they had to find ways to carry their own ammunition,” he explains. “For what we’ve done with Fauré Le Page, we have removed all the weapons. Now, we’re just selling the bag.”
Above The Tree of Life, symbolic to the unseen roots of the house dating back to 1717
Above Anton T Huang, Mariana Zobel de Ayala, and Augustin de Buffévent
The Tree of Life, symbolic to the unseen roots of the house dating back to 1717
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He regards Fauré Le Page as his ‘northern star’ guiding him towards his purpose. “I felt I had to go for my own adventure. It was a call, so I had no choice but to obey.”
Each piece in House's arsenal is spawned from their motto: ‘Armed with Seduction’. “Everything is about seduction. Love is something you fight for. If you don’t fight, you won’t be able to seduce. If you don’t seduce, you won’t maintain love.” The brand manufactures a new kind of armour for the modern age, manifested as a fashionable bag for wearers to carry their daily essentials.
For De Buffévent, gauging the balance between the past and the present is a gruelling but rewarding challenge—undertaking a mission to respect the heritage of this 300-year-old establishment while constantly envisioning ways to renew it. It poses the question of how exactly one translates the aesthetics and integrity of an eighteenth-century gunsmith to cater to today’s luxury market. It’s a daily challenge, according to him, though it seems that history is working in favour of his vision.
Above Fauré Le Page's VIP room at Greenbelt 4
Fauré Le Page's VIP room at Greenbelt 4
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The atelier counts on its centuries-old archives for inspiration, from which they source their test codes. Their signature dragon-scale print refers to its appearance on Fauré Le Page guns, while their gun-shaped pochettes pay tribute to their roots. “I love the image of a woman pulling her lipstick out of a gun. It’s sort of like their ammo,” he says.
Their Ladies First bag took two years to develop and is designed to resemble an officer’s cartridge pouch. The embellishments are reminiscent of the cannetille embroidery of military decorations, and the hardware is inspired by the shape of a gun’s cylinder. It also takes 21,000 stitches to decorate one centimetre of fabric. The house maintains that a bag needs to be both resistant and light, similar to a soldier’s weapon on the battlefield.
Despite its distinction as a high-end luxury brand, De Buffévent insists that at the end of the day, “We do not subscribe to the fashion industry. We make these chic, long-lasting handbags, but they ultimately don’t [align with the industry]. What many consider to be fashion becomes unfashionable very quickly.” He even states that one won’t find the brand anywhere near the runways of Paris Fashion Week. “We are not on this path. We dance to our own rhythm, and we aim to respect the spirit of this house.”
Above Fauré Le Page Ladies First bag
Fauré Le Page Ladies First bag
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To him, there is no emergency to grow or follow the trend cycle. The brand does not appear on any stock market. Luxury is all about time and good quality, “Spending time with the people I love [is the best kind of luxury]. I love taking time to manufacture these long-lasting products that can span years and act as heirlooms,” he says.
From a wider angle, he tries to conjure new ideas every couple of months. In the future, he plans to introduce new product categories. He reveals that Fauré Le Page will launch a new product that has been in the making for five years this coming September.
He says, "We must renew ourselves if we want to survive. It’s like a love story. If you remain fixated on yourself, your love story won’t last long.”
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Credits
Images: Courtesy of Fauré Le Page
About
Julianna has been interested in leading a literary life since she first read Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess at eight. Before working with Tatler, she was an archive intern at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York. She is a textbook Pisces who devotes most of her spare time to her crochet projects, watching classic films, and going through her never-ending pile of unread books. She studied creative writing, global literature and art history at Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2022. Toni Morrison, Nora Ephron, Clarice Lispector and Jia Tolentino are among her all-time favourite writers.
Work
Julianna writes about fashion, beauty, sustainability, and the arts. She is always keen on conducting interviews with talented women who are changing the game in their respective fields.
For event invites and story leads, hit her up at julianna.cabili@tatlerasia.com
