Designer Profile

For the last 25 years Renaud Pellegrino has been designing bags to suit every occasion, turning each piece into a luxurious and decorative object, while making it extremely practical.

Born in Cannes, Pellegrino became a shoemaker’s apprentice at the age of 14. In 1969, he moved to Paris where he met the Carita sisters who asked him to create a range of accessories for their famous hair salon on the Faubourg Saint-Honore. Pellegrino opened his first workshop in 1976 and began an eight year collaboration with Yves Saint Laurent, who asked him to design the handbags for his haute couture and ready-to-wear collections.

In the early 1980s Pellegrino was considered to be one of the “Jeunes Createurs”, a group of young and dynamic ready-to-wear designers at the forefront of the thriving Paris fashion scene, although he was the only designer who dedicated his talent solely to accessories.

Renaud Pellegrino remains one of the few independent luxury leather brands to have its own workrooms situated on the Faubourg Saint-Honore. It is here that Pellegrino's experienced craftsmen, enriched with the secrets and techniques of the house, cut, assemble and embroider the designer's creations. Apart from working the regular collections, they also produce ranges of limited editions and work on special orders.

In January 2007, Renaud Pellegrino's unique talent as an accessory sculptor was honored when his friend, Catherine Deneuve, bestowed on him the prestigious French medal of 'L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'. In 2008 Renaud Pellegrino celebrates its 25th anniversary.