Leather is more expensive than most other materials. Coupled with low supply and an increasingly high demand for premium leather goods, you can expect to spend a couple hundred dollars (or, in some cases, a few thousand dollars) on a bag or a jacket — we offer Mansur Gavriel's steeply priced bucket bags as proof. The last time the company restocked, its entire inventory sold out in a matter of minutes.
If, like most folks, you can't justify spending over $500 on a leather weekender bag or briefcase, there is an alternative available to you — which doesn't skimp on quality. Seizing upon a gap in the market, Malcolm Conley founded Benchmark Bags"with the philosophy that leather luggage should be stylish, functional, and reasonably priced."
Like many young professionals, Conley sought a carryall that was "appropriate for work but casual enough for off-hours." Naturally, his eye gravitated toward luxury leather brands, like WANT Les Essentiels de le Vie, Acne Studios, and 3.1 Phillip Lim. "There is something unique about a leather briefcase that [other materials] can't match: the variation in the grain, the rich color, and the way it ages," he explains. While the designer bags were close to what he wanted, the prices were instant turnoffs.
The solution to Conley's conundrum is Benchmark Bags. It offers its customers the best of both worlds: leather goods made from the highest quality cowhides and fair prices. The startup is able to achieve this by selling directly to consumers from its website. "The traditional manufacturer-wholesale-retail model inflates prices," Conley explains. By cutting out the middleman, you actually get what you've pay for. The revised price tags are by no means cheap, but they are leaps and bounds more accessible to the average shopper.
Bonus: Now through Father's Day you can save 15% on your purchase using the code FD15 at checkout.
Benchmark Bags Weekend in Tobacco or Chestnut, $370.
Benchmark Bags Briefcase in Chestnut or Onyx, $249.
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