Valextra Iside Bag Honest Review (Updated 2024)

I have always loved the minimalism and clean lines of Valextra bags. I had been seeing them around in Le Bon Marché and Lafayette and online but only recently remembered to actually take photos! The top photo is from Galeries Lafayette Haussmann from my visit a few years ago (a lifetime ago, especially now that I’m thinking back to it whilst in quarantine), and the following photos of the black one is from Moressi, a local stockist in Manila.

Interestingly, this was originally the “Isis” bag, but for obvious reasons they needed to rebrand it, and thus it became the “Iside” bag. I remember when I was in Galeries Lafayette and asked to see the Iside bag, the saleslady didn’t know it had been changed, so she still thought it was Isis and kept insisting there was no such bag as the Iside, even as I was showing her on Instagram that it had already been renamed :)) Anyway.

I believe Valextra bags are priced in about the same range as Delvaux and Moynat, and it is considered to be the “Hermès” of Italy. Generally, their designs are sleek, minimalist (no logo, yay!), and almost give me a mid-century-modern vibe (i.e. you can picture someone from Mad Men carrying it), which is a pretty timeless ‘modern’ style.

Blurry pic, but just to show the branding on the hardware

I don’t know if this is the easiest to open, but I guess it’s something to get used to

Inside, I appreciate that the branding is subtle, and that the bags are serialized.

I also like that the interior lining is also in leather (a feature that is rarer and rarer these days), albeit white will be a b*tch to maintain, especially if you carry pens around :))

The bag is surprisingly light, which is a feature I always remember about their bags. Normally this would concern me, but upon inspection it does feel like a solid build, still. They also use leather that has a bit of a sheen and texture, which helps make it lower-maintenance. But given how light it is, and how thin the leather must be, only time will tell how it will weather the wear and tear. Brass hardware. Consistent edge finish and stitching.

All in all, if you are looking for a more modern option in this price range, then the Iside bag is a beautiful choice. But I must say that you have to try it in person, because the proportion can be a bit off. For example, the size that I thought would suit me online, turned out to be too big and square for me IRL. And the shoulder strap is a bonus, but I actually like how it looks better without it, carried on the crook of the arm or by hand.

Also, if you are not a fan of the “shiny” look, then this may not be the bag for you. I understand its practicality, but this finish always (IMHO) tends to look and feel plasticky, and takes away from the luxurious hand-feel of the leather. But as a daily bag that needs that extra layer of protection, then yes this definitely seems like it might be less fragile.

Something to note when it comes to leather like this and like Chanel’s caviar leather, that have that shiny laminated ish layer: while the coating provides the scratch-proofing and protection that people look for, it’s actually a double-edged sword. You don’t really get much leather (it has probably been shaved down to just the top part) or much of the qualities that you want out of leather, like the body, patina, strength, character, etc. You will have to remember that if you want leather that patinas, that has character, that is thick and feels sturdy–well, it probably won’t be scratch-proof, lightweight, or “uniform” like the Chanel flap or like many other bags, including Valextra. Just something to note!

Update as of November 2023-January 2024

Back in November, I was able to visit Valextra’s flagship store in Milan. Compared to the teeny tiny selection they have in department stores, I loved how much more complete and varied the products at the flagship store were. I was able to inspect a lot more bags, both men’s and women’s, and I must say that I was really impressed by the quality, much more so than just seeing 1 or 2 bags at a small display inside a department store. I’ll put together a separate post covering all the other styles I liked at the store, but here are some (ok a truckload of) updated photos of the Iside Bag (which I think I can say I’ve bumped up to just under the grail club of Moynat, Moreau, and Delvaux, since this is still not hand sewn) and a few of its variations:

So many cute variations of the Iside bag. I quite liked a lot of the graphic black and white ones, but as someone who is clumsy and hits stuff often–a mostly-white bag is not practical. If the colors had been reversed and there were more black parts than white, then yes I totally would have gotten this slash one:

This studded one was also a fave (I very very nearly caved and got it haha)

So cute

So tiny

Inside, leather lining still, which I love (if only it weren’t white/cream haha)

I also really liked this graphic, almost vintage-looking one, but it was fabric 😦 The cool graphic lines are like a kind of rubberized material (maybe 3D printed?), so I wasn’t sure if it would stay on the fabric with wear and tear. So graphic and pretty though

You can also customize the face of the lock–cute!

OK so after the whole thing I said with white bags–my sister ended up getting something white :))

She was looking for an evening-able style in a color she doesn’t have yet, and because the color selection wasn’t the most comprehensive at the time for this size (I think the other colors were just black or gray), she ended up getting white. I think we were sold with the alien ears that made it extra cute haha

Here it is under the hotel light. Fingers crossed that we’re able to keep this pristine haha

Valextra isn’t hand-sewn but the assembly is really clean and solid, and a lot of their bags have very difficult construction (for me, it’s extra value if it’s a style or technique I myself cannot yet do)

Serialized and subtle

This visit to the Valextra flagship store has certainly upped my opinion of the brand, and I loved being able to see so many more versions of the Iside as well as other styles (will post about it next time!), especially some that I found really difficult to make and therefore including them in my bag bucket list for next time! Valextra bags have actually gone on sale in some online department store sites, except that it doesn’t ship to us here 😦 But it would definitely make the bags even more worth trying (they are really good value given the level of quality, priced a little bit below Delvaux & Moynat or similar), if you were ever on the fence about them. I’ll be keeping an eye on the Iside in the coming years to see how the white survives, and if the bag performs well. Will add updates to this post when that time comes.