Au Départ means "at the departure," and the name makes sense once you know the story. The Parisian trunk-maker was founded in 1834 with the arrival of railway travel, and its first shop opened opposite the Gare du Nord, at 7 boulevard Denain, in 1847. Brothers Ernest and Paul Bertin took it over in 1871, opened a second boutique at 29 avenue de l'Opéra in 1874, and patented a new trunk production technique and a waterproofing process for hides. It is considered one of the four great French trunk-makers, alongside Louis Vuitton, Goyard and Moynat. The signature came in 1910, a four-color 3D-effect monogram called L'Hexagone, and it is the pattern you see across most of these bags. The No. 55 geometric-print tote bag is the central piece, with the Tote No. 28 geometric-monogram tote bag as the smaller one. The Tote No.47 shows up in several versions: the Tote 47 monogram-jacquard leather-trim tote bag, the Medium No.47 geometric-print coated-canvas tote bag and the No.47 geometric pattern tote bag. The Monogram-print reversible tote bag is the clever one, two looks in one bag. For smaller things, the Holder Card Case in navy, the Geometric-pattern wallet and the Luggage Tag in Black carry the print down to size. The Etoile leather shoulder bag, the Cité leather tote bag and the Belleville 18 in Lizard are the plainer or more unusual choices. What I would skip is carrying a geometric-print tote with a monogrammed scarf; let the bag be the only pattern. For more big-bag ideas, see designer tote bags and the luxury tote bags edit.

The smaller group is built around travel, which is where the house started. The Passport Case in Black is the most direct nod to the name, while the Mini Bag Charm in Black and the Logo-print mirror charm hang from a handle and make a tote look personal. The Céleste monogram shoulder bag is the compact choice for a day when the tote feels like too much. A good test for any bag charm is whether it clips on and off easily, since a charm that fights you will end up in a drawer. For other shoulder styles to carry alongside, the crossbody bag has places to be is a good read.

The house closed in 1976 after merging with Moynat, and it was relaunched in 2019 at Milan Design Week after more than 40 years away. Since then it opened its first new boutique, at 20 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in 2024, and collaborated with Hiroshi Fujiwara's fragment design on the Tote No. 55. I would start with a No.47 tote for everyday, add the Passport Case in Black for trips, and keep the rest of the outfit plain. For what to compare it with, I would look at the designer bag edit and the best tote bags.

For more in the same spirit, take a look at Freja New York Bags and Totes and Valentino Garavani Shoes and Bags.