There are a few new great England x Japan design partnerships at the moment. The Japanese accessories company Yoshida & Co., maker of the much collaborated Head Porter label (often referred to as simply “Porter”) has teamed with the very cool English magazine Monocle on a line of bags. Yoshida & Co. has also looked to the talented British designer Margaret Howell for a small collection of bags. I found the collection recently while browsing the new offerings from Beams. I think the helmet bag shape is good for so many types of uses. In my opinion, that is the mark of a good bag – versatility. I appreciate Margaret Howell’s simple and classic sensibility towards men’s clothing and the Porter collection does not disappoint in that regard.

Monocle x Porter

Below: Monocle x Porter detailing.

Margaret Howell x Yoshida & Co. available at Beams. (Click to enlarge.)

The coveted helmet bag.