The “Man Bag” is currently experiencing a revival as a practical and useful item for the man about town. Menswear brand, Grams28, has just released its Sling Bag collection proving that not only that man bags are practical but are also a fashion statement. I spoke to Benjamin Chan, of Grams28 to find out more…. Hi Benjamin and welcome …

Hi, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Benjamin, co-founder and principal designer at GRAMS28. I was born in Hong Kong but I travel often to the UK for work. I really enjoy my daily coffee(s), going on drives, and working on new designs. I’m definitely a night owl, but I try to make the most out of daytime too. 

What inspired the launch of Grams28?

GRAMS28 is a brand of creations that I myself would enjoy, and that I think others would benefit from. I was looking for bags and accessories that were both luxurious and functional at the same time, and came up with almost nothing. I wanted to bridge the gap between luxury design and quality and practicality with GRAMS28, and this philosophy continues to fuel our new designs and product development.

Have you always had an interest in fashion designing or did you have other career plans whilst growing up? 

Not necessarily fashion design, but I’ve always been invested in learning about and perfecting design. Growing up in an environment where I was exposed to concepts of architecture and product design at a young age, it always felt like a natural development for me. I think the final push that I had to grow into this role was discovering my own passion for creating something better than what already exists. 

I’m interested in your brand name – Grams28 – why did you specifically pick that name? Were there any other contenders?

GRAMS28 comes from two elements, the first one being 21 Grams, a film. The name of the film comes from the idea that a soul weighs 21 grams, which we wished to incorporate since we believe that every thoughtfully crafted and handmade product that we offer has a soul. Each creation provides something unique to its owner. We also hope that our products will be able to accompany our customers throughout their days and prove useful 7 days a week – thus the additional 7, which adds up to GRAMS28. The number itself in our name was something we thought quite a lot about, so the other contenders were all variations on a similar theme.
GRAMS28 comes from two elements, the first one being 21 Grams, a film. The name of the film comes from the idea that a soul weighs 21 grams, which we wished to incorporate since we believe that every thoughtfully crafted and handmade product that we offer has a soul. Each creation provides something unique to its owner. We also hope that our products will be able to accompany our customers throughout their days and prove useful 7 days a week – thus the additional 7, which adds up to GRAMS28. The number itself in our name was something we thought quite a lot about, so the other contenders were all variations on a similar theme.

Every product has a code embossed in white – is this just a trendy emblem or do the codes have some significance?

The codes are a distinctive part of our products – but more than that, it is part of our commitment to transparency and letting our customers know exactly what they are buying. Each code is made of three sets of numbers that corresponds to information about the material and origin of the product. We hope that through this, our buyers can feel at ease purchasing, using, and getting to know our creations. 

The man bag has had a recent revival and you have quite a collection. What designs/ products are most popular amongst your customers at the moment? Do you have a favourite item from your collection? 

The 157 Essential Sling has been a dark horse in our collection and has been garnering a lot of attention, especially from fashion enthusiasts. As for me, I’ve been really enjoying using our 132 Essential Case Pro. I’m really proud of this product, since it’s elegant in design and effective in organisation. 

What are the main features a customer would expect from buying one of your man bags?

Since we deeply value the balance between aesthetics, design and function, customers can expect to find smart organisation in all of our bags. We also only choose the best quality materials available to us, which is why you’ll find that we only use full-grain leather sourced from Italy. Opposed to other types of leather like top-grain leather or even PU leather, full-grain leather is extremely durable and can last for many decades if handled with proper care. 

Founded in Asia, are your items available to purchase worldwide?

Absolutely – we ship internationally from our independent online storefront. We’ve also recently launched a pop-up brick-and-mortar storefront in London in the UK, so locals are very welcome to come visit.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I’ve been wearing a lot of COS lately, they have a lot of great stylish yet versatile items. I also always carry my GRAMS28 backpack, which will absolutely be coming back to our lineup soon – if it hasn’t already by the time of this publication.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

That’s quite the difficult question – I have my eye on Club Monaco’s store at the moment. I also regularly browse the New Norm Magazine for new inspiration and ideas. 

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

I always feel drawn to other up-and-coming brands that have a meaningful vision. I’m looking forward to getting something from GREATS, a Brooklyn-founded sneaker brand, soon. Their Royale collection is definitely on my wish list.

Boots or Shoes?

Why not both? Style is your unique expression. 

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook/twitter etc

Check us out at grams28.com! Ships internationally, and we have a lifetime warranty on all our products.

Thank you Benjamin! What a lovely collection!

Linda x

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Benjamin Chan (Grams28).