The Lands’ End tote is an American icon.  When I was younger, I carried mine all summer long to the beach, and it always had a towel, a paperback, sunscreen, and M&M’s.  My bag and I went everywhere together, and for years, it’s been the perfect tote for anyone looking for something easy, affordable, and chic.  Around town, I see countless designers carrying fabric samples and drawings in their totes to work.

But now that I’m often meeting with really fashionable people (because Italians always show up looking so put together), it’s hard to pull off carrying a canvas tote to work.

Enter Stefano Bruni and Lance Wovens.  A longtime leather dealer to fashion houses like Chanel and Bottega, one day Stefano had the idea to design a line of superluxe woven leather pillows for the home.  Being Italian, he made them in every color you can imagine, and they’re now used in million-dollar projects around the world.

But he also needed a bag to get around town, so he asked his go-to guy to make him a tote using their soft, hand-woven leather.  Genius!  Of course, his friends and clients loved them (Oprah got one in purple), so now he’s making them for the rest of us. Like the original tote, it’s roomy and easy to carry.  But in leather woven like Bottega’s, it’s the perfect bag for L.A.: a beautiful tote I can carry all year long.

Available in two sizes – Studio (17 in x 11 in x 6 in, $395-$450) and Architect (23 in x 14 in x 8 in, $595-$650), they’re stylish and much less than you’d think.  All their colors are classic (including white/navy and white/red) so you can use them forever; the one I own is in white/sand.

But this would be perfect for my trip to Playa del Carmen later this summer …

… and isn’t it just gorgeous in bronze?

I’d love hear which color you like best.  A few things to keep in mind: these are made to order using hand-woven leather and marine grade canvas, so they’ll take about four weeks to ship.  But we promise they’re worth the wait!

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