Fashion’s Newest ‘It Bag’ Is By Two Unknown Designers
Photo: @mansurgavriel/Instagram
A little over a year and a half ago, two friends launched a bag label together, Mansur Gavriel. They developed three sleek and minimal styles, a horizontal tote bag, a backpack and a bucket bag, which are available in two sizes, and are all made of tanned vegetable leather in bold colors. Oh yes, and they are also under a thousand dollars, not the typical price tag for fashion’s most-wanted anything. Floriana Gavriel and Rachel Mansur just wanted to fill a niche in the contemporary accessories department, but what they created instead, was a bag frenzy.
Related: The Sincerest Form of Flattery? Forever 21 Knocks Off Mansur Gavriel’s Bucket Bag
Gavriel and Mansur met at a concert in 2010, when they were both in their late twenties, and their personalities immediately clicked. At the time they were living on opposite sides of the planet—Gavriel in Berlin and Mansur in L.A.—but started a correspondence that became a friendship, which blossomed into the Mansur Gavriel collaboration. For two years they researched leathers and manufacturers, until they found a place in Italy that was exactly what they were looking for. They saved money to sample their two initial styles, a bucket bag and a horizontal tote, and set about getting their product in stores. Between emailing retailers hitting the tradeshows in New York City, they secured orders from cult boutiques like Creatures of Comfort and Steven Alan. Soon big wigs like Barneys and Net-a-Porter took note.
Related: Take a Bite of this Season’s Hottest IT Bags
With small production quantities, Mansur Gavriel were no match for the demand that followed. If you go online right now there are not many of their styles that are available for purchase, which only makes us want them more. Stay tuned for what’s next from these clever ladies.
