(From top) Da Milano’s briefcases boast of multiple functional compartments and incorporate features like space for laptops; Fendi’s Spalmati briefcase comes with smart fabric lining and cellphone pockets ; The limited edition alligator skin clutch from Zegna; . Hidesign offers new styles every season; Louis Vuitton’s latest line is made of Taiga leather and comes in unconventional shades ; Textured leather and a wide range of colours have proved to be a hit for Milano’s briefcases

It’s yet another personal statement of a man’s sense of aesthetics and style. Today, The Bag is really the thing. Ladies have the ‘It’ Bag — and men…well, they have fancier than ever briefcases to complement their power suits. If women take pride in their monogrammed, natural cow-hide leather and sometimes limited edition arm-candy, now men too are letting their prestigious briefcases do all the talking.

It’s no accident that many of today’s luxurious brands are rolling it out for men. And the better news is that briefcases are no longer boring, regulation black, rectangular boxes to carry equally boring files.

Says designer Raghavendra Rathore: “The very image of the briefcase has got a make-over. Earlier sold out of luggage shops, today briefcases are being pegged as luxurious must-haves designed by some of the top labels of the fashion world.’’

So you could straightaway opt for that briefcase in bright, bold red/ purple leather, hues that are touted to be the colours of the moment. Or, would you like to flaunt a spotless white leather briefcase to work? Then again, you could also pick one in luxurious crocodile leather and even have your initials embossed on it.

Once an imperative accessory for attorneys to carry their papers, today the briefcase is akin to a fashion must-have that can make a style statement of its own. No surprise then that cutting-edge lawyer Rohit Kochhar can’t do without one, or that architect Dikshu C. Kukreja is usually spotted with one.

The journey of the briefcase started way back in the 14th century when briefcases were styled after satchels and used for carrying money and valuables. The 1826 French designer Alexis Godillot experimented with hinged metal frames in men’s bags.

Next to follow was the typical stiff leather bag called the Gladstone bag which was named after William Ewart Gladstone, the four-time prime minister of The United Kingdom. A slightly better looking version came next which was an oval-top bag called the Rosebery. And finally, the more modern version, a rectangular briefcase, was invented by Jeremy Stenning in the late 1850s.

Today, says Rathore, the real challenge for manufacturers lies in being able to come up with innovative designs and top-class quality. “Elements like hinges, the texture of the leathers used and even the locks make all the difference to the looks of a briefcase,” says Rathore.

“Briefcases are a very popular accessory today and are now available in all shapes, sizes and colours,” declares Abhik Roy. The Calcutta-based manufacturer should know for he designs high-end briefcases that are retailed from Harrods in London.

Handcrafted and personalised

From choosing the quality of leather to the colours of your choice, there’s no end to what you can do to personalise your briefcase. Roy, who has been selling his range of high-end briefcases under the brand Andre Garcia since 2003, says that customising briefcases is a hot trend today. While his principal business remains manufacturing cigars and cigar cases, Roy got into designing and manufacturing briefcases as he felt there was a huge vacuum in this segment.

He retails his line from the upmarket Taj Khazana in India and Harrods in London, while his designs are also available online. Customers simply select from a range of premium leathers (which he hand-picks from different parts of Europe) and define the size of briefcase they want (also taking into account the size of the laptop they want to accommodate in the bag). A wait of about two to four weeks and an embossed bag will be delivered to them. The briefcases can cost anywhere between Rs 18,000 and Rs 20,000.

Jude Yep is a second generation Chinese businessman who is following his family’s tradition of manufacturing handmade leather items in the heart of the Capital. At John Bros, his boutique which is known for manufacturing hand-stitched polo shoes, he now takes orders for designing personalised briefcases.

“Earlier hard leather was popular. Nowadays, the preference is more for soft leathers,” says Yep. A briefcase designed by him will cost upwards of Rs 5,000 depending on the quality and style. “We have designed briefcases in goat skin and even crocodile leather,” says Yep.

Sometimes clients bring their own materials and suggest their designs. A hand-stitched briefcase can take about three weeks to complete.

Meanwhile old-timer in the game, Hidesign, is planning to open a mega outlet in Pondicherry and will dedicate an entire floor for customisation of accessories including briefcases. If you want to order a briefcase of your choice, be prepared to wait for 45 to 60 days.

Touch of luxury

Premium leather briefcases from Andre Garcia are customised according to the client’s needs

Luxury brands too are pulling out all the stops when it comes to designer briefcases. Ermenegildo Zegna offers a limited edition alligator skin briefcase as well as the clutch (yes, for men only) which comes with just a buckle — and no strap — in its Autumn-Winter 2009/ 2010 collection. The luxurious Alligator briefcase is priced at Rs 7.33 lakh and the alligator clutch at Rs 4.69 lakh, while suede briefcases are cheaper at Rs 34,000. The brand offers a new line every season.

Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton’s men’s line for Spring/ Summer 2010 is all about Taiga leather. Stylish to boot, the range comes with oversize zippered tote shapes, while some briefcases flaunt zippered fronts. In terms of colour, there are unconventional shades like cobalt blue, cool steel and natural beige.

The Spalmati briefcase by Fendi comes in tobacco black and features a removable ID tag with a metallic, double-front zip closure. It has a smart fabric lining and cellphone pockets.

And if you dare to be different, pick up an aluminum briefcase from Alfred Dunhill’s latest Spring/ Summer 2010 collection. The limited edition of 88 briefcases is intricately crafted from aluminum sheets that are tediously hammered by hand. The briefcase is available only on order and comes with a leather tag stitched into the interior lining that’s embossed with ‘Handmade for Alfred Dunhill’ with the edition number (the price is on request, obviously).

Last year Mount Blanc launched a briefcase in white leather in addition to the existing all-black collection. The line of briefcases starts at Rs 45,000 and can go up to Rs 1 lakh.

Playing with Colours

The colour palette and designs for briefcases are going from regular to flamboyant this season. Dilip Kapur, president and founder of Hidesign is partial to olive this summer. Kapur says: “Indian men like experimenting with colours like honey and tan, but black and brown still sell the most.” At Hidesign, each collection is dedicated to different themes like golf, fencing or Belmonte.

As for the preferred look, Sahil Malik, managing director, Da Milano, says: “The look is classy and synonymous with affordable luxury. The colours that do well are beige, cognac, black, royal blue and green.” Briefcases crafted in crocodile leather are hotsellers. Textured leather is also a hit in colours like cognac, bottle green and smoky black.

Da Milano usually offers seven to eight designs of briefcases with new designs being added frequently. “We introduce new lines every quarter, do a review and also repeat the designs that sell the most,” says Malik who just introduced briefcases in purple and red. Next in line will be briefcases in white leather.

Functional yet stylish

Functionality and innovation is the key to designing a briefcase. There is no end to experimenting with men’s briefcases, agrees Kapur. “We create new styles every season and keep updating our shapes as the consumers need change. Our new range of briefcases now come with iPod holders while inbuilt laptop compartments too have been added in most designs,” he says.

In the past, Hidesign was the preferred brand for women in the handbag category. Today, Kapur says the brand is increasingly working to create newer and more interesting styles in the men’s bag department.

Hidesign stocks up on a range of 10 to 12 best-selling briefcases which are always available at all the brand’s outlets. Additionaly, there are about 20 to 30 styles which are unveiled seasonally. “We generally do three to four new ranges for men every season. Each range includes options of a city bag, a messenger bag and briefcase with some variations,” says Kapur. The briefcases are priced upwards of Rs 6,000.

Roy adds that the utility of the product is the basic criteria and this was lacking in the briefcase designs of yesteryears. So, his briefcases come with separate laptop cases within them while the overnight briefcases offer a separate space to stash away a tie, a toilet bag and an iPod.

Malik says that his brand is now incorporating features like a space for a laptop which was not there earlier. “And since laptops have become sleeker it’s easy to tuck them inside briefcases,’’ says Malik. The briefcases — most of which are lockable — also come with different compartments within the bag to segregate documents.