During my time trying to gain more followers on my Twitter feed (@Style_Guiser in case you were wondering) I was contacted my Rai at Holdall & Co. She asked me to run a little post on her brand, now I'm not going to do this for everyone but I checked them out and I have to say their products, although only a small range, are incredible. A traditional satchel style portfolio which is right on trend for this year. Similar clutch man-bags have been seen all over the place at Pitti Uomo, London Collections: Men and all the big fashion shows at Milan and Paris in the hands of discerning gents.
With technology becoming lighter, slimmer and more portable it makes perfect sense to literally grab one of these 'clutch' folios, chuck your Mac (other laptops are available, but why?), a couple of magazines and your documents for the day in there and go about your day in style all without creasing your shirt I might add.
Perfectly sized to carry under your arm, they come in two sizes; 12" and a 14" to suit almost any laptop or iPad, certainly it will carry those important documents you've been carrying around for 2 weeks that you might need, one day. Holdall & Co. also offer two colours in a beautiful chestnut and what they call 'London Tan' reminiscent of a quality Grenson brogue. Made with full grain leather they look good enough to last a lifetime and with a velvet inside covering the Folio's won't scratch you precious Macbook. I especially love the silver buckle on the front which brings a uniquely modern twist to a traditional looking product. All in all, a great little product, I can certainly see these beauties flying out the store this summer. Check out what they have to say below, I've left you some pretty pictures too, enjoy.
Holdall & Co: a little bit more about the Co.
Holdall & Co was inspired by my personal collection of 'made in England' vintage cases and bags. I love the fact that every item has lasted for so many years and that every good quality item blends with its owner like; where every mark or blemish has a story. I wanted to bring back the quality and values that these items had and to design a product that was timeless yet classically modern; a product that was made from the highest quality materials by expert hands so that it could go on to become a vintage piece with your own story.
I spent 7 months developing the perfect design, traveling around England sourcing the best leather and trying to find a factory with the experience and skills to produce my designs. I knew from the start that the folios had to be made in England and I searched hard to find traditional case makers with decades of experience who would not only ensure longevity for the folios but turn them into a unique piece of art. Even with a background in fashion (and a Ba Hons Fashion Design degree), I've learnt so much in the process of designing the folio; I have a great respect for the skills and workmanship that goes into making a quality product.
Our sizes are unique and were designed with all of your modern essentials in mind:
- The Organized / 12" which is for everyday use and fits your notes and ideas; iPad, slimline laptop such as Macbook Air or even the Moleskin notebooks and a copy of the latest Monocle / Wired magazine.
- The Professional / 14" which is perfect for work and fits your documents and drafts; legal papers, your latest business plan or your slimline laptop such as the MacBook Pro.
More about why ‘Made in England’ and what makes our folios special.
To us, 'made in England' is a proud declaration of a products provenance, a guarantee of passion, dedication, quality and craftsmanship. We don't cut corners to save money and quite simply make the finest folios possible with integrity, strength and durability.
Leather is a wonderful material and can be the ultimate luxury after passing through the right hands. We only use full grain, naturally tanned leather, this is the strongest and most durable leather which interacts with its surroundings, develops a rich patina and genuine character; because we only use full grain leather, every hide differs from the next making every folio unique.
Part of what makes the folios special is our attention to detail; from hand-sewn lock stitches and heeled corners to polished edges and hidden stitch knots.
Take our hidden stitch knots as an example. When stitching finishes or ends, the general practice is just to 'snip' the thread close to the surface of the product, this leaves a loose end which looks like a small hair sticking up (have a closer look next time you pick up a bag whilst out shopping) and while this looks unsightly, more importantly this can be a material weakness in the product. We pull through every thread end to the inside, where it's then tied and knotted and then finally glued with a special, waterproof adhesive to ensure it stays securely in place. This is a time consuming process but we see it as an essential step for the integrity of the product.
The journey of our folios.
Every folio is lovingly hand made with traditional techniques using British-made tools. We strive to keep our manufacture both honest and ethical - from fair wages and high quality materials to traditional workmanship and keeping business local.
- Each folio starts life as a piece of naturally-tanned full-grain leather hide, bridle-finished to our specification by British leather finishers.
- Every hide is individually inspected and approved by us, before moving on to our local factory where it's hand cut with either leather knives or with our specially made cutting blades (also made locally) to ensure the best finish.
- The panels are then formed, branded, heeled and sewn free-hand by talented leather workers. Finishing details are hand-stitched for a longer lasting finish.
- Edges are trimmed, sealed, dyed and polished, to ensure a stunningly beautiful and crisp finish.
- Finally, every bag is inspected, polished with a wax blend (specially formulated for us) and wrapped in it's protective dust-bag ready for shipping to you.
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