THE GRAMERCY WEEKENDER BAG - HANDCRAFTED IN SYDNEY

MEET THE GRAMERCY WEEKENDER BAG

When I started Bas and Lokes in 2009, I never imagined I’d one day be making bags like this. For seventeen years, the studio has been filled with handcrafted watch straps. Thousands of them.

They became a huge part of my working life and took my work to customers all over the world. But over time, I found myself wanting to make something larger, something that would give me more room to explore shape, materials and the kinds of objects people live with for years. That eventually became the Gramercy Weekender.

It marks a new chapter for Bas and Lokes and the beginning of a growing collection of handcrafted bags made in my Sydney studio.

WHY A WEEKENDER BAG?

A weekender bag has substance, and it symbolizes movement, traction, and adventure. It's an object that is used to carry some of your most used or favourite possessions. Its not only transports your necessities, but grows with you and is there for life's journey.

That was what I wanted from Gramercy: something beautiful and substantial, but also genuinely useful. Some bags carry your things. Others quietly become part of your life.

Gramercy was designed for short trips, weekends away and the kind of travel where you want one gorgeous and exquisitely made bag beside you, a honeymoon, a few days by the coast, a weekend away with friends, or a sneaky escape from the city.

DESIGNED TO FEEL ELEVATED AND RELAXED

One of the things I cared about most about when designing the Gramercy Weekender was the shape.

It has some structure, but I like the body to soften slightly and draw inward at the sides when it is carried or sitting naturally. That gives the bag a more relaxed silhouette and allows the materials to do some of the visual work.

The leather and suede versions each feel quite different. The suede has a softer, quieter character. The leather versions feel a little more defined and structured. All are made using Italian leather and suede selected for their feel, appearance and ability to develop character through use.

HANDCRAFTED IN SYDNEY

Every Gramercy is handcrafted by me in my Sydney studio in Cronulla.

I design the patterns, cut the materials, assemble the pieces and make the finished bag myself.

That means production is naturally small-batch and not mass produced. 

A NEW CHAPTER

Gramercy is more than a new product for Bas and Lokes. It represents where the studio is heading next. Watch straps will continue to appear occasionally in small releases, but the larger body of work I am building now is centred on bags and leather goods that allow me to explore much more. The Gramercy is one of the first steps in that direction. And I’m very excited to see where it goes.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jade

La Presidenta

The Gramercy Weekender is handcrafted in Sydney and available in a small collection of Italian leather and suede variations.

Explore the Gramercy Weekender →