Since opening our doors in September 2013, we've often been asked 'do you sell leather bags or satchels?' Whilst we've had a couple in store here and there, we've struggled to find a balance between quality, detail and price. With the arrival of Bleu de Chauffe - we believe we have finally found it.
Nestled beneath the Millau Viaduct in the picturesque Aveyron region of Southern France, the Bleu de Chauffe workshop produces high quality, hand made bags and accessories from natural materials. Perhaps due to their location, they have a strong ethical commitment and ecological stand point, using only the best quality vegetable tanned leathers and wool felts. Tanning leather is traditionally a messy business but, not wanting to disturb their beautiful surroundings, the Bleu de Chauffe tannery in Aveyron takes huge precautions in water treatment. After use, the water is left to settle, and is then clarified and released into the river just as pure as it was before being used...
Bleu De Chauffe is the name given to the famous Blue coverall jacket worn by French engine drivers and other engineering tradesmen - basically the traditional French version of a boiler suit! This connection to workwear and tradition is very important in the story of Bleu de Chauffe, as they aim to create products that stand true to the style and quality of old workwear, yet have a functionality and practical design that fits just as well into everyday contemporary lifestyle. A good example of this is their several collaborations with Blitz Motorcycles in Paris, which have seen a few excellent products produced with the use of a motorcyclist in mind...
Each item produced by Bleu de Chauffe is traceable to the single person who produced it - start to finish. We see this with other traditional French products at Pickings & Parry, such as the regional hand made knives from Passion France. It is also a feature of Aero Leather Clothing Jackets, who produce their garments in a similar 'workroom' style.
We believe it creates a sense of personality and pride in the finished product that is just not evident in mass production.... it makes the item mean something more and supports the desire to use it over a long period of time, just like things used to be.
