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Ghurka New York: Crafting a Modern Tradition

Once upon a time, when getting there was half the fun, travelers took pride in their suitcases. Luggage was luxurious, made of sturdy, supple skins and fitted with fine metallic fasteners. And, back before everything could be carried in and even paid for via a palm-sized electronic device, accessories were equally sumptuous: a wallet with multiple sections, a briefcase with shiny locks, a purse with a textured strap to nestle comfortably into a shoulder.


Such classic items—subtly updated for modern times—and the sensibility behind them can still be found at Ghurka, “the only American luxury brand that focuses on leather,” in the words of Pamela Bristow, executive vice-president of marketing and brand strategy for the 40-year-old company. Its two New York City stores—a rustic Upper East Side venue, with black wood drawers, patterned rug, and broad-beamed floor (781 Fifth Ave., at 59th St., 212-826-8300) and a funkier SoHo branch (65 Prince St., at Lafayette St., 212-334-4000), decorated vintage-explorer style with plants, metal shelves and a wooden rowboat suspended from the ceiling—are both monuments to a pre-synthetic world. No plastic here. All is smooth or sueded leather or cloth twill, punctuated with the gleam of solid brass buckles, snaps, and zippers. The styles and shapes are classic, the colors subtle—tans, browns, and blacks, punctuated by an occasional blue or cream or an understated houndstooth check.

About 40% of Ghurka’s product line (much of it still made in the firm’s original Norwalk, CT factory), is devoted to suitcases, duffel bags, and travel-oriented gear like jewelry rolls and toiletries kits. The rest consists of personal, everyday accessories for both men and women—wallets, handbags, briefcases, backpacks, and cases for everything from eyeglasses to iPads. Then there are the specialty items, or “curiosities,” like backgammon sets, wine carriers, fly fishing cases (single and double), and—new for this fall—a glove box kit, containing compartments for a tire gauge, insurance and registration papers, and flashlight.

There’s no denying that Ghurka’s goods are gorgeous. But, pragmatically speaking, how do you sell travelers on leather in an increasingly nylon and plastic world? To some extent, by reveling in the unabashedly traditional nature of it all. “Leather is such a timeless material. It ages beautifully. There’s something unique about the way your skin feels when you touch it—and the more you touch it, the better it looks,” Bristow says. “You develop a relationship with a leather bag; it’s almost a living thing. And every stain or scratch it gets tells a story, invokes a memory.”

On a less mystical note, she points to leather’s durability in general and Ghurka’s craftsmanship in particular. Bags are saddle-stitched (not heat-fused or glued) to resist stress; the leather is vegetable-tanned (a lengthier, but environmentally healthier method) and aniline-dyed, which soaks the color deep into the pores of the hide; it both lasts longer (enabling the leather to develop that characteristic patina) and looks more natural, because it preserves the grains and striations of the skin’s surface.

For all its homage to time-honored techniques, Ghurka does move with the times. Mindful that most travelers nowadays have to carry their own bags through airports and security lines, the leathers have been getting thinner and lighter; a line in a new cotton-linen twill with a water-resistant coating (the company calls it Gtech) is coming out this autumn. Rolling bags are a big part of the luggage section, and a four-wheel spinner was introduced last year.

Nor is the firm immune to innovation in style. That Ghurka attaché may look like grandpa’s on the outside, but on the inside is an updated interior that can accommodate all sorts of high-tech devices. There is a trend toward more color, as in the cheerful forest green of the carry-ons and backpacks of the new G200 line. Ghurka Woman, launching in January, is definitely taking a fashion-forward stance, with purses and totes in unstructured shapes, made of trendy, pebbly bullskin (as well as the signature smooth calfskin). And, in a move away from earth tones, some models are dyed bright blue, red, or yellow, or boast patterned or embroidered surfaces—all suggestive of military camouflage.

“Functionality is important, and innovation is important, but heritage is, too,” Bristow says. Even in the new items, “the DNA of the brand remains.” Encoded in the DNA is a tradition of treating customers well, with courtesies such as complimentary shipping and (for a fee) lifetime repair services, which can sometimes amount to virtually rebuilding a beloved bag or suitcase. Ghurka clients often form a strong emotional connection to their pieces, and to the brand. Bristow recalls one gentleman who sent in his wallet again and again for restoration—a wedding gift from his bride, he’d taken it around the world, stored photos and mementos in it, held onto it through many a mishap (including an inadvertent dip in the ocean). Finally, it was beyond repair. Having at last received a new wallet from his wife, he mailed the old one back to Ghurka’s HQ, writing, “the only way I could give it up is to know it was going back home.”

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