Newsletter – November, 2011 – UPLA

In 1973, a small collective joined together to open a new kind of retail venture in the Les Halles neighborhood of Paris.

The theme of this avant-garde concept store was simply to sell products that they loved; mother-of-pearl buttons, old lace, organic jam, Crabtree and Evelyn perfumes, small pieces of furniture, stylish home decorations, bicycles from the Netherlands and American carpenter’s jeans.

Housed in an old creamery, they aptly named the brand UPLA, Union des Produits Laitiers et Avricoles, (Union of Milk and Poultry Products).

Soon after its inception, the collective introduced a multi-pocketed messenger bag to their eclectic mix of stock. The Fisherman’s Pouch, as it became widely known, was a shoulder bag with designs in both natural leather and colored cotton.

An instant hit with the UPLA customers; this classic product has successfully stood the test of time.

Retaining an industrial spirit thirty-five years on, UPLA is located across the Seine in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près, just two blocks from the infamous Café de Flore.

The store now draws fashionistas from across the globe, who flock to buy the celebrated Fisherman’s Pouch. Notching up 25 models, each with 60 versions, the UPLA offering is now as wide as your imagination.