As of today, Brooklyn-based leather house Maximum Henry now offers beautifully crafted, custom guitar straps. Made by hand in the Williamsburg studio of brand founder Max Cohen, each strap is composed of heavy duty leather that…
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Many of us have experienced the rush of finding the perfect wallet—only to discover one feature that breaks the final decision, whether it’s an ostentatious logo or machine-stitched threading, promising to unravel. When a car designer decides to take matters into his own…
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Designed and produced one at a time in Finland, Thin King is Helsinki’s answer to the bulky wallet most people have sworn to never own again. The sturdy anodized aluminum card case has been making noise…
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From custom-made vegetable re-tanned Italian leather, OCTOVO has created a refined line of travel accessories—encompassing wallets, cases and bags. While each item is composed of lasting, quality materials, Octovo also embraces the idea that as you…
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Per la fall 2013 Herschel Supply Co. esce con una linea semplice di wallets che prende il nome di Charlie.
Seamlessly trek the globe with all your essentials intact
Any seasoned traveler knows that a system for securely stashing credit cards, cash, tickets and a passport in one easy-to-access place greatly reduces stress while on the road. Unfortunately, this typically means wearing a bulky travel wallet around your neck or shoving all of the loose items into a large pocket in your bag, where they’re often free to fall out when you’re running for the plane.
A small company intent on tackling this problem is Bellroy, with a new travel wallet so slim, at first glance it seems unlikely to fit everything within its beautiful leather folds and slots. The superbly crafted wallet is fashioned out of vegetable tanned leather, which promises to age gracefully and beautifully reflect your time spent traipsing around the globe.
Features like four “quick access” card slots, a passport sleeve, internal slots for cards used less frequently, a back fold that fits boarding passes and currency notes of any size, and an ingeniously hidden micro pen make traveling a breeze. Everything folds without creasing and slips as easily into your back pocket as a regular wallet would.
We used the Bellroy Travel Wallet on a recent trip and became increasingly fond of its sleek design with each airport encounter. Thanks to the micro travel pen hidden in the center of the wallet, filling out customs forms on the plane is a snap. The days of rooting around in the bottom of your bag for an extra pen or five euro note are gone.
Bellroy offers its clever little creation on their website for $120, available in both Midnight and Cocoa hues.
When your own initials are enough
Bottega Veneta joined the personalization club today with the launch of their Initials line at a five day pop up shop within their Milan showroom during the city’s busy design fair, and online through a specialized Initials site. Their trademark intrecciato (woven) pattern has become synonymous with subtle luxury and fine craftsmanship, and their beautifully rich leather goods have earned a cult following for their elegance as well as their durability. As Goyard, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and other luxury leather goods companies have long offered personalization, it’s moved from a trend to an integral way to make these products your own. Feeling its products were not properly constructed to support monograms however, Bottega Veneta put a plan in place to create a new collection designed exclusively for the program.
We were invited to stop by the pop up shop to see the product first-hand and to go through the personalization process. The familiar feeling line includes a variety of totes, wallets, handbags, messenger bags, an iPad case and a belt, ranging in price from $350 – $2,150. Though similar in shape and size to existing products, the 15 items in the mens/womens/unisex collection have in fact been reengineered with different Nappa leathers; the women’s products use lambskin for a softer and slouchier effect, the men’s use calfskin and are thicker, firmer and sturdier. The suede backing is new for the collection, and consideration has gone into the design process to determine where your initials should sit on the product.
Bottega selected a handful of expert artisans to carry out the hand painted monogram process with careful precision that’s only developed over a lifetime. While many of the editors on hand chose a combination of the type options—six colors of the leather, three sizes and eight colors of the letters—we stuck to a monotone palette that’s subtle but still makes a statement.
The Bottega Initials site is already operating and well worth a mention as well. Inviting you to enter your initials upon entry, the well designed site presents all products sporting your monogram already, offering a glimpse at what could be. You can then modify the size and color of the letters until you get it just right. If you’re looking for a bigger statement, personalized luggage is scheduled to arrive later this year.
For a closer look at the pop up shop and its offers see the gallery below.
by Evan Orensten and Graham Hiemstra
Four timeless pieces from a purveyor of opulent accessories
Ghisò makes luggage, leather goods and games for those concerned with absolute excellence in every facet of life—and who can afford the luxury. Rather than bejewel each product, Ghisò’s design approach is more subtle, with a dedication to fine materials and expert craftsmanship. We picked four elegant items that best embody the notion of understated opulence, something they call “slow luxury.”
The Pilot Helmet bag is simply an upgraded version of the standard GI-issued tote. Here, the traditional ripstop nylon has been replaced with vegetable-tanned brown leather and canvas for a more sophisticated look.
For the jetsetter who wants to hold papers in one place, the Document Holder is big enough to safely store a passport and numerous cards. The bifolds come in brown calfskin or iguana skin and, like on the helmet bag, the material is the main attraction.
Encased in Indonesian Macassar ebony wood and lined in rich brown leather, the Domino Double 6 game set has to be one of the most lavish set of bones out there. Each individual domino is made of ebony stone with Siberian-sourced mammoth ivory inserts. Cases also come in buffed walnut and white lacquered wood with a fuchsia leather lining.
The ebony and ivory Dial cufflinks simulate the knob on some kind of ornate safe, but are really an opulent embellishment on a fine suit. Hand-engraved with Arab or Roman numerals, the studs spin to one’s desired digit under a polished silver marker.
Ghisò is sold in Monaco, Italy, China, Switzerland and France. For a list of stockists, visit Ghisò online.
Colorful leather goods handcrafted in Paris
Cutting, crafting and dyeing all leather goods by hand in her Paris studio, Emilie Borriglione creates brightly-hued wallets, belts and more under the name Melle Emilie b. Because the design process happens completely by hand, no two pieces are exactly alike in style or shade. I was fortunate to have discovered her booth at a weekend pop-up event in Paris and was charmed by her enthusiasm for her work; her bright personality translates literally with her use of vibrant colors.
Emilie sets her pieces apart with their minimal design, making each pouch, wallet and seamless belt in more than 26 colors—from subdued earth tones to vibrant reds and yellows—all inspired by Borriglione’s love of traveling.
The Melle Emilie b. line sells through Paris’ Créateurs de Mode. For special orders, contact the artist directly through her Facebook page. If you’re really keen on Borriglione’s design, check out fellow Paris-based brand Ursul where Borriglione has recently taken up a design position.
Notebook-inspired leather wallet and iPhone 4 case
With hundreds of iPhone case manufacturers out there it’s hard to stand out, but the simplicity of Hex’s code wallet for iPhone 4 has managed to catch our eye. The leather moleskine-style case is both functional and well designed, without any of the unnecessary bells and whistles. It holds up to three cards of your choice and secures tightly with a thick elastic band, keeping all of your valuables safe and sound. The sleek design doesn’t feel bulky either visually or physically–fitting neatly in the pocket unlike most multi-purpose cases.
The code wallet for iPhone 4 is available in black, brown and white for $50 through Hex’s online shop. While you’re there, take a look at Hex’s iPad-compatible bags and iPod nano watch bands.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
