The incredible adventure of the French schoolbag

We love our schoolbags. They're practically part of our heritage. Little French children go to school with their first schoolbag; it's an initiation ritual, a tradition, a must-have!

And yet, the schoolbag hasn't always existed. There was a time when few French children went to school, and schoolbags didn't exist then: schoolchildren carried their meager belongings in a bundle or satchel.

One fine day, a certain Jules Ferry, Minister of Education, decides to make school public and free. The number of young schoolchildren explodes! It's the beginning of the 20th ^century. century, the great history of the schoolbag begins.

School is evolving quickly and children are carrying more and more equipment. The satchel is no longer suitable and, being too heavy, it hurts the back. So, the first school bags reinforced with cardboard or wood are born, but above all, we have  added a pair of straps to carry his bag on both shoulders.

The school bag, which until now resembled an adult briefcase, made of leather and very sober, is suddenly adorned with the colors of brands aimed at children - Poulain, LU - which are now appearing in schools.

So, how do you decorate a schoolbag?! Goodbye advertisements, hello fashion. And, in France, we love fashion, we love it!

On the other hand, we don't like it very much when our little blond heads, burdened with the weight of science, have backaches. Let's not forget that we are in the ^20th century, this very special century, which moves fast, which pushes the limits, which even makes men walk on the moon!  This century which creates new materials, stronger, lighter, more ergonomic.

As the new millennium approaches, the youth satchel of a century is incredibly relevant and modern. A beloved symbolic object, embodying the importance of access to knowledge for all, and carrying the hopes of adults for their children and for the world of tomorrow, continues to take the path of school.

At Caramel & cie, it's a true star: its understated, time-honored lines are disarmingly chic. Rafaela Garcia lovingly adorns it with bold graphics and contemporary shades. Always designed to help children grow well, it's built to be ever more ergonomic. And because we want a better world, the interior of Caramel & cie school bags is now made from 100% recycled polyester.