Luxurious Magazine talks to Simon Jordan, the founder of Jordan Bespoke, to find out what it takes to create the world’s finest bespoke leather luggage.
When you demand the best, rarely does ‘off the shelf’ meet with approval. If a buyer is in the market for a something special, be it a new pair of shoes, a luxury car or a superyacht the chances are bespoke will be the preferred option.
Why would you risk arriving at the Monte Carlo Casino to find yourself parking your new sports car next to another that is virtually identical?
While bespoke creations help to provide the right impression to peers, owning something that is tailored to the individual offers far more than just exclusivity.
Simon Jordan is a man well used to the finer things in life, having spent many years immersed in the world of supercars, most notably working for Ferrari.
Spending time with the owners, Simon noted their need for style, a desire to be different, an insistence of high quality and a taste for Italian flair. He also noted that, when a person has everything they desire, products need to be highly individual and suit a particular purpose, to get their attention.
Starting a career in classic vehicle restoration, Simon already had an eye for detail and started to source the finest Italian leather from a small workshop in Tuscany, to create luxury holdalls for his car clients – fully bespoke in terms of colours, linings, size and styling.
Despite still selling the supercar dream full-time, word spread of Jordan’s ability to create leather luggage of a quality that rivalled, and often surpassed, leading fashion houses and which offered bespoke style at an off-the-shelf price. As a result, Simon was amongst Italian Ferrari’s by day and Italian leather by night (and during the weekends) to cope with demand.
Since then, a lot has changed. Simon no longer deals in Ferrari’s but designs and creates leather luggage full time. His phone rings with calls from the world’s finest racing drivers seeking personal luggage, and luxury brands like Sunseeker, Bentley and Aston Martin queuing up to get a bespoke bag range designed by him.
Whoever the client, the process remains the same – a personal consultation to determine what the bag will be used for, to find colours mean something to the owner and to agree how outlandish (or subdued) the end product should be.
Leather choice is deeply personal, and Simon consults clients with over 250 coloured leather swatches on his desk, located in a nondescript barn in rural Gloucestershire. After spending years to discover the finest hides the world has to offer, Jordan Bespoke clients may choose from Scottish or Italian hides, with a smooth or naturally grained finish.
In addition, elements such as strap colour can be chosen along with metalwork in a range of finishes including brass, silver and chrome. As you might expect, every element of the bag matches the quality offered by the hides.
As individuals, we dress to show our own personal style; we live in homes which give an insight into our personality, and we drive cars that make a statement about our lifestyle.
When we travel, we head to destinations carefully chosen to provide maximum satisfaction, and we travel in the manner which provides the most comfort.
When you consider how bespoke our lives are, why would anyone choose luggage that fails to make a statement or perform precisely as we want it to?
A bag, according to Jordan, should reflect the owner’s style, and look good whether carried in hand or over the shoulder. The leather should be specified to match a favourite pair of shoes, a preferred jacket or even the paintwork of a loved vehicle.
It should function to suit the needs of the individual, with compartments and sections to match their lifestyle; full length zips for easy access and (if required) an embossed logo or wording to deliver a personal statement.
While it is important to show the world your sense of style, a Jordan Bespoke bag also offers the profoundly personal design aspect of a bespoke lining. For the person who travels often for business, this may be selected photographs of dearly missed family, for the racing driver it could be a history of their racing successes and for a sporting shooter images of the highlands and a favoured gundog.
This hidden element adds a level of personalisation with infinite options, making each bag truly unique to the owner. A bag with a very sensible, stylish exterior can privately display a wild and extravagant inside only to be seen by those invited to witness it; much like the owner, perhaps?
The Jordan Bespoke back catalogue Is enviable and speaks volumes of his work. Ranging from bespoke cabin bags for superstar cocktail makers who need to arrive, ready to mix, at a party across the Atlantic with a moment’s notice, to supplying owners of some of the world’s largest Superyachts.
Recently Jordan received a commission to create bespoke travel bags for McLaren to offer owners of their latest supercar, and a Las Vegas car collector wanted his and hers fitted luggage for his vintage Bentley Blower.
When the late Sir Stirling Moss entrusted Simon with an officially licenced Stirling Moss bag, he approved the design immediately. His satisfaction is mirrored by other motorsport greats such as Sir Jackie Stewart, Bernie Ecclestone and Tom Kristensen. Add to that the likes of Prince Albert of Monaco, the Duke of Richmond, Nick Mason and Ross Brawn and you get a sense that good news travels fast in the world of quality luggage.
Personalisation has become a unique selling point for Jordan. He offers infinite design possibilities, unrivalled by any other brand, at an agreeable price point. While a Jordan bag cannot be categorised as cheap, it offers excellent value when examined against more mainstream fashion and design brands.
As an individual, Simon works independently, meaning a client pays for his design skills, material and manufacture only, and is not expected to help pay for a glassy city store or sumptuous adverts within glossy magazines.
Bespoke may be more attainable than you think, and a tailored bag absolutely has to feature in the wardrobe of anyone who has an eye for detail and a sense of style. We’ll leave the last word to Mr Jordan “designing bags is a passion, and to create a true one-off for a client is a pleasure. Why follow the herd when you can forge your own path?”.
To contact Simon Jordan and for more information on his current range of bespoke products, visit www.jordanbespoke.com.
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