In one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes, Jerry gets a so-called man purse, which he insists on calling a “European carryall.” Even though the show aired almost 20 years after such bags first appeared in Europe, it brought to light the American male’s ambivalence about displaying such a visible accessory. Basil Racuk is out to change that. After working for Andrew Marc and Banana Republic, plus his own cutting-edge label in the ’90s, he is now designing a new line of stylish, handcrafted satchels and totes with the look and feel of fine luggage. The bags are also a major part of Racuk’s new collection of custom leather accessories—marrying streamlined design and old-world workmanship—which recently made its debut in a whitewashed shop on Berkeley’s craftsiest strip. Basil Racuk: 2556 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, 510-409-4452, basilracuk.com

Is there still a stigma for American men who carry “man purses”? I think we have risen above that. There are probably a lot of men out there who don’t know what the so-called man purse looks like.

It resembles a small shoulder bag with a long strap. Your bags, though, are handheld and look more like luggage or briefcases. The Hard Brief is a man purse for me, in that I carry everything I need in it. But it doesn’t read as particularly feminine. Some of my bags have shoulder straps, but even if they don’t, they have adjustable straps in case you need to carry the bag on your shoulder.

What happened to the man purse? It morphed into the gym bag.

I thought it morphed into the backpack. It did that, too.

Are you anti-backpack? It has become a cliché for a certain generation of men. A backpack shouldn’t be used all the time. When you walk on Market Street, you see men in suits who don’t wear their backpack like a backpack. They wear it on one shoulder. Why not carry a bag? A backpack is convenient, but when did it come into the sartorial vocabulary? Backpacks came out of college and went into the workplace. I’m not going to play the fashion police here, but there’s a time and a place for backpacks.

Do you have a backpack? I do. It’s by Arc’teryx. I use it when I go to the gym.

Why should a man care about carrying a well-designed bag? The first thing we notice when we meet somebody is what they’re wearing. So having a well-crafted piece—whether it be a bag or a belt—is as

important as wearing a nice suit. When a man is well put together, it conveys self-confidence and self-awareness.

Can men really pull off wearing a bag? They already wear bags, but they don’t multipurpose correctly. I am thinking about men with gym bags. Could you bring it to a bar with your coworkers or to dinner with clients? Your bag should make that transition. But a nylon duffel can’t.

For some men, a wallet is the only type of small leather good they own. I was once like that. For a long time, I wouldn’t carry anything more.

Your designs are very simple. There are only two slots for credit cards in your wallet. Yes, but they can hold more than that. All of my accessories are simple. There are not a lot of bells and whistles. This is an amalgamation of craft and design. It’s very important that I feel surrounded by things I feel connected to.

Speaking of simplicity, the belt in your collection has no buckle. I have a really hard time with buckles. They can be kind of noisy and call out for attention. Instead, I chose a simple button stud.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Show me something you created for yourself. This leather case for my iPhone. As soon as I bought my iPhone, gravity took its toll, and I continuously dropped it. I noticed everyone had rubber cases, but I wanted something that spoke to me a bit more.

Who is buying them? They’re definitely a guy thing.

Are women also eyeing some of the pieces? Women like the belt. It has a ’60s or ’70s feel to it. They’re wearing it low on their hips.

In women’s wear, there are rules about matching acc­essories. Now it’s more about matching the sentiment, not the color or the texture. You can wear a brown suede belt with black boots, as long as they have the same feeling.

You’ve been in menswear for 20 years. What’s changed? The people who have to wear suits, like bankers, still wear suits, but there’s been a backlash against the informality of Casual Fridays. Now men who don’t have to wear suits and all the trappings are wearing them as a fashion statement.

Is this why you decided to make handcrafted bags? When I was on the Isle of Hydra last summer, I had a realization when I got lost while hiking. It really came down to: What was I trying to do? What could I say as a designer? I didn’t want to bring more clothes into the world. I started looking around and thinking

about what people require. We need to carry things, and while we’re away, we want to feel connected to home through the bag we carry those things in.

Which accessory says the most about a man? A bag, because it is the most visual. It’s out there for all to see.

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