Skip to main contentIf the last couple posts didn't tip you off (cheesy Blazers tees and army surplus sunglasses), the RT controls are being temporarily manned by a somewhat less refined substitute while our regular sartorial mistress is snapping her fingers at cabana boys on the Big Island. So for the next few days, you'll get a more masculine perspective from someone who picks clothes for their style and their ability to hide stains. Lots of heather gray and denim. But as I'm turning 26 this Wednesday, I've decided to start dressing like a grown-ass man. That means a moratorium on the sneakers and hoodies that clog my closet in favor of shirts with buttons and shoes without air-pockets. One thing that definitely needs replacing is the frayed Timbuk2 messenger bag I've been toting for lo these many years. Don't get me wrong; I love my trusty bike bag. But fishing my laptop out of sweat-stained Cordura at meetings just doesn't convey the professional gravitas I strive for.
Enter Jasen Bowes, who runs North American operations for Property Of, the Singapore-based bagsmiths behind such ruggedly refined carry-alls as the Alfie Work Bag…
…and the Lex Bag, among others.
Bowes handles Property Of's entire operation on this continent, from marketing to sales. When RT caught up with him on Sunday, he was just back from showcasing PO's latest line at Men's Fashion Week in NYC.
RT: How was New York?
Bowes: It was great. We sort of bucked the big trade shows and set up shop in a 1000-square-foot loft in [the Manhattan branch of] the Ace Hotel. All the buyers came through and seemed to really love the line. I'm going back out this week for the New York International Gift Fair, a show we really love, wrapped in a really bad name.
What's it like running North American operations from Portland rather than L.A. or New York?
I love it. For one, Portland is really affordable. It's disgustingly inexpensive to rent a warehouse here. And there's this really massive design community in Portland, who love our bags, which are geared towards designers with compartments for their needs. People really embrace the brand for being here. Portland also informs our designs. We're working on a saddlebag for a bike made with waxed canvas lined with nylon that was inspired by this city.
Property Of collaborated with Pendleton Woolen Mills on the Portland Guy Bag. That's got to be your doing, right?
Yeah, I made some friends at Pendleton over the past year. I reached out to those guys, and at first they said no. I was really disappointed, but I kept at it and they got on board. We've got a few other plans for collaborations coming up—a great design group out of NYC, Rich, Brilliant, Willing, three guys all in their 20s, making their mark. And maybe something with Dwell Magazine.
What's your bag of choice?
Right now I'm carrying the Pendleton bag, but I literally have an entire closet crammed with bags from left to right, three to a hanger. I've carried the Tom Work bag in the past. I always travel with the Lex Trip Bag.
In Portland, you can find Property Of bags at Local 35 (3556 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 963-8200) and Mario's (833 SW Broadway, 227-3477), and Lizard Lounge (1323 NW Irving St., 416-7476) will carry them starting this spring. The Portland Guy Bag is available online at A Continuous Lean.
WWeek 2015