We don’t go anywhere without a Bennett Winch suit carrier holdall. Neither should you.
It’s the British brand’s most innovative product, and most useful piece of luggage we own
Words: Jonathan Wells
In association with:
All good ideas begin as a scribble on a napkin — and that’s a fact. The Oscar winning screenplay for A Few Good Men? Napkin. President Reagan’s pioneering 1980s economic policies? Napkin. Harry Potter? Napkin.
"All good ideas begin as a scribble on a napkin..."
So when, five years ago, Robin Bennett and Robin Winch met for a drink at a bar, and reached for the napkins, they ensured this odd practice continued. For, little did they and their napkin doodling know, the two Robins had just created the newest, most exciting luggage company to hit Britain in years: Bennett Winch.
Scribbled at the bar was the initial design for what remains to this day to be their flagship piece. And it was a scribble that, once presented to Creative Director Rupert Shreeve, began a functioning business creating products aimed at smart professionals. The design? The Weekender canvas and leather bag.
What’s that got to do with a suit carrier holdall, we hear you ask? We’ll get to that. First, a little background on this highly innovative brand. Established just four years ago in a flurry of zips, poppers and luxury leather, Bennett Winch proceeded with one simple aim. Each product they designed and created would be an item of luggage that had been missing from their lives up until that point.
There would be bags and cases and holdalls designed to fill gaps in the market, and all made to be highly functional, beautifully designed and manufactured to withhold the toughest weekend break or hectic layover.
Another reason we love Bennett Winch is because they have kept the whole production British. Bags are designed in their studio in Farringdon, London, and then further developed and brought to life in a factory in Carlisle. And then, true to their desire to create useful luggage with real-world application, the founders test the goods.
"Established just four years ago in a flurry of zips, poppers and luxury leather, Bennett Winch proceeded with one simple aim..."
Each design of Bennett Winch bag is personally tried and tested by the owners for six months before they’re released, as a way of overseeing all eventualities of day-to-day wear.
As Robin Winch explains: “Everything from how they perform on aeroplanes, to being strapped to the back of a motorbike and driven around Wales is investigated and tweaked until we are confident the bag will never let us down. The point at which our logo of the birds get stitched on is our seal of approval and we can stand by everything that gets sent out.”
And so we come to the holdall — our favourite piece of kit and a truly lifesaving piece of luggage. Designed in England, and developed over 18 months in collaboration with Permanent Style, this innovative 2-piece design is a must-have for the sartorial traveller.
It’s a lightweight bag cut in Bennett Winch’s bonded cotton canvas, making it both lightweight and totally rainproof, perfect for that weekend wedding — or shoot — in the Highlands.
But the real clincher is that the suit carrier wraps around the holdall and is secured in place with magnets and leather straps, meaning your perfectly-pressed Chester Barrie suit remains flatter than Norfolk. There’s even a waterproof shoe-bag to protect your beloved leather footwear.
All of these little hints and subtle features are indicative of a company that has really considered the problem of travelling with a suit, making this carrier no longer a beautiful addition to your array of luggage options, but the only option. Bennett Winch, not only carrying you, but also your suit, since 2014.
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