JACK GOMME: A PARIS BAG BRAND WHERE FAMILY SPEAKS DESIGN

Jack Gomme was founded in Paris in 1985 by Sophie Renier and Paul Droulers. From the beginning, their approach to bag design was different. They wanted simplicity without compromise. Lightness without losing strength. Design that follows daily life, not the other way around.

The name comes from a story that still reflects their unique approach. One of their first creations was a crossbody bag made from the padded plastic table cover found in many European kitchens. If you grew up in Italy, you have seen it. Grandmothers keep it on the table to protect the wood from wine stains. The name of this fabric is bulgomme, and the brand became Jack Gomme.

From the start, the founders worked with materials that were unexpected for fashion. Nylon, mesh, coated linen. Some were water-resistant, others almost transparent. The goal was always the same: make a bag light enough to carry without thought, and strong enough to last.

Walking into their original showroom today is like seeing the future imagined early. Designs from the 1980s still feel current. There are nylon totes that could be part of a modern streetwear collection. Mesh shoppers that fit the shift toward transparency and easy storage. Even the surrealist idea of transforming garments into bags feels in tune with contemporary experimentation.

Craftsmanship was, and still is, a core value. The founders opened an atelier in Paris and kept most of the manufacturing in France. This ensured control over quality and supported local industry while keeping the brand within reach for customers. The French production continues today, a choice that gives Jack Gomme a distinctive position in a market dominated by mass production abroad.

The brand is also a family. Their daughter grew up with the atelier next door to their apartment. The work and home spaces blended into one. Fabrics rolled across tables, prototypes appeared on chairs, and design conversations happened over meals. Bags were not only a product but a shared language between family members.

After nearly four decades, the founders are preparing for a new chapter in their personal lives. Their plan is to spend more time sailing along the French coast. With this change, they are handing the brand to a new generation. The leadership now rests with siblings who have long experience in the industry and a commitment to maintaining the essence of Jack Gomme. Their task is clear: keep the clarity, lightness, and utility at the heart of the brand, while making it speak to a wider and younger audience. The designs do not need reinvention. They need more visibility.

Jack Gomme has lasted because it has stayed consistent without becoming static. The core ideas remain strong, the materials are still distinctive, and the shapes still work. With new energy guiding it forward, the brand is ready to step into a wider conversation while keeping the same Parisian sense of ease that defined it from the start.