That Dapper Chap meets the guys behind high end brand Antoni Manuel and talks about their range of leather bags and accessories where fashion meets functionality.
Read on for a 10% discount for That Dapper Chap Readers and top tips on caring for your leather bag.
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| The Vintage Leather Duffel Bag £360 |
A young company, based in London and trading for just 12 months, Antoni Manuel have already created a buzz with their range of high quality leather bags and accessories. The hugely sleek and stylish range is firmly aimed at the professional gentlemen, that busy guy who runs from meeting to meeting and needs to be thoroughly organised perfectly presented.
After chatting to Emmanuel online, who heads up the marketing side of the operation, we agreed to meet for a collaboration. After just a short time with Emmanuel in their office suite in the heart of London's financial district, it became acutely apparent that the Antoni Manuel team strives to produce the highest quality products that they can, meshing amazing style with impeccable attention to detail.
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| The Capsule Briefcase in Brown Croc effect leather |
Emmanuel's passion for their range of high-end gentleman's accessories is obvious. It is also heart-warmingly refreshing when in an age of mass production and a 'throw-away' mentality, these items are made to the highest standard and are intended to last.
Using only Grade A leather, their initial range was designed in house and created in a factory in Italy. When demand increased the factory was unable to offer what Antoni Manuel needed so they are busy building relationships with another manufacturer in Italy where they hope to make the entire range.
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| A different view of the Brown Croc effect Capsule Briefcase |
The Capsule Briefcase
One of my absolute favourite pieces in the Antoni Manuel range is their capsule briefcase. Available in five finishes: black, tan or brown croc and tan or brown vintage leather. Its a beautiful and versatile item which will suit any busy gent.
Perfect for holding everything you may need on your daily commute, phone, tablet, cards, paperwork, pen, notebook and a 16" laptop. lined in burgundy and finished with a two way antique gold zipper the case has hidden handles which can be slipped away easily allowing you to tuck the case under your arm or as a clutch or quickly pull out the handles and hold it in the usual way. Priced between £230-£250 it measures 30.5cm tall and 36.5cm wide so it's a nice size.
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| The Black Crock Briefcase with handles hidden |
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| The brown Croc effect Briefcase with handles pulled out |
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| Inside the roomy briefcase in antique brown |
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| A truly versatile and functional but fashionable piece |
The Capsule Duffle Bag
I asked Emmanuel what his favourite item is, he initially said it was the duffle bag but I could see him thinking and after a bit of probing he said that his favourite changes as they continue to make improvements and adjustments to their designs and also what he uses each piece for.
He did confirm that the duffle bag is very popular and gets a lot of interest. I'm not surprised by this as it is a very nice piece.
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| The Duffel Bag in Antique Tan Leather |
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| Also available in black croc effect leather |
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| A good size for an over night meeting or for the gym |
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| Side view of the black croc duffle bag |
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| With red lined interior and additional pockets its a versatile piece |
Priced between £360 and £400, depending on finish, the bag measures 24cm by 54cm by 24cm and features a one-way antique gold zipper and a Turkish cream linen lining. Inside you find two handy pockets which will hold everything you'll need it to.
Other Products
As well as the duffle bag and briefcase Antoni Manuel offers a great document holder and its smaller cousin the tablet holder. The document holder measures 26cm by 39cm and the tablet holder is the perfect size for your iPad and will cost £120
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| The stylish document holder in brow croc effect leather £200 and available in six finishes |
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| The flip side of the document holder in brown croc effect £200 |
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| Inside the document holder |
The messenger bag is available in black, brown and Tan and is a classy item and will look great with that new suit. Features include Top sliding handle, Antique Gold Locker and a burgundy interior lining. Its boasts 3 internal sleeve compartments and space for cards, pens, phone and even has a compartment for your iPad mini. You can even get a 16” inch Laptop in it. The hand grip and the shoulder strap give it added versatility.
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| The Black crock effect messenger bag £300 |
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| Inside the messenger bag |
The Packaging
As with any high end product half of the enjoyment of buying the piece is the packaging in which it arrived and again, you wont be disappointed here! Each piece arrives in its own heavyweight dust bag. Emmanuel explained his disappointment with the first set of dustbags that were ordered "they were like pillowcases" he said. Needless to say, it was back to the manufacturer for a reassessment of this important component!
The bag itself is then placed in a beautiful black box, perfect for a present or a treat for yourself. The box is sturdy and you can rest in the knowledge that your new purchase will arrive safely protected.
Embossed with the Antoni Manuel logo and tied with black ribbon the packaging is just as stunning at the bag itself.
What's next for Antoni Manuel
The Antoni Manuel range is currently only available online but they are currently looking to take their products to select number boutiques across the world where customers will be able to feel the quality before they buy.
These boutiques may sell the existing range or have a product designed exclusively for them which is a very exciting prospect for the Antoni Manuel collector.
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| The black croc effect messenger bag |
They continue to tweak and enhance their designs, thinking continuously about their customer and what he wants from an Antoni Manuel product.
For example, the new briefcase, due to be launched soon, will have internal braces which will hold one half of the case in an upright position hereby giving the user some much needed privacy when he uses his laptop or tablet on trains and in cafes and restaurants.
It's this attention to detail and the fact that their design team constantly strive for improvement and perfection, which is incredibly admirable.
Also on the horizon, and some breaking news for you, is a new iPad case and a case for the iPhone 6 which will be strengthened to stop it from bending, which has been an inherent flaw with this new phone. Look out for the iPhone 6 case around Christmas time.
There are no photographs of these items just yet but look out for the forthcoming That dapper Chap contest on Instagram when you will have a chance to win an iPad case.
Offer
Aside from free shipping in the UK, I am able to offer you two great offers from Antoni Manuel. If you buy the black croc effect briefcase you can have an iPad case free of charge.
In addition to his, That Dapper Chap readers can take advantage of a 10% discount by simply entering 'thatdaperchap10' at checkout.
Top tips on caring for your bag
HOW TO CLEAN
- The general principle is simple: remove dirt build-up by wiping down with a cleaner made specifically for the leather in question.
- Some of our bags have antique gold zips and chains, Antoni Manuel recommend that you wipe them down with a soft dry cloth every other day to once a week.
HOW TO STORE
- Antoni Manuel recommend that you store your bag in its original dust bag and fill it with stuffing such as newspaper when not in use as this will help to maintain the original shape to maintain its shape.
- Keep the dust bag and product inside the original box, along with packets of silica gel so the bag doesn't get damp. If you do not have a box any dry or relatively cool area such as on top of the cupboard will do.
- Air once every two weeks to halt the growth of mold.
