The phrase “fashion over function” was phased out of the discerning man’s vernacular long ago. Because these days we can have both. We have the technology.
A couple essentials, though, are still stuck in the past. And luxury leather bags are one of them. In an era when gym bags and duffels are built for max versatility, with pockets and compartments and hidden caches for everything from your shoes to your headphones to your dirty undies, leather weekenders too often adhere to the same staid, hyper-practical designs that have been de rigueur for decades.
But with the new Kickstarter campaign from Wolecraft, Italian-made leather goods are getting a 21st-century update. The Milanese company has been churning out full grain leather pieces for a couple years now, but the new crowdfunding effort features their handsomest offerings to date.
The vegetable tanned M1 Weekender takes the classic travel bag, slips in some nontraditional wool felt accents, and demonstrates an understanding of day-t0-day needs with the inclusion of a companion laptop case and detachable pocket for smaller items. Zip it open direct from Italy and you’ll get hit with that new leather smell like it was stitched up yesterday.
The rest of the offerings go for broke in the versatility department: the M1 Backpack can easily be converted into a messenger bag or tote, and because fishing around for loose items should be reserved for bag ladies at a checkout counter, there’s the suede Byron Carryall.
It wouldn’t be a Kickstarter campaign without discount prices, but Wolecraft also has bundle options if you want to upgrade your whole setup. Just note that the early-bird pricing ($452 for the weekender) is limited to a small set of backers.
So giddy up.
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
