Moleskine, the Italian notebook and stationery brand, has opened a standalone boutique at 4808 Bethesda Ave. on Bethesda Row, filling the storefront left vacant when Ladurée closed in 2025.

It's the company's first standalone store in Maryland.

Ward Simmons, president of the Americas at Moleskine, said in a statement reported by Patch on Monday, August 3, that the company sees the Bethesda location as a gathering space for the community.

"Our vision was to create more than a retail store. We wanted to create a welcoming space for the Bethesda community and the greater Washington, D.C., region where students, professionals, artists, entrepreneurs and visitors can gather, reflect and create," Simmons said.

The boutique stocks Moleskine's signature journals, bags and accessories alongside limited-edition collections inspired by NASA, Sakura and the Peanuts brand.

From macarons to notebooks

The 4808 Bethesda Ave. space has had a short but varied life. Ladurée Paris, the French macaron bakery, opened there in June 2022 before closing sometime in 2025. Moleskine's arrival continues a stretch of retail turnover on the Row, where a Pilates studio recently signed a lease for the former Flanagan's space on nearby Cordell Avenue.

A neighborhood concept

Founded in Milan in 1997, Moleskine operates more than 50 stores worldwide and sells through wholesale partners including Barnes & Noble, Target, and Nordstrom. The company first tested its "neighborhood concept store" model at New York City's Moynihan Train Hall in late 2023, according to Retail Dive, before expanding to the Upper East Side.

Hours and location

The store is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday at 4808 Bethesda Ave.