Laurent is wearing La vareuse Métis and Le pantalon Métis in Indigo.
LAURENT LEPAINTEUR, THE GUY EVERYONE LOVES
The first time I saw Laurent, I thought, Damn, who’s that guy? An ex-con or a rock star ? A few days later, he sat down across from me at work.
And pretty quickly, I got it: Laurent isn’t just a stylish guy. He’s the one everyone wants to be friends with. Drop him anywhere, and within two days he knows everyone. By day three, he’s the king of the neighborhood.
He says hi to everyone, flashes a smile, always has a kind word.
He’ll buy you a coffee, a cigar, an ice cream—something that just makes your day.
He’s had several lives already: opening a restaurant in Normandy, crafting leather-covered guitars for Johnny Hallyday, making guitar straps for Popa Chubby, developing leather for the luxury industry - and it keeps on and on.
After years of seeing him light up every room he walked into, I finally had the chance to see Laurent in his element — on the road, doing what he does best.
OCTOBER 2025 - TWO DAYS AT WORK WITH LAURENT LEPAINTEUR, LEATHER SPECIALIST
I took the night train from Vienna to Florence to meet up with Laurent. I arrived at dawn, when the streets were still empty, the city barely awake. It gave me time to stroll peacefully through Florence, before the tourists flooded the piazzas.
Later that day, I met Laurent at the airport—he had flown in from Paris. We picked up a rental car and drove straight to a leather tannery near Santa Croce before checking into our hotel in San Miniato, the birthplace of Pinocchio.
From there, we had a breathtaking view of the Tuscan landscape.
For dinner, we were invited to the home of Laurent’s friend, Hamza - an artist working for a family-run cordovan leather tannery. He served roasted lamb chops and chicken tagine. During dinner, we discovered that all three of us had fathers who were cooks.
Between courses, Laurent lit up a Cavalier White Series cigar I had brought for him.
The next morning, we woke up early to start work. The tannery district greeted us with its distinct, earthy scent.
Laurent needed to inspect the hides he had ordered for a major luxury brand in France. It was fascinating to watch him at work, sorting each skin with care, while having his playlist of blues music providing the soundtrack.
He pointed out how a tiny imperfection can give the leather soul—a kind of beauty he admires, though the client might see it as a flaw.
Later that day, we visited Hamza again to see his vegetable-tanned cordovan leathers and some of his butter-soft natural hides. We couldn’t help but dream about jackets or loafers made from these beautiful materials.
By the end of our trip, I felt nostalgic for the times we had spent together as colleagues. Yet nothing had changed — Laurent was still the guy everyone loved.
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