Robb Recommends: A Berluti Messenger Bag That Keeps You Stylish Day and Night

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There is no shortage of messenger bags on the market, but handcrafted designs still stand out in a sea of mass-produced junk. This past March, I received an email from Berluti introducing the new Andy Crossbody Leather Messenger. “Gorgeous,” I whispered aloud at my desk. It was only fair I take it for a spin.

The bag is named after the late, great Andy Warhol, who famously commissioned loafers from the French label in 1962. The renowned Pop Artist and style icon ordered loafers from Talbinio Berluti, the grandson of founder Alessandro Berluti, who was the head of the maison at the time. However, Talbino’s second cousin, Olga Berluti, who would later helm the house, secretly took on the project, creating a pair of modernist loafers from “flawed” cowhide. (Berluti says the leather came from a cow that scratched itself against barbed wire, giving it a unique finish.) “From now on, I only want shoes made from the hides of subversive cows,” Warhol is quoted as saying. The Andy Démesure Leather Loafer is still produced today in black and brown.

Showcasing burnished calf leather and contrasting silver hardware, the new messenger is reminiscent of many Berluti releases. It also has the “retro vibe” of a 1970s school bag, according to the label. But the bag has a loafer twist that distinguishes it from other designs. The sleek silhouette, the blackened edges, the understated elegance: the resemblance of the Andy messenger to the Warhol loafers is uncanny and beautiful all at once.

After a week of trotting around the Big Apple with the messenger in tow, my review is in. Off the top, the leather feels as buttery as it looks. Worries I had that the bag was too large or small for a metropolitan lifestyle quickly disappeared, as the size of the design (22 cm high x 8.5 cm wide x 29 cm long) proved to be just right. I immediately began sporting the Andy Bag with an array of spring looks that consisted of beige linens, double-breasted vests, both white and blue denims, and suede boots or leather moccasins. The bag paired well with each curated look, blending in seamlessly in both day and night.

With that said, there are a few things that didn’t leave me too thrilled. The bag’s central silver clamp, hidden beneath the flap with a vamp strap-like detail, was hard to lock in place. Even when not filled to the brim, latching its dual parts between the top flap and main bag proved to be so tricky that I often gave up and left it unlatched. 

I expected a few scratches to already be on the leather—it probably came from a subversive cow, after all—but more appeared throughout my time with the bag. This kind of worn-out, vintage-style patina seemed somewhat at odds with the $4,250 price tag. The bag also requires a three-step care routine that can be pretty time-consuming.

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Still, the messenger turned out to be the perfect plus-one for a dinner at Le Jardinier New York. I sat next to Michelin-starred chef Alain Verzeroli, with the bag giving me a quiet confidence as we discussed everything from homemade lunches to the rapper Seafood Sam. It’s clear that Andy messenger makes a great companion.