THE BUCKET BAG: THE RETURN OF A FASHION ICON
Originally created by Louis Vuitton to carry bottles of champagne, then transformed into a feminine accessory by Lancel, the women’s leather bucket bag was the height of fashion in the 1980s. It fell out of favor, but is now once again a hip fashion accessory that can be seen in the collections of all of the biggest fashion brands.
You can now see celebrities carrying them at big media events, and find them hanging from the shoulders of the many women who love their practicality and unique look. The Diane leather bucket bag from Bleu de Chauffe, practical and sturdy, is a simple, highly elegant take on this fashion icon.
BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS A BUCKET BAG?
Although nowadays you can find bucket bags in unusual shapes such as squares, traditionally what makes the bucket bag (smaller versions are also called purse bags) unique is its cylindrical form, its top opening, and its drawstring closure.
This is a super practical bag as its contents can be accessed quickly, and it has something of the hold-all about it, with plenty of space for stowing away all your everyday necessities. Larger bucket bags even have room for a few items of clothing and larger accessories. Its cylindrical form makes it shock-resistant, and high-quality leather bucket bags are sturdy enough to protect your belongings.
Bucket bags come in a variety of materials such as cotton canvas, or more often wicker, but the majority of bucket bags are made from leather. Leather is a natural choice given that part of these bags’ popularity is due to their resistance and the protection they provide for the contents.
THE DIANE BUCKET BAG FROM BLEU DE CHAUFFE
The Diane women’s leather bucket bag is an artisanal bag in French leather, made from start to finish at our workshop in the Aveyron region using full-grain vegetable-tanned water-resistant leather.
The sides are made from smooth leather, with the front and back in milled leather for a soft yet structured look. The leather inside the bag has a sanded suede-style finish.
This medium-sized bag, with its 6.6L capacity, is ideal for everyday use. Inside is a multipurpose leather pouch that allows you to separate smaller items such as mobile phones or keys from the rest of the contents.
As a tribute to Bleu de Chauffe’s workwear, outdoor roots, as well as to the rich tradition of French saddle-making, the signature feature of the Diane bucket bag is the side loops, used to attach a strap inspired by traditional riding crops. These understated yet elegant details make the Diane an exceptionally practical and stylish leather bucket bag.
SOME GOOD REASONS TO CHOOSE A LEATHER BUCKET BAG FROM BLEU DE CHAUFFE
Diane bags from Bleu de Chauffe are of exceptional quality.
Each Diane bucket bag is made entirely by hand by a single artisan at our workshop in the south of France. Like all Bleu de Chauffe bags, the Diane is not manufactured on a production line: each artisan has their own way of putting their bags together. The artisan’s signature, which can be found on the inside of the bag, is the mark of a unique item, a bag with character.
What is more, Bleu de Chauffe only uses vegetable-tanned leather. The reality is that the leather industry can be very polluting: most leather is dyed using chrome or heavy metals, as the process is cheaper and quicker.
At Bleu de Chauffe we have made the choice to use only European vegetable-tanned leather, treated using exclusively natural tanning agents extracted from trees and plants: oak, acacia, chestnut, mimosa… This eliminates chrome pollution and creates leather that does not harm the skin and that develops a natural patina over time.
Another mark of quality is the fact that Bleu de Chauffe directly manages every part of the business, as it all happens in the same place: design, production, quality control, and customer services. Quality control for the finished product is particularly meticulous, and checks are carried out daily at all stages in production, so that future owners of our bags are guaranteed a faultless item that is made to last.
Whether as a gift or to treat yourself, the Diane bucket bag from Bleu de Chauffe is a feminine accessory which is as practical as it is beautiful, a piece that is made to last and that will become even more attractive over time.
