Cartier has launched its latest creation, the Panthère de Cartier bag, a piece that combines the Maison’s renowned jewellery craftsmanship with its leather goods.
Conceived in secrecy by Marlin Yuson, Creative Director of Leather Goods, and her team, the design emerged after an intensive creative process that relied heavily on prototypes, dialogue and collaboration.
The bag marks a significant blending of Cartier’s jewellery savoir-faire with high-end leather artistry. Among its defining features is a clasp created in collaboration with a sculptor from Cartier’s jewellery workshop. The result is a newly interpreted panther head, crafted with faceted metal surfaces and finished in gold or palladium. The panther motif, emblematic of the Cartier brand, extends the animal’s presence across yet another creative field following its appearances in jewellery and watchmaking.
Each of the eleven flat surfaces on the panther’s head includes leather inserts, laser-cut and assembled by hand. The materials used include brass covered in gold or palladium, with a thickness chosen to ensure resistance to oxidation and wear. A stylised panther head is also engraved beneath the flap, reinforcing the bag’s identity. Completing the jewellery-inspired design, the faceted chain links mirror the appearance of precious stones and carry the same finish as the clasp.
In addition to its jewellery features, the bag showcases meticulous leather craftsmanship. Made from premium calf leather, only the finest cuts were used. The leather undergoes washing, tanning and embossing under high pressure and temperature to achieve its distinctive grained texture. Each piece is then refined through slitting, dyed edges, embossed gold logos and finally, assembly.
The needlework is done with precision, yet concealed, leaving no visible seams. The final effect is a soft, rounded leather surface that enhances the sensual character of the material. To ensure structural accuracy, a prototype is crafted from microfibre salpa before the final version is produced.
The minimalist design, defined by precise proportions and refined details, reflects the panther’s charisma. With this launch, Cartier has combined aesthetic purity with technical mastery, offering a bag that is both an object of desire and an embodiment of the Maison’s creative legacy.
