Born in Montreal with vietnamese roots, Léa Nguyen had a passion for bags, playing with her mom’s colored straw sacs from a very early age. She worked as a costume maker and set dresser in numerous events. Upon meeting stylist and fine lingerie designer Joelle Eugénie, the founder of Madame Jo, she developed a deep respect and a strong frienship that saw the two work together as stylists on advertising campaigns. Joelle became her true fashion advisor in her debut.

 

Léa received her university diploma in business but always dreamt of having a functional accessory line. With global warming in the headlines, Léa felt the need to design a handbag suited for fashionable women with an eco-conscience and one that truely unites glamour, eco-utility and originality. Léa often encountered the same problem as many other ladies with reusable bags: ‘Oh! Mademoiselle I forgot to bring them with me.”

 

Throughout 2006, Léa created a handbag that contained a solution by adding clever pockets (patent pending). Surrounded by colleagues in the fashion and advertising industry, Léa decided to launch her label POUPÉES RUSSES, French for Russian babushka dolls.