Hasta La Ideas

Italian elegance meets modern convenience in luggage handmade in Chicago

For all the recent proliferation of American-made men’s leather goods, few brands have been able to unite old-world elegance with domestic craftsmanship. More formal than the ubiquitous rugged duffel but no less relaxed, Libero Ferrero‘s luggage moves in a new direction with a smarter aesthetic for high quality classics made stateside.

The brand’s Oak & Eddon bag caught our eye with its clean and modern take on a classic carry-on suitcase. The bag’s double-zip closure lends nice symmetry to the silhouette, along with a surprising amount of space—designed with FAA requirements in mind, it can accommodate laptops up to 20 inches. While weekenders remain a great standby for casual trips, this bag is for the kind of gentleman that springs for extra legroom.

Brothers Matthew, Adam and Peter Lafferty, founded Libero Ferrero as an homage to their craftsman grandfather, the first in his family of Italian immigrants to be born in America. The bags are handmade in Chicago from heirloom-quality materials like plush suit-wool linings from England’s Holland & Sherry and domestic leather sourced from the much-coveted Horween Leather. These details, combined with the all-brass hardware finishings, make for luxurious yet understated luggage.

To ensure function and durability on par with the aesthetics, the brothers spent a year and a half in research and development in collaboration with head designer Julia Salamon. The Laffertys bring their respective backgrounds in architecture, art direction and design to the line, which also includes the Thompson medicine bag, Portage shoulder brief and the gym-ready Duffle.

All told, the strength of the debut collection seems promising for the longevity of the brand. The bags are available online through Libero Ferrero, with prices ranging from $850 to $2,650.