I have a confession to make, and it’s one that will perhaps force a collective gasp from our female readers: I don’t own a handbag. In fact, I don’t even carry a wallet. I simply put things in my pockets. Keys, phone, cards. Done. I don’t understand how women can fawn over an”it” bag, or status bag, or whatever must-have bag fashion has dictated for the season. Flashy hardware and ostentatious logo branding doesn’t really suit my style. And what of this nonsense, “what a bag says about you”? I don’t want to be psycho-analysed by leather. I’m not out to bag a handbag (pardon the pun), or the luxury goods market for that matter, but a bag it isn’t something I feel the need to lust after. Is it?
Piet Breinholm, designer of The Last Bag collection, has made me think I’m on the turn. Piet doesn’t design handbags per se, rather a delightful range of satchel-style bags which are a revival of an old school classic. It’s the kind of bag that’s functional without the need for fashion. It’s ambiguous, although originally intended with men in mind, but appeals to both sexes. And with subtle shifts in size and colour, it’s has a kind of cheekiness that is charming.
The origin of the label is as colourful as the bags themselves. Piet, who moonlights as a musician, came up with the idea while on tour in the States. His own battered school bag was part of his tour repertoire, and in one of those cases where compliments can offer more than kind words, The Last Bag was born. Without any prior thought other than to create something classic with an edge, and despite venturing into the unknown (from a production and design perspective), Piet’s idea of revival has really struck a chord with leathergood lovers.
The bag’s simple shape is a nod to tradition, although it wasn’t designed with nostalgia in mind. Rather, The Last Bag means more about looking forward than back. It’s a clean expression of style with no conspicuous labelling and because the bags are designed purely from heart than from trend, there is a sense of revelance that lasts longer than a season. It’s not a bag that defines a person, rather it complements.
So I guess it seems I might have to reconsider how I carry my cards and keys.
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