The Cult of Polène Bags — Here are the styles that everyone’s carrying

The French luxury brand Polène was founded by three siblings in 2016, and over the years, it has grown into a cult label with long queues outside its Tokyo and New York stores, and countless reviews by fans on TikTok. In Singapore, the only way to get your hands on a piece is through Polène’s official online store. If you spot it elsewhere and the price is too good to be true, it probably is; we recommend saving up and getting it direct from Polène.

The very-first and original bag design from the brand is their iconic Numero Un (USD580) which resembles a backpack, and can be carried as a handbag, shoulder bag, or crossbody. No surprises then that the current best-seller from Polène is the Numero Un Nano, (from USD470), a smaller version that fits all our daily essentials and looks super cute when worn.

We spoke to the brand on some of the other bag models that caught our eye. See below for our Editor’s picks from Polène. Note: While we chose to feature and shoot mostly black bags, the brand does offer all their styles in several colours.

Above: Polène Numéro Neuf Mini in textured black, USD520.

The Numero Neuf Mini (USD520) is a great size for weekend outings or for all your essentials when you travel. We like the black textured version that won’t show scratches and should distress nicely over time.

Above: Polène tonca, USD540.

Polène tells us that the Numero Dix (from USD580) is the ultimate “city” bag because of its rounded shape, foam padding and hand-stitching. It’s nice, but we also like the Tonca (USD540), which has an interesting fold that’s blended into a twisted metal buckle.

Above: Polène cyme mini in textured black, USD460.

For the office and shopping trips, the Cyme and Cyme Mini bags seem to be everyone’s choice. It’s one of the most represented Polène bags online, and we can see why; it’s a sleek basket-style tote that can be worn with its sides tucked in for a rounder, more compact shape, or open for more space. Once again, we love the black textured version that we don’t have to be so precious about.

Above: Polène cyme mini in textured black, USD460.

Lastly, there’s the Neiti bag (USD360) that’s just released in a new metallic version, and features braided leather, a magnetic closure, and a removable strap so the bag can be worn as a handheld clutch or a long wallet. This is the one to wear to the clubs or out with your girlfriends for cocktails.