il bisonte: a bag for life

January 7th, 2010 | manhattan, shops

i do love great well made leather goods, and if they’re from italy even better. for a while, i was crazy about furla and still have a wallet of theirs that i got in florence a ways back when buying in europe was affordable, and i really cannot believe it still looks good and works.   for purses, i moved on to a new york designer who i do love (especially when they have some of those nice sample sales), and have my eye on this tote as soon as a. cheng gets it back in stock. for accessories, though, i think i might have found a new favorite — il bisonte, at least for my ongoing need for a stylish and hardcore backpack. 

a 30-year old company, il bisonte produces its leather using cowhide in a factory in santa croce sull’arno, a small town near florence.   the leather gets more beautiful as it ages, and the colors and textures become more supple and subtle over time.  while not a small company, with stores around the world, the feel of il bisonte’s soho store is cozy and intimate, and the luxury goods, though pricey, feel like they could last forever, and more importantly you’d want them too.  those belts above are just gorgeous, and they had a number of great smaller items like luggage tags, fun clutches and fantastic wallets.

although i loved the colors, i was not as much a fan of the il bisonte classic purses. they felt a little bit too coach-like to me, though i’m sure il bisonte would say that coach took after them.  but the backpack definitely seems worth saving up for.  i use a backpack all the time for work and play.  it’s not the most stylish thing to do, but when i’m toting around tons of papers and my laptop constantly, i really cannot rely on a great looking shoulder bag no matter how much i want to look good.  so, maybe il bisonte will have a sale, or maybe by the time my current cute but not too sturdy nylon pack breaks down i’ll be able to afford the investment.  il bisonte, 120 sullivan street between prince and spring streets, manhattan, new york, .

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