We recently chatted with Cesar Giraldo, our head designer, about his favorite Restrepo Leather bag. The following is an excerpt from our conversation.
What’s your favorite Restrepo Leather bag that you’ve designed?
My favorite? Probably the Bolivar Weekender. I really love that bag.
How did you come up with the design for the Bolivar Weekender?
I don’t follow fashion trends. All of my designs are timeless. I think when you make a quality bag, when you use quality materials and keep it simple the bag will always be in-style. The Bolivar Weekender’s design is inspired by the classic horse saddlebags I’ve always admired. I often look for inspiration from historical uses of leather, like with Colombian rancher culture. This bag has a pretty universal design, actually. There are some really amazing designs for saddlebags in Southern Argentina, Mexico and the U.S., for example. Saddlebags are almost always made for practicality. The Bolivar Weekender is a beautiful design, but it’s also a utilitarian one.
How many hours does it take to make a Bolivar Weekender strictly by hand?
A long time. At least 24 hours of work to finish the Bolivar, but vale la pena (it’s worth it).
