Pelletterie D&D: artisans before we became a brand

Before giving our bags a name, we learned how to make them: understanding leather, cutting it, stitching it and turning it into something to use every day.

Pelletterie D&D is the brand of Pelletterie D & D S.r.l. (VAT IT06541790488), an artisan leather goods company born in Tuscany. Today, we make our Italian leather bags in our workshop in Sesto Fiorentino, near Florence.

Our story brings together generations of artisans, a commitment to vegetable-tanned leather and the belief that a good bag begins with the people who make it.

From a small Tuscan workshop to the D&D name

Our story began in the 1990s in Santa Croce sull’Arno, at the heart of Tuscany’s leatherworking and tanning tradition. A few artisans, each with years of experience in local leather goods businesses, decided to open a small workshop of their own.

They shared a passion for the craft, confidence in their skills and a commitment to carefully chosen materials and finishes. The first customers came mainly from the surrounding area. They appreciated the sturdy construction and attention to detail, and new orders followed. Gradually, the original group grew into a workshop of more than twenty people.

As the workshop developed, we wanted to give our bags an identity of their own. They already had a story and a particular way of being made. Now they also had a name: D&D.

Growing without losing our way of working

The journey was not always straightforward. As the market changed, the workshop faced new demands: lower prices, different designs and faster production.

Different ideas also emerged within the team. Should we simplify construction and increase volumes, or continue following the material and workmanship standards we had started with? Those different visions eventually led some of the partners to take separate paths.

A difficult, quieter period followed for D&D. What remained was our love of leatherworking and the determination to keep practising our craft.

We have never set out to become a large industrial operation. Even as the team grew, we wanted to retain the scale and character of a workshop: close enough to the work to follow it carefully, and close enough to one another to pass on what we know.

A new chapter through online sales

The internet opened a new path. Bags that had once reached mainly local customers began to be discovered by people further afield. Through our official website, we could present our collections and sell directly online to customers in Italy and abroad.

This brought a new phase of development. Experienced artisans and new skills joined the team, alongside people beginning their journey in leatherworking. During our history, the workshop moved from Santa Croce sull’Arno to Sesto Fiorentino, where we work today.

A craft passed from one generation to the next

Artisans who were part of D&D’s early days still work in our workshop. Alongside them is a new generation, including children of the artisans who helped establish the business.

The craft is passed on through working together every day: learning to recognise the qualities of a hide, choose where to cut, follow a seam and notice a detail before it becomes a fault.

Decades of experience meet new ideas and changing needs. This is how we keep the tradition alive while allowing it to evolve.

Tuscan leather, made into bags in our workshop

We use vegetable-tanned leather for all our bags, selecting it from Tuscan tanneries belonging to the Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium. Our artisans review the colours, shades and character of the hides in Santa Croce sull’Arno.

Working the leather in tanning vats with plant-based tannins takes time and attention. We respect and carefully follow those tanning times, because they help determine the qualities of the leather we work.

Hand-applied colour brings out the natural grain and creates variations in shade. With use and appropriate care, the leather develops a personal patina: its colour and sheen gradually change, carrying the marks of everyday life.

Construction and quality, followed directly

We oversee the production stages without outsourcing them. Design and technical pattern making, leather cutting, stitching and assembly are carried out in our Italian workshop. Our experience also includes manufacturing for other brands, which has broadened our technical knowledge over the years.

We assess materials with our suppliers and check each finished product before it leaves the workshop. Our metal fittings are developed and made by specialist artisans in the Florentine manufacturing district, and our bags use YKK metal zips.

Every bag is covered by a 24-month warranty.

Tuscan vegetable-tanned leather, careful construction and attention to the finished bag: these are the foundations of our work.

From doctor’s bags to everyday collections

Doctor’s bags have an important place in our history. Their structured shapes, organised interiors and dedicated instrument compartments respond to practical working needs.

Over time, we have added women’s bags, work bags, backpacks and travel bags. Their shapes and uses differ, but our aim remains a balance of practicality, character and careful workmanship.

We favour classic lines and understated elegance: bags chosen for the way they fit into your day as well as for how they look.

A bag to make your own and keep for years to come

We offer free hot-stamping personalisation as an ongoing service. A name or initials can make a bag more personal, or turn it into a gift connected to an important moment.

Our relationship with a bag continues after the sale. You can contact our workshop about restoration and repair, so we can assess what your bag needs together.

We think of a bag as something that can stay with you for a long, long time: to use, care for and find by your side year after year.

Shop on our official website or discover our only showroom

Our official website is where you can explore the collections and buy online directly from Pelletterie D&D. Contact our team if you would like to know more about a model, its materials or personalisation.

Our only showroom is in Sesto Fiorentino. If you would like to see our bags in person, contact us for visiting hours and arrangements.

From Santa Croce sull’Arno to Sesto Fiorentino, from the first bags to online orders, our starting point remains the same: knowing our craft and giving it the time it needs.

Before we became a brand, we were already artisans. That is where the story of Pelletterie D&D continues.

Explore our women’s leather bags, doctor’s bags and work bags, or read more about our Tuscan workshop story.