History & Creators
ROMAIN BOUBERT
Trained as an engineer, Romain was a senior executive in distribution. In 2019, he wanted to devote himself to his passion for leather goods and began to sketch the outlines of the House concept. With the discovery of new materials, namely plant based leather alternatives of very high quality, the project took on its fullest meaning.
For the brand, Romain chose a name close to his heart: Maes, his mother's maiden name. Maes is also the anagram of ‘souls’ in French (âmes): a spiritual dimension that speaks to those prepared to shake things up for the good of the planet.
Beyond his commitment and desire for innovation, Romain hopes to offer forward-thinkers a new interpretation of Parisian elegance. Through a new encounter that brings the vision to life.
GÉRALDINE SAQUY
Géraldine is an independent graphic designer, whose training ground was the demanding world of advertising, between Paris, London and Amsterdam.
Inspired by Constructivism and the Art Deco and as an admirer of work by Cassandre, Raymond Loewy and Pierre Paulin, she loves symmetry and sobriety. With her penchant for geometric shapes, she favours simplicity of lines and restraint in ornamentation. Added to which is a keen sense of detail.
Being highly sensitive to the planet’s environmental problem, her meeting with Romain in 2020 was a trigger. Géraldine sees in Maison Maes the opportunity to reconcile her ecological awareness and love of accessories, which were beginning to have trouble cohabiting.
ROMANTIC MINIMALISM
Géraldine likes to play with lines, those that will please the eye but also those that will make sense. Straight, curved or broken, each line conveys an emotion: roundness, sensuality, character or simplicity. Obsessed with proportions, she pursues her search for the right balance in each of her creations.
All the brand’s design plays with this apparent simplicity of shapes and proportions, painstakingly worked upon behind their pure, spare appearance. Linearity, symmetry, and repetition find their counterpoint in an extreme attention to detail, through to the design of jewellery pieces that adorn the bags.
The influence of Constructivism can be seen in her bag designs; the Decorative Arts are perceptible in her choice of bold details.
