Il Bisonte’s Latest Collection Is an Ode to Sustainable, Everyday Luxury

Robb Report Studio
·3 min read

The start of a new season provides a fresh opportunity to consider what accessories might be missing from your rotation—and what items might fill that space.

But at a time when the negative impacts of overconsumption and waste are becoming ever clearer, it’s no longer satisfactory to purchase the first flashy object that catches your eye. Instead, being a mindful consumer in 2022 requires investing in goods that are made sustainably and designed with an eye for timeless style—what one might call “sustainable everyday luxury.”

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Few brands embody that phrase quite like Il Bisonte, the Florentine leather goods maker that since 1970 has been manufacturing its bags and accessories exclusively in Tuscany, following age-old traditions. All of its goods are made from select vegetable tanned cowhide sourced from animals that had been reared for food consumption, ensuring that the hides are not wasted and thus completing the brand’s dedication to a circular economy.

After sourcing, the hides are tanned according to ancient methods that rely on natural ingredients like chestnut, mimosa and quebracho bark, rather than chromium or other harmful compounds that would have a deleterious environmental effect. A further advantage of this natural approach is that Il Bisonte leather goods can be easily and responsibly disposed of at the end of their useful lifespan.

This ethos is present in Il Bisonte’s Fall/Winter 2022 collection, which was manufactured entirely in Tuscany utilizing the company’s 30-kilometer supply chain. The names chosen for the new lines pay homage to their place of origin, as the women’s lines are named after the most beautiful Medici villas while the men’s lines take their titles from imposing Tuscan castles.

Within the collection, three new lines have been introduced for men. The Brolio—encompassing a belt bag, three sizes of messenger bags and a large briefcase—can be identified by its undulating curves and a slide buckle that serves a practical purpose while acting as an eye-catching visual detail. Meanwhile, the Meleto line of backpacks, briefcases and flat crossbody bags rely on clean, squared-off shapes that make a bolder and more youthful statement, while the Trebbio line of backpacks, briefcases and totes are characterized by embossed details and prominent front seams.

In addition to the fine leathers and their local place of manufacture, the new lines are united by sophisticated details including a silver finish for the men’s accessories and a warm gold for the women’s. Other finishing details include a cotton cloth lining that is produced in Prato’s historic textile district and the use of fine suede on the underside of the bags’ flaps to add texture and softness to the aged cowhide leather.

In keeping with the maker’s timeless ethos, the colors used for the new men’s lines come from the classic Il Bisonte palette with black, neutral and sepia-toned leathers present. But the latest additions are also available in a new-for-the-maker tone of coffee, which expresses itself as an intensely rich brown while remaining a versatile neutral.

These new additions may have been introduced for the fall and winter of the present year, but it’s a safe bet that you will be appreciating them for many seasons to come.

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