THE JOURNAL
The year is 1972. Mr Stefano Serapian, an Armenian-born craftsman who emigrated to Italy in the early 1920s, has just died, leaving control of his company in the hands of his son. At 21 years old, Mr Ardavast Serapian is now at the helm of a successful leather goods brand.
Founded in 1928, Serapian was at the heart of Milan’s post-war design boom, its colourful woven-leather “mosaic” handbags and travel cases winning the approval of the international Jet Set during the 1950s and 1960s. Among its fans were Mr Frank Sinatra. But now, with its founder gone, the brand stands at a crossroads.
The young Serapian’s answer is not to rest on his laurels, but to pursue the spirit of innovation on which the company was founded. His first move? The launch of a new coated-canvas material, which he names “Stepan” after his late father’s Armenian name.
Etched into a chessboard pattern with a tiny “S” on every square, this new material soon earns the attention of the globetrotting yacht crowd, who prize it as much for its elegant looks as they do for its sturdiness and water resistance. Before long, it’s one of the brand’s most distinctive motifs.
Fast-forward to the modern day and Serapian is celebrating 50 years of the iconic material with Stepan 72, a special capsule of luggage and accessories that promises to bring a little bit of the swagger and flamboyant spirit of the 1970s to a contemporary audience.
The brand – owned since 2017 by the Richemont Group, but still staffed by several members of the Serapian family – delved deep into the archives for this 1970s-themed collection, refashioning designs of the decade into a range of sleek 21st-century essentials such as backpacks, cross-body bags and cardholders.
Tonal brown leather trim contrasts against the textured black Stepan material and underlining Serapian’s reputation as one of Italy’s finest leather makers, while high-quality hardware adds a sharp finishing touch.
Three to try
01. The tote
With its tall profile and wide stripe of butter-soft brown leather running down the centre of the the bag, this tote from Serapian wouldn’t look out of place on the arm of a 1970s-era style icon. Look inside, though, and you’ll find concessions to 21st-century life, such as an internal sleeve that’s sized to house a laptop.
02. The briefcase
Reinforced leather corners and a central leather stripe along the body help to maintain the sharp profile of this briefcase, which is just the right size to hold your laptop and other daily essentials, and which comes with a detachable shoulder strap for easy portability on the move.
03. The cross-body bag
Exclusive to MR PORTER, this neat little bag packs nearly a hundred years of know-how and the distinctive style of the 1970s into a compact and contemporary form. The cross-body bag is emerging as one of today’s must-have accessories; this is a particularly fine example.