Since its creation, DS automobiles has wanted to promote the art of French travel, which goes beyond simply being a premium brand. By combining the fashion, art and gastronomy for which France is renowned throughout the world, DS is part of an overall approach to offer its customers a unique travel experience with the good taste of France.
As part of the launch of the "Spirit of Travel" collection, DS presents a Malle culinaire that focuses on an aesthetic and cultural approach to travel. DS Automobiles has collaborated with La Malle Bernard to create this exclusive edition of the Malle culinaire.
This new element of refinement was developed with Michelin-starred chef Julien Dumas to enhance elegance and a sense of aesthetics. The Malle culinaire encourages the discovery of local cultures, encounters and the practice of the French art of living while travelling, for more curiosity, authenticity and quality in the travel experience.
Béatrice Foucher, Managing Director of DS Automobiles, explains: "Our Malle culinaire is designed to be shared. The idea is to fill it with different ingredients to promote local producers who make gastronomy. It allows you to meet people at the heart of the excellence of an important part of French heritage. "
Designed by DS DESIGN STUDIO PARIS, Julien Dumas and La Malle Bernard, the DS Automobiles gourmet box is made of fine materials: nappa leather on the outside - in the same Pearl Grey colour as the ESPRIT DE VOYAGE collection - and Alcantara® on the inside to cover the poplar wood caskets. The ESPRIT DE VOYAGE signature is embossed.
The details also bear the signature of expertise, with Clous de Paris guilloché handles, nickel-plated clasps and hand-stitched leather handles. Each trunk is handcrafted by La Malle Bernard's trunk makers and takes several dozen hours to complete.
DS Automobiles' gastronomic ambassador, Michelin-starred chef Julien Dumas, was actively involved in the creation of the Malle culinaire.
Julien Dumas, DS Automobiles Gastronomy Ambassador, says: "I regularly meet producers with unparalleled know-how. From our exchanges, I bring back products that I work on. Then, in my kitchen at the Bellefeuille restaurant at the Saint James Hotel in Paris, I prepare them in the most natural way possible, while respecting the environment. This Malle culinaire, installed in my DS 7, is a great working tool. When I designed this case, I thought about different ingredients and trips to my producers. I used the oil bottle to fill it with roasted walnut oil from the Massif Central, jars for dried and smoked trout and seaweed caviar, test tubes for maceron pepper, dried seaweed and fresh herbs. I used the jars to bring back seaweed tartar, dried trout, dried scallops and apple vinegar from the Paris region and Brittany, in particular from Jean-Marie and Valérie Pédron. "
In close collaboration with Julien Dumas, the Malle culinaire was designed with a wide range of containers and essential accessories:
Three test tubes
A bottle of olive oil
Two large jars
Six smaller pots
A walnut chopping board
A paring knife made by cutler Patrick Bonneta
One honey spoon
One corkscrew
A notebook and pen
The DS Automobiles Malle culinaire is made by La Malle Bernard, the oldest layetier trunk maker still active in France and a French Living Heritage company. In a workshop established in Paris in 1846, Jules Bernard and Caroline Simon developed their expertise after working for the Grands Magasins du Louvre. At the beginning of the 20th century, La Malle Bernard became famous for its black lacquered trunks, designed to transport and display goods of all shapes and sizes. In the 1930s, La Malle Bernard specialised in the production of car trunks, with roof models and trunk models. These trunks were made to measure, with a canvas in the same colour as the bodywork. The interior was usually fitted with two suitcases. This configuration allowed travellers to leave the trunk firmly attached to the back of the car and simply take the two protected suitcases with them. La Malle Bernard is a family business with a long tradition, with a boutique in Paris and workshops in Normandy.
The ultra-limited edition of the DS Automobiles Malle culinaire will soon be available at the DS Automobiles Lifestyle Store for passionate gourmets at a price of 4,000 euros. Each box can be personalised with the customer's model and initials.