The Louise Carmen World

 

Why "Louise Carmen"?

A story born from a journey, encounters, and a desire to live differently.

"We simply wanted to take our time. Meet people. Travel the world at our own pace."

 

Our Manifesto

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We speak to those who follow their intuition.

To those who compromise neither with their dreams nor with their freedom of thought.

To those who dare to step out of their comfort zone.

To those who fully embrace who they are.

 

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Our Mission

“Our mission is to create highly customizable, refillable-for-life notebooks that tell the story of who you are.”

Nathalie Valmary

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A Sustainable Philosophy

#ethical

 




From Louise Carmen’s very first steps in 2016, we have done everything in our power to craft our leather notebooks in France. However, we do not claim to be a "made in France" brand.
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Why?




Those who have tried know it well. Manufacturing in France is difficult. Over the last few decades, France has deindustrialized in general indifference. Leather goods workshops, manufacturing plants, and printers have almost all disappeared from French territory. Some shut down, unable to find successors. Many filed for bankruptcy, unable to withstand fierce price competition from within Europe and internationally. We eventually found a man in his thirties eager to create jobs in his home region. Since June 2017, we have been working with this workshop located between Châteauroux and Chambord. Since December 2023, a second workshop based in Châteauroux has strengthened our leather goods production. In 2024, two leather workshops in the Tarn region also produce Louise Carmen leather goods. The more our production needs grow, the harder it becomes for us to find workshops in France.
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International reach

We love contributing to France's influence around the world by exporting our creations, our craftsmanship, and that certain "je ne sais quoi" that is uniquely French and specific to Louise Carmen.


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Our leitmotif: craftsmanship


We love the creativity and skills found in workshops. We take great pleasure in working with artisans who possess specialized know-how. We love contributing to the preservation of their expertise.
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Recycling/ sustainability
  • Our Héritage leather notebooks are designed to last a lifetime since you can refill them.
  • We recycle the fleece pouches used to protect our leather covers during transit between the workshops and us.
  • Our leathers come from the food industry recycling chain.




Craftsmanship

The notebooks

  • The leather goods are made in France in the Centre-Val de Loire and Tarn regions.
  • The vegetable-tanned leathers are handcrafted in Tuscany.
  • The elastic cords and the blue, white, and red ribbons are manufactured in Japan.
  • Louise Carmen paper notebooks are printed in an ethical family business. We contribute to the reintegration of 180 disabled individuals near Shanghai.
  • The agendas are produced in a print shop near Shanghai.

Accessories

  • The archives and mini card holders are made by the leather workshops we work with in France.
  • Some of our pouches are made in Paris in the 2nd arrondissement and in the Loire Valley. Other pouches are made in the Shanghai region.
  • Louise Carmen flyers and newspapers are printed in France.

Charms

➤ Louise Carmen collections

  • The encapsulated flower charms are created in Paris by Victoire Valmary.
  • The silver seashell charms are designed by the founder of Louise Carmen and made by a jeweler in Bali.
  • Some charms are made with stampings we select from a specialized workshop in the Marais district of Paris, then we have them gilded with fine gold or silver in the Marais in Paris.

➤ Collaborations

  • Throughout the year, we collaborate with jewelry, fashion, and decor designers. These are small, limited-edition capsules.

➤ Special selections

  • The vintage charms are purchased during our travels at markets, garage sales, and from antique dealers.
  • Some charms are selected according to their theme in France, in Europe, or outside Europe.

A family business

Fabien Valmary - founder

An eight-time marathon runner, for the pleasure of the challenge but also the pleasure of heading to nice places, he loves action and connecting with others. A fan of meditation, yoga, jogging, and short naps, he is not one to get discouraged or live life from his sofa. Cooking relaxes him, but what he loves above all is seeing his two daughters pour their energy into achieving their dreams. In 2013, he did not hesitate to take his little family to the other side of the world to step out of the norm, discover "other normalities," but also to have the rare privilege of spending 365 wonderful days as a family.

 

Nathalie Valmary - artistic director and founder

Curious about the world around her, she loves travel, inspiring encounters, and the boldness of those who step out of their comfort zone. Nathalie puts all her energy and creativity into bringing her dreams to life and putting them into action. She worked at Cacharel and wrote 12 lifestyle books published by Éditions de la Martinière-Le Seuil. Sensitive to fashion, photography, and crafts that have a soul, she cares about detail and creating products that have meaning, are well-made, and well-finished. She created the Louise Carmen brand in November 2016, following a one-year trip with her family to Asia. Her very personal blog nathalievalmary.com

 

Victoire Valmary - Instagram, TikTok

The year spent traveling with her parents (the founders of Louise Carmen) and her sister Capucine gave her a taste for discovering the world, meeting new cultures, cooking, and creating. Her passions are photography, making videos, and hunting wherever she goes for "her little treasures"—vintage items she spots from far away in markets all over the world. She loves fashion, reading, and cinema. She is in charge of creating inspiring content that represents the Louise Carmen brand on Instagram and TikTok. She is "the voice" of Louise Carmen with "the French accent."

 

Le Conseil National du Cuir - investor

The National Leather Council, through its investment fund Cuirinvest, has been a shareholder of Louise Carmen since 2019. This investment fund supports the most promising innovative young French and European companies.