The versatile garment bag is a must for fans of tailoring
In 2022, Bennett Winch became the first luggage maker ever to open on Savile Row, an arrival the brand treated with reverence. ‘Our approach from day one was utter respect,’ co-founder Robin Winch says. ‘We knew the Row was renowned for having some of the best craftspeople on the planet.’
Of course, Bennett Winch fitted right in. Arguably our finest homegrown luggage and accessories maker, everything the company produces is made in England using traditional skills and materials that include full-grain vegetable-tanned Italian leather, 100 per cent British cotton and solid brass hardware welded in London. Each piece is guaranteed for life. As the brand says, it ‘advocates investing in fewer, better products that are built for the long haul’.
Established in 2014 by Robin Bennett and Robin Winch, over its first decade the brand has created an enviable portfolio of holdalls, backpacks, briefcases, tote bags and accessories that include watch rolls and wallets. Now it adds a clever Trifold suit carrier into its lineup.
‘The interesting thing with this project is that we’re not big suit-wearers,’ says Robin Winch, referring to Bennett, himself and Rupert Shreeve their business partner and design director. ‘But because of our Savile Row location, we got a lot of people coming in saying: “I love your style, I love your materials, I travel for business three or four times a week and I need to take a suit or two.” So, Rupert started looking at how to create something unique to meet this demand. That’s where the Trifold came from.’
Launching this summer, the Trifold is a full-length suit bag that transforms into a lean carrier, with capacity for three suits or equivalent.
‘We realised, “This isn’t just a suit bag, this is a garment bag – this is amazing”,’ Winch recalls. ‘If you’re going away for a weekend and you want an outfit ready for the first night, like a sports jacket plus a pair of trousers, you can put that in there. You can put in a shacket or two that usually you’d fold up and put in a suitcase. Your wife could even put a dress in there. All of them are going to be kept completely uncreased and ready to go.’
The creasing issue is ironed out thanks to the Trifold’s open-sided format, held in place via a set of concealed magnets and a pair of Tuscan leather straps, while a military-grade cotton webbing shoulder strap allows you to travel hands-free.
Bennett Winch’s Trifold suit carrier in navy
The design took a year to perfect, and Bennett Winch consulted with Taj Phull, managing director of Huntsman on Savile Row, in the project’s early stages. Phull was initially sceptical, but the result is now his favourite bag.
The Trifold comes in navy, olive and black and is made in select batches. As with all the designs, the idea is to create an enduring, heirloom-quality product. ‘We call our core demographic “discerning minimalists”,’ Winch says. ‘They don’t want big logos or branding. But equally, they want to make a statement. But it’s not about “Look how much I spent on this product”, it’s more about “I’ve made a discerning choice, I like this brand – it’s authentic”.’
‘We do so much testing,’ Winch explains, ‘that by the time anything goes to the consumer, it just works perfectly.’
