Morabito bags

When Jean-Baptiste Morabito opened his first jewellery store in Nice in 1905, he was twenty years old! After a ten year apprenticeship in the jewellery trade in Rome, he specialised in the meticulous work of tortoise shell, coral, and mother-of-pearl. His creations were also characterized jewellery clasps made of gold, tortoise shell, and precious stones, and they were prized by the European aristocracy of the Belle Epoque and the high society vacationers on the "Côte d'Azur."

In the early 1920s, Jean Baptiste Morabito moved into a small shop on the Rue Saint-Honoré, preceded by a worldwide reputation in the area of cans, bottles, and eventually travel kits, made of elephant leather and crocodile skin. Specializing in leather cases and having expertise in making luggage, the Morabito House is known for mastering the peculiar work of these luxury leathers.

During the thirties, the Morabito House stood out in the making of leather goods, excelling in the development of other “rare” skins, such as reindeer and antelope. After the war, the House’s first perfume had a bottle designed by Lalique, representing four crystal turtles, the Morabito House’s “totemic” animal. The House created shoulder bags that young women embraced, breaking tradition with the "handbag" lady of previous generations.

Established in 1951, at number 1 along the famous Place Vendôme, at the corner of the Rue Saint-Honoré, Morabito welcomed leading figures, the international jet set, and royalty. In 1958, when Marilyn Monroe was looking for a new model of vanity case, Morabito created a model for her that would become a classic: the “Orsay” bag. In 1961, the "Traviata" and "Verdi" models were dedicated to Maria Callas. In 1971, during an official visit, Madame Claude Pompidou, wife of the President of the French Republic, offered a “Vendôme” crocodile skin bag to the Empress of Japan. In 1996, the Morabito House moved to Avenue George V and in 2007 came back to Rue Saint Honoré, a few metres from the place where Jean-Baptiste Morabito had opened his first shop. Today, the workshop perpetuates the tradition of hand-sewn expertise and precious material work, while adapting to a more contemporary taste.