Joseph Duclos’s story begins in 1754, with Joseph Duclos, a merchant from France. Duclos was responsible for furnishing French royalty with the finest leathers, and in 1754 his tannery, known as Royal Leather Manufacture, obtained royal patents from King Louis XV for its exceptional leathers. The tannery brought together the best craftsmen in France with unparalleled expertise in leathercraft.
While its production ceased more than a century ago, that history is what inspires the brand to this day, which has been revived by creative director Ramesh Nair, formerly of Hermès and Moynat. The Joseph Duclos heritage remains still to this day, and it is present in all the bags and small leather goods the brand creates. This commitment to quality and craft has caught the eyes of even the pickiest of luxury shoppers. Just take a scroll through the Joseph Duclos Thread on tPF, and you can read all about members experiences with the brand.
A Fan Favorite: The Diane
The Diane collection is defined by its arrow-shaped clasp, forged in gilded or palladium-plated brass with fine engraving. The leathers chosen are meant to age over time into a beautiful patina, developing a stunning natural look. The name Diane is said to pay homage to a muse who is powerful and mysterious. Just like that muse, the Diane, which has become a favorite amongst fans, is said to be designed to exude a natural elegance. The Diane Collection features top-handle silhouettes as well as crossbody bags, clutches, and small leather goods. Retail begins at 2,200 EUR for a small phone bag to 6,600 EUR for leather and beyond for exotics. Discover more now via Joseph Duclos
New and Noteworthy
For those who prefer a more understated option, there’s the new Fontélie Bag, which is an elegant design meant for everyday wear. It has a top handle plus an adjustable strap for shoulder or crossbody wear and a sleek envelope flap closure. The simple design suits the Concerto Leather perfectly, which is soft and has a matte finish with a nice grain. There are a range of styles, like small leather goods and clutches, under the Fontélie umbrella.
What do you think?
The Diane strongly resembles the Celine 16.
Immediately thought the same thing.
So basically, we are using the name of a long-defunct brand in order to pretend our new company has a sense of heritage… Got it.
This brand was only resurrected in Sept. 2021 and yes, these bags were created based only on heritage & history. While the bags are beautiful, they can take up to 3 months to make by hand & receive. For me, I’ll wait & see if the bags can stand the test of time before I purchase.
Thank you SandoW
A deeper dive on Joseph Duclos – if you purchase a bag, you purchase valued in so many ways. My wife unfortunately acquired a pink Diane bag last year. And the takeaway is below. We won’t even contact Duclos for any repair. It is a loss and a brand you d rather avoid IMO.
1- This brand is a fake construct. There is no history in manufacturing handbags for Louis 14. This is why barely any smart European buyer will sna a bag from this brand. It’s all American and Asian buying the fake narrative.
2- bags, even handmade, are sold at close the price of Hermes and Chanel without the genius, the brand and the coolness of a Birkin or Chanel: it is a feat indeed.
3- The Diane is a copycat of the Celine 16 and the latest flap bag is a total knock off of Hermes own flaps. At the same near price with a lifetime value !!!!!!
4- Ramesh Nair was LET GO from Moynat for his lack of inspiration. So why buy from a designer who may be a bit outdated by his own time ? Just asking.
Products.
-The leather is not the quality of the Hermes box leather. At all. It scratches easily and the color is not fixed.
– The hardware is beautiful but the more hardware the more signs of aging and oxydation. The metal underlying band will scratch like a key chain on a table. The clutch makes you think of chrome hearts without the rock feeling. The logo is similar to JImmy Choo (JD, JC…seriously ?!!)
It’s all borrowed style in this bag.
There is nothing cool or TRULY interesting, authentic in this brand. My wife is selling hers on Vestiaire collective for people interested (ça 70% discount).
Nice flagship though and the coffee is good.
Lastly, they just made up their fundraising as per public French filings: the founder M.Franck Dahan seemingly had to convert his own shareholder account of 3.5m. The balance is debt and he was unable to secure equity funding at the valuation he was seeking.
This is in line with overall inauthentic structure and story around the brands and its products. Looks good in surface but that’s not enough
Cap.
Joseph Duclos did not release a pink Diane bag last year, and as of this writing, they haven’t released any pink Dianes so far.
They also are not using box leather. So assuming that the bag in question is crafted from pink box calf leather, Joseph Duclos has not made it.
So excited and happy you have done a post on JD. I think these bags are so beautiful and well made. And with current H and Chanel prices, JD bags are such a great value.
Please correct the article. Even though this is a fashion blog, it does not mean information should not be accurate.
Diane is far from being a mere muse. Muses are the followers of Appolo, god of arts, beauty, medicine and the sun. They are not gods and would not be reffered to as powerful.
Diane is the latin name of Greek goddess Artemis, twin sister of Appolo. She is the goddess of nature, hunt, the moon and also referred to as a virgin goddess. Hence this specific model by Duclos.
The Diane Messenger is very appealing to me.
Beautiful bags and so well made
These bags are truly beautiful!!! I love them.
I think the Diane in green is the handbag I’ve been waiting for me whole life.
I don’t swoon over handbags often… but *swoon*
Glad you did a story on them. I follow the brand on IG and the bags are gorgeous!
I’m officially obsessed! But which to order?
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