11" x 10" Notes from the Curator The Sorbonne was the maison's inaugural backpack in Monogram Empreinte leather, a relief embossing technique that begins with plant dye, then employs double embossing of a horizontal grain to carve the house monogram into supple calfskin. Introduced in 2017, it was offered in only one size and initially just two colourways: Rose Ballerine and Noir. This example, stamped on plain leather rather than the monogram exterior, may be a variant outside the standard launch palette or a production shift between runs—most Sorbonne backpacks documented in 2017 and 2018 bear date codes from Spain, though details on pink colourway distinctions remain elusive. The model was conceived as "traveling with style"—compact, feminine, and relentlessly functional, balancing a small footprint with a front zipped pocket and dual interior pockets. Monogram Empreinte was created to showcase "artisanal craftsmanship and precision," with silhouettes that soften over time, acquiring the rolled ease that only lived-in leather can provide.