OHLALA Spotlight

The creative mind behind this one-of-a-kind brand is Lorenz Bäumer, the only independent jeweller in Place Vendôme, a status that showcases the brand’s notoriety. Place Vendôme is a reference and elegant place for fine jewellery in Paris and home to the most celebrated brands in the world – a symbol of French luxury and refinement.

At this noble location, Lorenz creates stunning pieces inspired by Place Vendôme itself, the world of jewellery and watchmaking, nature and art, all tied up in exceptional stones and materials. The brand ensures a new and unique story behind each gem, diamond and particular creation to transmit an array of emotions.

Born in Washington to diplomatic parents, Lorenz Bäumer had a childhood punctuated by travels – from the United States to Jordan and Austria. A graduate of the École Centrale de Paris, his engineering training makes him a precursor in new techniques and materials applied to jewellery and watchmaking. He worked at Chanel and Louis Vuitton while creating for many other high-end names. He also participated in multiple collaborations with houses such as Hermès, Cartier, Piaget, Bréguet, Baccarat and Guerlain, for which he designed the famous red G and the Abeille perfume bottle.

Inventor of the tattooed diamond, he enjoys working with rare materials such as meteorites and titanium. Some pieces are unexpected, impertinent and exquisite such as the Scarabée brooch of diamonds tattooed with 543 stones and requiring more than 100 hours of work or his olfactory rings. Other creations are personalised with love messages, such as the Writing and the Battement de Coeur collections, inspired by the vibration of a heartbeat.

The Maison Bäumer is also known for its custom-made services, which allow you to tell a particular story that Lorenz will transform into a piece of jewellery. The label is most definitely innovative, with items for bold and ambitious people who are not afraid to adorn themselves in pieces that look like wearable contemporary art.

The history of this luxury leather goods label, one of the oldest of its type in France, started in the 19th century. Back then, around 700 people were employed at the LÉTRANGE Paris workshop and at the plant in Montargis, where they manufactured bags and accessories for gentlemen, hunters, cyclists and photographers.

Made-to-measure orders were the label’s primary creations with special customers like Jules Verne. The brand even went to Antarctica with Commander Jean Baptiste Charcot in 1908, who carried his equipment in LÉTRANGE luggage during his second Polar expedition. During World War II, Henriette, daughter of Francis Létrange, took charge of the company. Between 1975 and 2007, the house expanded into textiles and luxury shirts. It then became one of the most prestigious suppliers in France before ceasing all its activities in 2007.

In 2014, Sébastien L étrange, grandson of Henriette and L étrange’s seventh generation, became passionate about this family history. While he was immersed in the archives to write their saga, this passion turned into a much bolder ambition: to bring LÉTRANGE back to life. Instead of reformulating archives, Sébastien recognised that the true legacy of LÉTRANGE lies in its spiritual foundations – a dedication to craftsmanship and a determination for constant innovation.

Using the most beautiful high-quality materials, sophisticated finishings and innovative constructions, LÉTRANGE now offers a modern leather goods collection. The label carries the importance of its history in a new light, with inventive designs rigorously crafted and nourished with a vibrant imagination. Every single bag is ingeniously designed, versatile in the ways it can be used and has its own personality.

For the DJWE, LÉTRANGE presents the most expensive bag in the world with more than 100 diamonds. With this spectacular debut in the region, we can’t wait to see all the fabulous creations LÉTRANGE and Bäumer will have available at Printemps Doha. The expectation only grows, and we are sitting in the front row, just waiting for the show to start!