Behind the JC Travel Collection: Launch 1

On Wednesday 28th October 2026 we launched the first of the JC Travel Collection: the Weekender, a full-grain leather wash bag and a matching luggage tag, designed as one set. It's the biggest thing we've made since James Cromwell began, and it started with a simple question we kept hearing from you.

Why travel?

When we spoke to our customers about what they wanted from us next, travel came up again and again. And when we looked at the market, we could see why.

If you wanted a weekender that looked good, you had two choices. You could buy something technical: practical, but nylon, logos and clips, more gym bag than weekend away. Or you could buy canvas and leather and pay for it: £300, £400, £500, and from some heritage brands well over £1,000.

We thought that was ridiculous. There was nothing in the middle: a bag built from proper materials that works hard, looks the part, and doesn't fall apart after its first trip, at a price that makes sense. That gap is where the Travel Collection lives.

Over a year to get right

The idea started in April 2025. From the first designs to a finished bag took more than a year, and we didn't cut a single corner to make it quicker.

We worked with industry-leading designers who have spent decades designing bags, from handbags to weekenders. They design for how a bag is actually used: where your hand goes when you reach in, how the weight sits on your shoulder, how every pocket, zip and handle works together.

The hardest part was the balance of materials. Which parts should be leather and which should be canvas? Where does the leather meet the zip? Every decision had to keep the quality high without giving up any of the function we needed. The answer was water-resistant canvas for the body, which keeps the bag light, and full-grain leather for the trim, handles and base, where a bag takes the most wear.

"We wanted something in the middle ground: really high quality, everything working together, and a price that doesn't break the bank."

One set, built to work together

We didn't want our first travel product to be just a bag. We wanted it to be a set, and to give you real value from day one.

So every Weekender comes with its matching full-grain leather wash bag and luggage tag, free. That's £69.90 of extras included in the £169.95 price. All three arrive together in one box, and you choose the colour of each piece at checkout: keep the set matching or mix it.

Three timeless colours

We're starting with three: Deep Navy, Olive Green and Midnight Black. They're colours that work with everything and won't date, and they give us a strong base while we listen to you about what comes next.

Made for the way you actually travel

The Weekender is for anyone who's always on the move. On a weekday it carries your laptop across the city, with zipped pockets for your phone, wallet and keys, and a D-ring to clip your keys to. At the weekend it goes over your shoulder and onto the plane.

At 52 × 32 × 25cm it fits the overhead locker. Inside its 35 litres there's room for two pairs of shoes, a few outfits, your wash bag and all your tech, enough for a long weekend, or longer if you pack light. Everything zips closed, so nothing is left open to wandering hands, which matters more than ever.

What accessible luxury means to us

For us, accessible luxury means you get the materials, the function and the confidence of a premium bag without paying three, four or five times as much for a name.

We want to lead the way in bringing that to travel: products that make you feel confident and stylish, without the ridiculous price tags.

This is just the start

The Weekender set is our first travel product, and it won't be our last. We're already working on what comes next: more products that keep the same balance of quality and price, with a little more tech and function built in.

We're not saying what yet. But your feedback will shape it, so tell us what you'd like to see.