S.T. Dupont celebrates its 150th anniversary

Well known in the world of smoking accessories, S. T. Dupont has also made its name in small leather goods and writing instruments. This year the house celebrates its 150th anniversary, an opportunity to present this French luxury brand and its century-old expertise.

Luxury for 150 years

The S. T. Dupont brand was born in 1872. Its founder was none other than Napoleon III's photographer, a man passionate about aesthetics and leatherwork. At the age of 25, Simon Tissot Dupont decided to open his leather workshop in Paris.

His travel trunks quickly became popular with the European elite. He went on to supply prestigious Parisian stores, while also making one-off pieces to order. Empress Eugenie, for example, liked to commission bespoke travel cases from him.

Expertise passed from father to son

S. T. Dupont had 2 sons who learned everything from their father. They naturally took over the business in 1919 and moved the Parisian workshop to Faverges, in Haute-Savoie. To build the reputation of the house a little further, the two brothers made much of the unspoilt setting in which the pieces were made.

The contribution of later generations lies above all in innovation, which is what usually drives products forward. From 1930, a new tanning technique using diamond powder produced a leather of far better quality, more resistant to changes in temperature. In 1935, S. T. Dupont called on an expert in Chinese lacquer on metal to widen its range still further. Since then the house has continued to make ever more inventive luxury goods, and sometimes one-off pieces, such as the Rivera handbag designed for Audrey Hepburn.

150 years in colour

In 2022 the house is marking 150 years of craftsmanship with a brightly coloured range of products. Pastel pens, Mexican-inspired lighters and ashtrays and vivid notebooks: the brand's 150th anniversary is being treated as a celebration.