5 brands of eco-friendly handbags for women

L'Exception is committed to unearthing ethical and eco-responsible leather goods..

The leather goods industry, and the leather industry in particular, has a significant environmental and social impact: chemical tanning, leather from the highly polluting agri-food industry, animal welfare issues...

Here we offer you environmentally and socially committed brands, offering bags and small leather goods made from innovative, eco-responsible, recycled or upcycled materials, and where traceability, transparency and respect for craftsmanship are the watchwords.

Whether you're looking for a shoulder bag, a handbag or a mini-bag, you've come to the right place.
Don't wait any longer to discover our selection of committed brands for your shopping!



Domestique is a brand founded by Bastien Beny and Simon Delacour in 2016. It designs accessories inspired by everyday objects and the society of overconsumption, reinterpreting them into innovative eco-responsible fashion accessories.
We love Domestique for its 100% handmade, made-to-order products in their Paris workshop in the 10th arrondissement, based on an ultra-local supply chain. In fact, all their artisans and suppliers are located within a 2km radius of their workshop. Their eco-designed products are repairable and reusable, with the aim of combating programmed obsolescence. From design to production, the brand strives to reduce its carbon footprint through a zero stock, zero waste policy.
We've fallen for the pretty stationery-inspired Large Enveloppe rectangular calfskin bag. This casually styled red handbag can be worn across the shoulder, in the hand, as a necklace or cinched in at the waist for all occasions.




The Laju Paris brand, created in 2018 by Justine Bossard, shakes up fashion codes and reuses dormant stocks and leather scraps from major houses. It's part of a circular and upcycled fashion, where unused materials are given the chance of a second life.

Elegant and minimalist, Laju bags are made in central France, while the small leather goods are meticulously handcrafted by its designer in her Paris workshop at La Caserne, Paris's incubator for sustainable fashion.

Laju Paris bags rhyme chic, modernity and eco-responsibility.
Did you know that briefcases are a real fashion accessory? To protect your documents or your computer, the 11" and 13" compatible black leather pouch is perfect! You can also choose the Petit sac camel made in France, in 100% leather and lined with 100% recycled cotton, the ecological bag par excellence! Carried as a banana or shoulder bag, it's sure to delight every fashionista.





The fledgling Thyrs brand, founded in 2020 by Delphine Lasbordes, reinvents the canvas satchel from an eco-design angle. Eco-friendly, certified materials (GOTS, Oeko-Tex, GRS), organic cotton, recycled polyester, vegetable-tanned leather details... Thyrs ensures ethical and eco-responsible production for a product with a considerably reduced ecological footprint. Thyrs is also committed to manufacturing in small series to avoid overstocking, and sources its raw materials to maintain perfect control of its value chain. Pieces are handcrafted in Normandy, in keeping with leatherworking know-how.

Thyrs uses unconventional materials such as hemp, one of the most ecological materials available, as vegan fur.

Practical, elegant and resistant, Thyrs besacs or tote bags will accompany you in your daily life.Dare to be innovative with the black Piñatex besace. Its leather is vegetable-tanned from pineapple leaf fibers. Its metallic gourmette chain-style handle will accessorize all your outfits.





Rive Droite will win over recycled enthusiasts. The brand selects recycled and upcycled materials to make its eco-responsible bags. Rive Droite favors short circuits, and its pieces are made in Casablanca, close to where the materials are purchased.

The company is also committed to an ethical project. It supports its partners, seamstresses and dressmakers in precarious professional situations, and helps them set up their own businesses. Its aim is to accompany them in entrepreneurship so that they can achieve financial independence.

Bananas Custine, iconic pieces from the house are the perfect accessory to complete an everyday outfit.
The Sauval denim blue handbag in recycled cotton will complement all your casual outfits. Its inside zipped pocket, adjustable handle and rounded shape are just some of the details that complete this pretty piece!





Ateliers Auguste is a Parisian brand of haute maroquinerie created by two brothers in 2012, whose style borrows from the design and architecture of such greats as Le Corbusier, Eames and Frank Lloyd Wright. Followers of the "Less is More" architectural trend, the boldly designed bags and accessories are minimalist.

Ateliers Auguste chooses noble materials. Bags are made in Italy, while small leather goods are produced in Portugal. The leathers used come from prestigious tanneries in northern Italy, less than 70 km from the workshops. The hides are sourced exclusively from the food industry, in compliance with the strictest regulations. In fact, the brand only chooses leathers that comply with the European REACH standard, and the calf leather comes from an LWG (Leather Working Group) certified tannery that ensures responsible leather production, with workers employed in good working conditions. Ateliers Auguste offers eco-friendly handbags that are both minimalist and stylish. A wardrobe essential!
Fall for the magnificent Gabriel Gold Edition bag or the pretty black Cambon purse, whose small size will fit in every pocket! Or fall for the irresistible Cléry wallet in embossed calf leather made in Portugal. Its pretty eggplant color will make all the difference when you pull out your credit cards to shop!



We hope you've enjoyed this selection of ethical and eco-responsible brands!