Ateliers Auguste Colette Review: The New Soft Shoulder Bag

The Ateliers Auguste Colette is the Paris house’s newest bag: a soft, trapeze-shaped shoulder bag with one rounded handle, two pockets and a zip, handcrafted in Italy and launched in October 2026 alongside a smaller Mini Colette. The Colette measures H22 x W30 x D13 cm at the top, widening to 36 cm at the base, with a 22 cm handle drop, and weighs 770 g. At Coveti the Colette is $1,320 and the Mini Colette $1,170, each in seven finishes: four smooth calf colours, chocolate suede, and two Silver Editions in midnight suede and black pebble.

Key facts

• What it is: a soft shoulder bag with a single handle, a zip closure and two pockets (the brand’s Colette page).
• Colette: H22 x W30 cm at the top, W36 cm at the base, D13 cm; handle drop 22 cm; 770 g; four protective metal feet.
• Mini Colette: H18 x W24 cm at the top, W28 cm at the base, D10 cm; handle drop 21 cm; 560 g.
• Leathers: Italian smooth calf (Tan, Chocolate, Black, Taupe), Italian suede (Chocolate, Midnight Blue) and grained calf (Black).
• Hardware: a slim gold bar on the Gold Edition; silver on the midnight suede and black pebble Silver Editions.
• Made in Italy, lined in microsuede, leather from an LWG-certified tannery. Price at Coveti on 25 October 2026: $1,170 to $1,320.

What the Colette is

Most Ateliers Auguste bags are built: box calf on a stiff frame, a flap and the house clasp. The Colette is the exception. The brand calls it a soft handbag, and in the hand it behaves like one, with sides that ease out from a narrow top to a wider base, a long flap that sits flat against the front, and a single shoulder handle that drops 22 cm, enough to wear it under the arm over a coat. Inside there are two pockets and a zip across the opening. The only metal on the outside is a slim bar at the edge of the flap and four small feet underneath.

That makes it the house’s answer to a question it has not tried to answer before: what a soft everyday bag looks like when the people designing it trained on architecture. The trapeze line is the giveaway. Set it next to the Marly and the family resemblance is plain, only with the frame taken out.

Colette against Mini Colette

The full Colette takes a day: a small tablet, a wallet, a phone, sunglasses in their case, a scarf. The Mini takes an evening and a working lunch: phone, card holder, keys and a lipstick, with room for a pair of folded sunglasses. The handle drop is almost the same on both, so the Mini does not ride higher on the shoulder; it is simply a smaller bag on the same arm. If you want one for work, buy the Colette. If you already own a tote and want a second bag that goes out at night, the Mini is the better buy and $150 less.

Every Colette at Coveti

1. Colette in Tan Smooth Leather, $1,320

Smooth calf in the house Tan, a warm cognac. The colour that does the most work in an autumn wardrobe, with camel coats, navy knits and denim.

2. Colette in Black Smooth Leather, $1,320

Black smooth calf with the gold bar. The one to buy if this is your only bag this year.

3. Colette in Taupe Smooth Leather, $1,320

A soft greige that reads lighter in daylight than on screen. It suits cream, grey and white, and looks richest against black.

4. Colette in Chocolate Smooth Leather, $1,320

Chocolate smooth calf, the most grown-up colour of the four. It sits with brown suede boots and a navy coat.

5. Colette in Chocolate Suede, $1,320

The same shape in Italian suede. Softer to the touch and matt, it is the most autumnal Colette, and it needs the care that suede needs (see our suede bag guide).

6. Colette Silver Edition in Midnight Blue Suede, $1,320

Midnight blue suede with silver hardware, a Silver Edition. In low light it reads as black; in daylight it is a deep, inky navy.

7. Colette Silver Edition in Black Pebble Leather, $1,320

Black grained calf with silver hardware. Grained leather hides scratches better than smooth calf, which makes this the hardest-wearing Colette.

The Mini Colette

The Mini comes in the same seven finishes, from $1,170. Our picks are the black smooth calf, the Tan and the midnight suede Silver Edition, which is the prettiest small bag in the new collection. All seven are on the Ateliers Auguste page at Coveti, and every new arrival of the season is in our Autumn Winter 2026 edit.

How it compares

Against the Amelot, the house’s other soft bag, the Colette is dressier: the Amelot has an adjustable strap for cross-body wear and a large back pocket, the Colette a fixed handle and a cleaner front. Against the Sévigné tote it is smaller and will not take a laptop. For other soft shoulder bags at the price, DeMellier and Strathberry are the closest in spirit; see brands like Ateliers Auguste.

“In the beginning, it was about a desire to create objects that combine architectural clarity with emotional depth,” Xavier Valembert told Style Essentials in March 2026. “Architecture teaches you restraint.”

Frequently asked questions

When did the Ateliers Auguste Colette launch?

The Colette and the Mini Colette arrived in the Ateliers Auguste new-in collection in October 2026 and reached Coveti on 25 October 2026.

How big is the Colette?

The Colette is 22 cm high, 30 cm wide at the top and 36 cm at the base, and 13 cm deep, with a 22 cm handle drop. It weighs 770 g.

Does a laptop fit in the Colette?

No. It takes a small tablet, a wallet, a phone and sunglasses. For a 13 inch laptop the house makes the Sévigné tote.

Can you wear the Colette cross-body?

No. It has one fixed shoulder handle with a 22 cm drop, worn on the shoulder and under the arm. The Amelot and the Mini Amelot are the soft Ateliers Auguste bags with a cross-body strap.

What is the difference between the Gold and Silver Edition Colette?

Only the hardware: a gold bar on the Gold Edition colours and silver on the midnight suede and black pebble Silver Editions. The shape, size and lining are the same.

Where is the Colette made?

In Italy, from Italian leather tanned by an LWG-certified partner tannery, with a microsuede lining, according to the brand.

More Ateliers Auguste guides

Every Ateliers Auguste page by Coveti’s fashion editor Gemma Deeks: Brands like Ateliers Auguste, Who is Ateliers Auguste?, Bag guide, Bag sizes, Is it worth it?, Leathers and care, Gold vs Silver Edition, Colours, Where to buy, vs Polène, vs DeMellier, New arrivals 2026, Best bag for work, Review, Sévigné review, Mini Sévigné vs Sévigné, Mini Marly review, Marly review, Monceau guide, Roquette review, Capucine review, Marceau review, Alma review, Amelot review, Passy East West review, Cléry wallet, Best slim wallets for women, Marly keyring, Designer bag charms, Silver hardware handbags, Mini Amelot vs Amelot, Small hobo bags, French handbag brands, Gift guide, Croc-embossed bags, Brown suede bags, How to wear a burgundy bag, Navy handbags, Quiet luxury bags, Top handle bags, Autumn Winter 2026.

Sources and method

Checked on 25 October 2026 by Gemma Deeks, fashion editor at Coveti. Product facts, the dimensions, handle drops, weights, leathers, linings and country of manufacture, are the brand’s own product-page text; prices and price ranges are Coveti’s live catalogue on that date and move with stock; the founders’ story comes from the brand’s own pages and the two interviews listed below, each read on the date above. The founding year is given two ways in the sources and the page says so. Where a claim could not be checked against one of these it was left out, and where the fitting room is giving its own advice the page says so.

• ateliersauguste.com, Our story: the house’s own account of its founding by two brothers, the women’s line since 2018, the architects it cites, the Italian tanneries, REACH and LWG
• ateliersauguste.com, Ateliers: the workshops in the Venetian countryside, the four hours of work per bag, the small leather goods made in Porto
• ateliersauguste.com, Care: the brand’s own use and care recommendations
• ateliersauguste.com, FAQ: guarantee, returns, delivery times and the countries where duties are included
• ateliersauguste.com, Paris: the boutique at 8 rue de Turenne, its hours and the tax refund
• ateliersauguste.com, Warranty: the one-year guarantee and the repair service
• ateliersauguste.com, Spring/Summer 26 Collection: the smooth-leather Passy, Sevigne and Mini Sevigne launch
• Ateliers Auguste product pages: dimensions, handle drop, weight, leather, lining and country of manufacture of every bag and small leather good (195 product records read on 25 October 2026)
• Kismet, 14 December 2025: Ateliers Auguste, Architecture, Integrity, and the Quiet Power of Timeless Design (interview with Xavier Valembert; the page was offline on 13 and 25 October 2026, a copy read on 19 September 2026 is on file)
• Style Essentials, 9 March 2026: Why Laurent and Xavier Valembert Chose Precision Over Fashion (interview)
• Ateliers Auguste, Colette collection: the Colette and Mini Colette
• Ateliers Auguste, New in collection: the Autumn Winter 2026 arrivals
• Coveti live catalogue, 25 October 2026: prices and stock