As James Brown once sang, I got a bag of my own. My go-to for the longest has been a chestnut-colored English brief from Frank Clegg, which he’s been producing since the 1970s. It’s well-made, beautifully designed, and formal enough to use with tailored clothing, but casual enough for today’s backpack world. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to buy their first briefcase, especially since Frank offers a lifetime in-house service for repairs and restorations. This is the sort of thing you can use for decades. (Disclosure: Frank is an advertiser on this site, but I’ve been a fan of his for years).
There are a few bags, however, that have been on my wish list – iconic items from some of the world’s best leather goods companies.
The first is Swaine Adeney Brigg’s Westminster 3, which is another satchel-style brief, but this time made from stiff bridle leather. Sturdy and dependable, it’ll age like those early-century pieces of luggage you’ve always admired. The downside: it’s a bit formal and old-school looking. Possibly too old school for some.
The other is Hermes’ Sac a Depeches (pictured above). A simple, sophisticated workbag offered in a variety of leathers, the well-balanced design is instantly recognizable without being pushy. It’s also completely handsewn, unlike most other bags on the market. Simon Crompton over at Permanent Style has a nice one in light brown. The downside: the price is brutally expensive, even on the second-hand market.
The third is Valextra’s Premier, which I was finally able to buy a few weeks ago. It’s the ultimate modernist bag, having been invented by AG Fronzoni in 1973. Fronzoni was a famous Italian minimalist designer who relied on geometric lines and striped down details. He essentially designed by subtracting – living by that famous Mies van der Rohe phrase, “less is more.”
The Premier features a single, die-cast zipper running along the attache’s perimeter – and it’s the same zip used on NASA spacesuits (at least in the 1970s). At the end of the zip is a stainless steel, slide-out lock, which cleverly hides the zipper pull. The handle at the top of the bag is fixed and unmoving, and features the same curved corners as the bag’s body. Simple, modern, and strikingly beautiful. This is the kind of attache you’d imagine an architect or a graphic designer bringing to his office in the 1970s.
Today, it’s also the perfect size for a laptop and a book or two. The interior pockets are admittedly too small for anything except a few half-folded sheets of paper, but with the narrow body, this isn’t the kind of bag you use for heavy carry anyway. It’s a minimalist design for a minimal load.
Unfortunately, the price is less minimal. Full retail is about $4,000, although you can find them on the second-hand market for much less (which is where I got mine). In fact, there are few on eBay right now for about $600. Just be aware of measurements, as the Premier comes in two sizes. I favor the smaller 15″ x 12″ design, although a larger 17″ x 13″ version is also available.