If the last backpack you purchased spent any time inside a locker, it’s time to aim higher.
Backpacks are too often overlooked when people think about their designer bag collection, and it’s not hard to understand why. Handbags historically steal up all the spotlight for many of our favorite designers.But we think it’s high time backpacks have their moment. They’re functional, they’re versatile, and with the right materials and tailoring, they can be a standout style in their own right.
It can be hard to know where to start when purchasing designer backpacks, and that’s why we’re here to help. We’ve created this guide to help you figure out exactly what you’re looking for in a luxury backpack and how you can get it.
No need to take notes; school is most certainly not in session. We’re talking grown-up backpacks, y’all.
Why Backpacks Are Always in Style
Let’s start with the origins of this iconic design.
The backpack dates back to the 1930s when a Colorado-based hiking company produced the first design with a zipper. Unsurprisingly, style wasn’t really the goal. A few decades later, the first nylon backpack hit the stores, and the design took off, especially for students.
These days, the nylon and canvas backpack trends have given way to a new style of satchel: the leather backpack. Sleeker, refined, and structured, the leather backpack is the fashion world’s response to this iconic style. As we’ve peeled back on all the pockets, patches, and flaps, one thing has stayed true: a backpack is always in style.
No Hands, No Problems
One of the beautiful characteristics of a backpack is that it includes two shoulder straps, keeping the bag compartment out of your way and secure.
For anyone who’s jumped on the crossbody bag trend and become obsessed with being hands-free, the backpack is an obvious choice. Backpacks are even more secure than shoulder bags, with no swinging — unless that is, you opt for the classic slung around one shoulder slouchy backpack look, which we stan.
Bottom line? Backpacks are a great choice for activities that require the use of your hands, like sipping on a cocktail, dancing with your girlfriends, or swiping your Metro Card.
Pure Function
Like the tote, the backpack is also a star because it can fit so much more than average-sized purses.
Backpacks have all but replaced briefcases in the workforce, becoming everyone’s favorite way to transport their laptop, books, wallet, and more. There’s simply more real estate inside most backpacks, making them one of the most functional bags you can select. Not to mention that many designer backpacks come with interior pockets so you can easily organize all your odds and ends.
Personal Expression
You can learn a lot about a person’s style based on the kind of backpack they carry around day to day. Sure, this is a bag that serves a distinct purpose, but that doesn’t mean it can’t reflect your personality and vibe.
A beautiful designer backpack with luxury tailoring and valuable materials will always stand out. It can be the focal point of an outfit or work seamlessly with a head-turning look. Either way, a backpack is a chance to bring a bit of personal flair to your everyday outfits.
Choosing a Designer Backpack
When choosing a designer backpack, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions. Keep these in mind while you’re shopping.
What Are You Carrying?
First and foremost, you have to think about size. What is the purpose of this bag in your life? Will it be your laptop backpack? Your travel bag? Do you need it to easily fit a stack of books, or are you looking for something that can stand in as a hands-free purse?
These days there are so many varieties of designer backpacks that can fit your every need. There are oversized backpacks that can fit a change of clothes, medium backpacks that are perfect for your laptop and work items, and mini backpacks that are great for your phone, wallet, and keys.
Whatever the case, think about what you need your backpack to hold and make sure you’re shopping for a bag that’s up to the task.
What Are You Sporting?
Next, you need to think about style. Spoiler alert, this is our favorite section.
We love to get thoughtful on design when it comes to utility bags because, ultimately, they’re going to be the ones you carry around most days. It’s essential that they match your style and work with your wardrobe.
Let’s start with materials. For a designer bag, you’d expect the backpack to be made with only the finest materials. Look for 100% genuine cowhide leather or suede. No blends. No compromises.
For something like a zipper, you want to be seeing either gold or silver hardware. Plastic hardware can be a look, especially when it’s oversized and campy, but if you’re going for something more elegant, gold and silver will always be it.
Then you want to ask yourself about the look. Do you want a quilted style? Do you want the bag to close with a drawstring or a zipper? Do you want a print backpack that will stand out in a crowd, or do you want to go more neutral so the bag will work with any outfit?
Whether you’re all about the flashy logo print or the subtle pebbled leather, there is totally a bag to match your wardrobe — or completely invigorate it.
What Are You Paying?
Then comes the question of cost. It’s normal to feel hesitant before splurging on a big purchase. We like to think of our bags as big purchase investments. That means we do our research and take care of the bags after they become a part of our portfolio.
If you haven’t made the leap to purchase a designer bag before, you might be wondering if it's worth it. Here’s what we’ll say: When it comes to backpacks, the use will dictate form. For example, a beach bag might be best in canvas or nylon. On the other hand, for high-fashion accessorizing, you might want a leather option.
Genuine, authentic leather will always be worth it. Leather is a natural fiber, making it a more sustainable choice for your bags. Leather also stands the test of time, both in its resistance to wear and tear and in its timelessness.
A leather bag will simply never go out of style. So what you are paying for when you purchase a leather backpack is an item you can return to year over year. How much of your closet can you say that about?
There’s something so chic about owning an item you know you’ll keep for life. Bags become collector’s items, only getting hotter as the years get longer.
Meet The Portmore
All that said, we’d like to introduce you to our take on the backpack. Meet the Portmore.
The Portmore holds such a special place in our hearts because it was the first bag we launched under the Brandon Blackwood label back in 2015. The Portmore is now a part of our standard collection and is one of our best sellers. Season after season, this bag more than proves its worth.
Made with genuine leather and lined in microsuede fabric, the Portmore is truly a joy to carry. Your shoulders will feel the difference… seriously.
The Portmore is a pared-back, chic style. It’s a boxy shape with a foldover flap lid that closes with a silver hardware zipper. It has a short top handle to easily cart it from one place to the next and an embossed Brandon Blackwood label, so the girls know where it came from.
The Portmore comes in Green, Black, White, Pink, and Powder Blue and is also available in a mini bag size if you’re looking for a smaller, crossbody vibe. There’s just something about how a small backpack captures big attention.
New Arrivals With New York Flair
The backpack is a classic for a reason. In a relatively short amount of time, it has cemented itself as a closet staple, right up there with the tote bag and the briefcase.
There are so many reasons to love the luxe backpack.
It’s an everyday go-to that can fit all your essential items and more, keeping them secure and safe beneath a closed opening. It’s also super versatile. When you pick an elevated designer style, it can be as chic and stylish as a purse while keeping your hands free. That’s a combination we’ll go for time and time again.
Check out our full selection of designer backpacks here, and don’t forget to tag us on Instagram when you wear one of them out. We love to see Brandon Blackwood styles in the wild. Happy shopping, cousins.