How often have you found yourself carrying something with sentimental value? An old watch worn by your grandfather, a jacket that was handed down to you by your father or the leather wallet you received on your 18th birthday.

When things are well made with good materials and good workmanship they can last a lifetime. They blend with their owner; every mark or blemish telling a story.

The Company

Established 2012

Holdall & Co is a designer of luxury leather accessories Handmade in England.

Established in the summer of 2012, our first product the 'Holdall Folio' is an under-arm folio bag made from the highest quality full-grain bridle leather and crafted by highly skilled case makers with decades of experience.

With a love for vintage English-made bags, we began Holdall & Co with the aim of creating a stylish and durable product, able to withstand the tests of time and to age gracefully; itself becoming a vintage piece one day.

As founder Raimonda Navickaite says: "I wanted to design a product that was timeless yet classically modernist; a product that was made from the highest quality materials by expert hands so that it could go on to become a vintage piece with your own story."

We hope to introduce a new generation to the values and qualities that are embodied by the simple words "Made in England."

Quality & Heritage

Inspired by her ever-growing collection of British-made vintage cases and bags, founder Raimonda Navickaite began designing a modern bag instilled with the quality, heritage and values inherent in the vintage pieces.

"I spent 7 months developing the perfect design; travelling around England, sourcing the best leather and desperately seeking the skilled hands to make a bag to the same standards I enjoyed with my vintage pieces.

"I knew from the start that the folios had to be made in England, so I searched hard to find traditional case makers with decades of experience who would not only ensure longevity for the folios but turn them into a unique piece of art."

Each bag is a statement, that of quality, of heritage and of respect; respect for the skills and workmanship that goes into making a quality product.

The Folio

Functional & Robust

The folios are a unique 30s inspired, timeless and minimalist modern design; with understated sleek lines complemented by a modern quick release lock and a useful newspaper/umbrella loop for those on the go.

Designed with the modern professional in mind, the folios are a stylish yet functional and robust bag for everyday use; whether in the office, to hand when travelling or even for drinks at the bar.

Each folio is handmade with pride and perfection to exacting standards; like its hand-sewn lock stitches, heeled corners and polished edges; all a true mark of craftsmanship, making each a unique piece of art.

Designed for Life

The folios are made for life; designed to withstand the rigours of regular use and to weather the storms of life in style. The leather will mature with a beautiful patina and with its classically modernist design will one day become a vintage piece entwined with your own unique story.

"The bag had to be timeless and classic without looking old in 10 years time; I worked hard on the design, keeping it minimal whilst ensuring no detail or function was compromised," says Raimonda Navickaite.

With a quick release lock and a newspaper/umbrella 'Holdall Loop', the bag is handy when on the go. The ingenious Holdall Loop makes it easy to stow away your newspaper when on the train; or for quick access to your umbrella for the unpredictable British weather.

Sizes & Colours

At present the folios are available in two unique sizes designed with all of your modern essentials in mind, The Organised/12" and The Professional/14"; and in two colours, Chestnut and London Tan.

The Organised / 12": For everyday use, it fits your notes and ideas; iPad, slimline laptop such as Macbook Air or even the Moleskin notebooks and a copy of the latest Monocle / Wired magazine.
The Professional / 14": Perfect for work, it fits your documents and drafts; legal papers, your latest business plan or your slimline laptop such as the MacBook Pro.

The Process

Every folio is lovingly hand made with traditional techniques using British-made tools. We strive to keep our manufacture both honest and ethical - from fair wages and high quality materials to traditional workmanship and keeping business local.

Each folio starts life as a piece of Italian naturally-tanned leather hide, bridle-finished to our specification by British leather finishers.
Every hide is individually inspected and approved by us, before moving on to our local factory where it's hand cut with either leather knives or with our specially made cutting blades (also made locally) to ensure the best finish.
The panels are then formed, branded, heeled and sewn free-hand by talented leather workers. Finishing details are hand-stitched for a longer lasting finish.
Edges are trimmed, sealed, dyed and polished, to ensure a stunningly beautiful and crisp finish.
Finally, every bag is inspected, polished with a wax blend (specially formulated for us) and wrapped in it's protective dust-bag ready for shipping to you.

Leather Care Guide

Full Grain Bridle Leather

Not every designer states what leather was used to make their products, but we're proud to state that we use only full-grain naturally tanned bridle leathers to make our folio bags. Full-grain leather is the strongest and most durable; over the life of the product the leather will mature through interaction with its surroundings and will improve in appearance, acquiring a natural vintage patina (especially in our London Tan finish).

Care Guide

Leather has been around for as long as men have been hunters and is well known for its durability, versatility and strength. With a bit of care and attention it will last you a life-time.

As each bag inherits the unique character of the leather hide it came from, please expect variation in the texture and colour of your bag.

It's difficult to remove stains from leather, so take care with loose items such as pens or toiletries. Fresh stains such as food or drink should be gently cleaned as soon as possible with a slightly damp cloth or a leather cleaner. Oil, grease and ink are nearly impossible to remove. Be sure to test a small non-visible area before using any cleaning or polish products; always apply with a cloth and never directly onto the leather.

As durable as leather is, it's not waterproof, so if its pouring with rain it might be better to use a different bag. However if it does get wet, gently blot with paper towel and allow it to dry out naturally.

We advise that you 'feed' the leather with a wax or a leather conditioning cream at least once or twice a year to keep it supple and stop it from drying out.

When you're not using your bag make sure to store it in its dust bag; for longer storage stuff, it with paper or bubble wrap to help keep its shape.

Leather Guide

Full-grain leather: The highest quality, these hides are from just below the hair and have not been sanded, buffed, or snuffed (as opposed to top-grain or corrected leather) to remove imperfections or natural marks on the surface of the hide. The grain remains ensuring fibre strength and durability. The grain also has breathability, resulting in less moisture from prolonged contact. Rather than wearing out, it will develop a patina over time.
Top-grain leather: The most common type used in high-end leather products, is the second-highest quality. It has had the "split" layer separated away, making it thinner and more pliable than full-grain. Its surface has been sanded and a finish coat added to the surface which results in a colder, plastic feel with less breathability; resultantly it will not develop a natural patina. It is typically less expensive and has greater resistance to stains than full-grain leather, so long as the finish remains unbroken.
Corrected-grain leather: Any leather that has had an artificial grain applied to its surface. The hides used to create corrected leather do not meet the standards for use in creating vegetable-tanned or aniline leather. The imperfections are corrected or sanded off, and an artificial grain impressed into the surface and dressed with stain or dyes. Most corrected-grain leather is used to make pigmented leather as the solid pigment helps hide the corrections or imperfections. Corrected grain leathers can mainly be bought as two finish types: semi-aniline and pigmented.
Split leather: A leather created from the fibrous part of the hide left once the top-grain of the rawhide has been separated from the hide. During the splitting operation, the top-grain and drop split are separated. The drop split can be further split (thickness allowing) into a middle split and a flesh split. In very thick hides, the middle split can be separated into multiple layers until the thickness prevents further splitting. Split leather then has an artificial layer applied to the surface of the split and is embossed with a leather grain (bycast leather).

Splits are also used to create suede. The strongest suedes are usually made from grain splits (that have the grain completely removed) or from the flesh split that has been shaved to the correct thickness. Suede is "fuzzy" on both sides. Manufacturers use a variety of techniques to make suede from full-grain. A reversed suede is a grained leather that has been designed into the leather article with the grain facing away from the visible surface. It is not considered to be a true form of suede.