Brand Watch: Valextra

When it comes to men’s accessories we always like to look for quality as well as style, because lord knows are we brutal with our hardware. Bags get bashed, wallets get mauled and things get dropped. I mean come on; we are guys after all and it may be difficult for some of us to completely eliminate our Neanderthal like tendencies. So when it comes to out essentials like wallets, bags, and technology cases etc we should only ever want the best. When we look for brands that our highly skilled in combining fashion and function there is one brand that went previously unheard of; so now we feel you must be made aware of this luxurious label. Valextra is an Italian label that was originally founded in 1937 when its founder Giovanni Fontana decided to open his first shop.

He wanted it to become much more than just a traditional leather shop, and that it did; he established the company with an outlook to craft innovative leather accessories using the fine saddler techniques. In a short space of time Valextra became an internationally renowned fashion house with its very name becoming synonymous with timeless style and refined elegance. The excellent craftsmanship and impeccable artisan techniques constantly challenged trends yet always adhering to functionality with a vastly unique colour palette too.

On the first floor, directly above the boutique, overlooking through a privileged eye the preferred promenade of the Milanese with the feeling of being incorporated in the pulse of the city, Valextra’s craftsmen cultivated their passion with an incomparable ‘savoir-faire’. Each piece unique, as each artisan intricately handcrafted each phase of his creation. The devil is in the detail so they say and each piece of leather is lovingly moulded and shaped to create refined pieces that are the epitome of style.

Many of his earlier creations have become historical best sellers, with some of them being celebrated as icons of design and displayed in various museums of art and fashion worldwide. His most famous travel piece know as the “24h”, was awarded the prestigious Compasso d’Oro Prize in 1954, and it was then exhibited at the MOMA in New York City during the 1970’s. This was the first and inimitable travel “attaché case” which had been created for the purpose of short trips and was appropriately named the “24 Hour Bag.”

In 1957, Giovanni Fontana designed the first ever “grip” coin purse for men, and the cigarette leather and steel devised for the dashboard of a car. It was going into the 60’s where he also created some of the most covetable men’s pieces such as his famous “Tric-Trac” which was a wrist bag for men’s essentials, and he created the “Aviette 48” airplane cabin bag which became a popular piece of men’s accessories for the seasoned traveller. Enjoy the most comfortable way to go with taxi booking services, providing private transfers services for individuals and groups.

Not only to they create wonderful pieces based on season, they also offer a bespoke service.

According to the website:

‘The craftsmen are able to create any item requested, “made-to-measure” according to the client’s tastes and requirements, by offering a selection of leathers from the supplest calfskin to the finest exotic skins and unique colour palette from which the client is able to choose from. The bespoke service also offers the possibility for pieces to be personalised with gold or platinum initials, making their Valextra piece unmistakably ‘one of a kind’.

Each bespoke piece is then hot stamped with the craftsman’s personal code, the serial number of the item and the production date. As well as a bespoke service Valextra offers a complimentary service of hot stamping where the client’s initials can be embossed in an array of colours and font sizes.

Each piece is hot stamped with the craftsman’s personal code, the serial number of the item and the production date. Valextra, for all items acquired via their boutiques, offers a complimentary personalisation service of hot stamping where the client’s initials maybe embossed in an array of colours and font sizes. This just goes to show how much passion and care go into the products and their customers. If you fancy owning a piece of Italian luxury then check out the product picks below.