The Briefcase Is Back–and I Want One

The proof is in the pages of Vogue as well. The coverage has been sparse; the options are, well, lacking. In the May 1975 issue of Vogue, there was an ad for the leather label Hartmann and their six Halston-designed briefcases. They came in Halston’s patented Ultrasuede and colors like Bright Navy and Coffee Creme, as well as in “Hartmann’s legendary industrial belting leather.” A model in a herringbone blazer and a scarf around her neck modeled a sandy envelope iteration. She didn’t look particularly happy. In an article from February 2007, which pushes new wave briefcases—aka luxury totes—the editor Filipa Fino writes about her woes: “What’s exciting about a briefcase? Not much. Even the word itself evokes the boring, black clichés sold in cheerless supply warehouses.” Ouch. They get no love.

And yet, some people do really love them. I recently posted on Instagram about wanting one, highlighting a monogrammed Gucci version, a black leather one with a bamboo handle, and a textured Bottega Veneta. Très chic. I was inundated with messages, mostly from men but also a few women who tote them to and from work. Editor Margaux Anbouba uses her father’s briefcase from his first job. The piece is crafted from mahogany leather with sculpted ridges, complete with a gold lock and handle–rich and sumptuous. “It’s kind of unwieldy but I feel powerful,” she wrote to me. My friend Katherine Bernard also wears a vintage Gucci briefcase on occasion, complete with the House’s green and red fabric down the center. “I’ve carried it to several business meetings,” she says. “It’s structured interior is good to carry a laptop.”