Valextra : The "New" Hermes

My gal pal M has long been a BIG fan of Valextra, the understated Milanese luxury leather house. One of the discussions we've had was about how their bags are better designed and actually made from full leather - think an LV Speedy but with small slit pockets at the side, and not icky coated canvas.

The problem, perennially, was whether it was worth spending that much money on a brand which most people hadn't heard of, despite being extremely well-constructed and revered as it is in Italy.


I like to think of Valextra as the Rupert Sanderson of leather bags. I've also always tended to champion under-the-radar brands so, naturally, Valextra gets a tick in my book. But it appears that this brand won't be unknown for long... TWO of their styles have turned up on the arms of tabloid faves Jennifer Aniston and Posh Spice!

The Babila (on Jen) and the Borsa Series S (on Posh) are just two of their classic styles. I'm personally looking forward to their new half-moon-shaped Namasté - a shoulder sling style that apparently weighs a mere 600g but can carry up to 15kg of stuff without the accompanying backache! This appeals to my "everything but the kitchen sink" tendencies. Also, it'll apparently retail for under €1,000, which appeals far more to my budget :)