T oday there are manbags galore, from stylish leather briefcases to messenger bags, crossbody bags, backpacks, duffels and totes. But the daddy of them all has to be the weekender, a soft bag that is big enough to carry what you need for a couple of nights away while being easy to lug around. For global elite travellers, a weekend bag from Louis Vuitton is the most covetable option.
This season, Pharrell Williams, the brand’s creative director, has a new take on the Speedy P9 Bandoulière 50 monogram leather bag. It comes in bright red, turquoise and green as well as the signature brown. The LV monogram is silk-screened on to soft calfskin and the cowhide leather trim adds a hint of retro style.
Dior’s Maxicannage Weekender 40 in black or beige leather makes a more discreet statement. The cannage (French for “caning”) motif is said to be inspired by the Napoleon III-style rattan chairs that Christian Dior had in his salon on Avenue Montaigne in Paris. He employed it for the first time in 1951 as a house pattern.
Fast forward 73 years and Dior men’s creative director, Kim Jones, has blown the design up — hence maxicannage — to feature on clothing and leather goods..
