IMAGE: BONASTRE

No, no, you’re not looking at an all-new version of Bang & Olufsen’s Beolit speaker, though no one’s going to blame you if you did because of the similarities (the cuboid shape and the single movable top handle) between the two.

Ladies, meet the 11-108 bag from Bonastre, a small Parisian label that’s famed for its cutting-edge, minimalist bags for both men and women. Measuring 15 cm wide and 18 cm high, the label’s latest creation opens via a single zip-around closure to a roomy interior (10 cm depth) that’s furnished with an internal sleeve for your mobile phone and sufficient space for a number of daily essentials.

Finished with a reinforced leather handle and palladium hardware on the logo-less exterior, the bag comes in at a pretty affordable price of EUR395 (or SGD620 after conversion). For a bag that looks this sharp, polished and well-made (one way to check is by looking at the seams and how the pieces of leather are cut around the handles), the 11-108 bag truly lives up to its chic Parisian design standards.

Another point worth noting about Bonastre lies in its commitment in creating environmentally friendly bags using leather that’s treated in a chromium-free vegetable tanning process and entirely handmade in Spain. Even the lining on the 11-108 bag is made from recycled cotton, which makes it the perfect bag for those of you on the hunt for an all-leather piece that does its best to be eco-friendly. Not bad, not bad at all.

IMAGE: BONASTRE