New to us: Mansur Gavriel’s covetable accessories.

What makes a good bag? That really depends on whom you ask, but Mses Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel, the designers behind accessories brand Mansur Gavriel, are a pretty reliable source. Combining their sartorial knowledge – and their surnames – to create Mansur Gavriel in 2013, they founded the brand after they saw a gap in the market for well-made contemporary bags that didn’t break the bank. The designers were on to something, because their bags quickly became a staple among stylish city types, and their venerated bucket bag caused a huge buzz among fashion editors and street-style stars.

Bucket what? Street-style who? You may assume that all this “it bag” talk belongs over on Net-A-Porter, rather than MR PORTER, and that getting unseasonably excited over something that is essentially used to carry your stuff in simply isn’t what men do. To which we say: nonsense, because Mansur Gavriel has released its first menswear collection. We think that’s worth getting excited about, and not just because it’s an online exclusive to us (it is, though).

But how does this translate, now that they’ve branched out into menswear? “As a brand we approach each product with the following principles: quality, beautiful materials and clean shapes that continue our visual language as we build our collection from season to season,” the designers told us. “We applied this same philosophy to men’s designs. The collection is a continuation of the aesthetic of the brand, and the silhouettes are classic and timeless.” Consider, as well, the fact that the bags are all crafted in Italy from leather that Ms Gavriel say will “age beautifully over time”.

We’re rather pleased about welcoming Mansur Gavriel to MR PORTER because the brand makes damn good bags that we think are well worth investing in. Crafted from the brand’s staple vegetable-tanned leather, the bags form only part of the collection, with holdalls, cardholders and attaché cases also available. “The attaché is very elegant,” says Ms Mansur. “It’s such a luxury to have beautiful product for holding documents. The brandy vegetable tanned leather is also very special as it will darken in the sun and age beautifully over time.” Mansur Gavriel’s products make good gifts, naturally, but its accessories are also the kind of thing you can get for yourself and keep for ever. “We love the idea of presenting qualitative, functional, classic accessories that would serve as an immediate staple for many men,” explains Ms Mansur. So, to rephrase the question what makes a good bag, you’d do well to ask who makes a good bag instead. You’ve already got your answer.

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