“I thought I was designing for the messy party girl like myself,” laughed Très Gelée founder Paige Mueller. “But it turns out, moms are obsessed with it.”
What began as a personal solution has grown into a handbag line — seen in Los Angeles on the likes of Ashley Park, Jamie Chung, Jonathan van Ness, Ashley Madekwe and Retta. Très Gelée, meaning “very jelly” in French, is made entirely of silicone, making it wipeable and durable.
“Fashion has always been my hobby, my escape,” said Mueller, whose path in fashion wasn’t conventional. With a background in television and entertainment, she first entered the product world through e-commerce before realizing her passion for accessories. “Even as a kid, I’d layer all my grandma’s jewelry and play dress-up for hours.”
It wasn’t until her own handbags became the site of frequent lipstick explosions and snack spills that the idea for Très Gelée took shape. Silicone was the breakthrough.
“We see it in baby bottles and kitchen tools, but rarely in fashion,” she said. “It’s made from silica, which is a form of refined sand, and it’s mixed with oxygen and carbon.”
Flexible and easy to mold, the material offered endless creative potential, she said: “You can squish them, spill on them, and they’ll pop right back into shape.”
Très Gelée’s designs include its structured $170 Chérie bag, inspired by the 1960s London scene, and its new $120 Le Cube bag, all offered in black, cherry red and creamy beige with a gold snake chain.
“This was truly inspired by my male and nonbinary friends, who loved the idea but didn’t want something as feminine as the other designs,” she said of the newest addition.
Très Gelée’s Le Cube design.
Customization is also key to the brand, which offers a range of interchangeable straps, from a sculptural cubed acrylic in a variety of colorways to sporty braided ropes. “I love the idea that someone can make it their own,” she said.
Despite the manufacturing challenges and tariff pressures in China — where the bags are made — Mueller is determined to keep Très Gelée accessible. Prices start at $95 for the Disco bag, with straps beginning at $65.
“I play it by ear, but so far, I’ve been able to avoid it by over-ordering, knowing that these tariffs were coming,” she said.
Anticipating the changes, she added, “It was going to be at a lower price before the news of the tariffs. So, quote unquote, I did raise the prices before launching because of it.”
As for the uncertainty ahead, she said: “I want to say, I would just eat the cost, because I don’t want to raise the price. I really want to keep them at this price because it feels accessible to most.”
Currently sold at tresgelee.com, Mueller envisions the brand expanding into boutique stores and luxury hotel gift shops, offering exclusive colors and collaborations.
“It’s the perfect vacation bag,” she said. “You can just squish it in your suitcase.”
