This month’s must have jetsetting weekend packables
Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Earphones & Moncrief London Luggage
In a world where everything moves so quickly, it’s comforting to know that at least some things still take a very long time. Step forward Moncrief London, the luxury luggage brainchild of Caroline Evans, the creative force behind the super-successful UK fashion chain Jigsaw. Back in 2008, identifying the distinct lack of elegance in modern travel and with a strong nostalgia powering her creativity, Evans set about working with one of the tanneries that supplies the venerable house of Hermès to develop the perfect weekend bag.
Four years later, having honed her designs to perfection with one of the world’s few remaining leather artisan workshops, her exquisite range of carrying, trolley and iPad cases are now ready for boarding. Available in various superb finishes from woven goat skin denim to herringbone printed calf hair, and alligator or leopard-printed calfskin, they’re as exceptionally distinctive as they are luxurious and understated. Our favourite? The exquisite black gloss polished calf weekend bag, which takes no less than 120 hours to create and 13 separate stripping and burnishing processes. And as if all that weren’t enough, for those wishing to make a seriously unique fashion statement, Moncrief also offers a bespoke option in alligator, river crocodile or ostrich in the colour of your choice, making you want to travel merely to show off your luggage. Oh, porter!
And what better to put in your weekend bag when jetting off to Marrakech or Guadeloupe than the absolute must-haves for any frequent traveller or music buff – noise-cancelling headphones. Until now, these were annoyingly bulky, uncomfortable and downright unstylish, but say hello to Atomic Floyd SuperDarts earphones – which help to keep the rest of the world out, and look darn good while doing it too. SuperDarts are sleek, sexy, all-metal and zero bulk - perfect for those who don’t need to display more underwear than jeans. Outfitted with not one but two sets of speakers (one set ensures top and mid notes are crystal clear, the other is specially designed for the bass line and fittingly described as “supercharged”), these in-ear stereos are as perfect for thumping drums and banging beats as they are for cascading Debussy and jazz fusion Miles Davis, with audio so pure and generous it’ll leave you thinking your hearing has miraculously improved.
On to the bits outsiders certainly can’t hear but can see: stainless steel in place of plastic, convenient remote, sharp black and red colour palette, and Kevlar non-tangle cables – what joy to not waste a minute fumbling with annoyingly knotted wires before your flight departs, and with such in-ear comfort, you won’t need to remove them until well after landing, either. Seatbelts fastened; it’s going to be an aural adventure.