Looking After The Row Leather, Suede and Raffia Bags
What you notice first about one of these bags is what it does not have. There is no logo plaque in the way, no coated canvas asking to be wiped down, no bulky hardware soaking up the bumps. The trade is exposed surface: calfskin that shows its grain, lambskin linings, suede that marks if you look at it wrongly, and in summer a raffia weave with nothing sealing it. Almost all of the care burden of The Row bags belongs to the material itself. That makes them simple to look after and unforgiving when you get it wrong.
The organising principle is material, since the decisions genuinely break down that way. The same season can give you a grained calfskin tote and a suede top handle that need opposite treatment, with a sisal bag different again.
An honest caveat about care instructions, first
There is no public care protocol issued by The Row for its bags. No manual exists, no cleaning chart is published, and no brand-approved product line is sold alongside them. Everything here is therefore material-appropriate general guidance, drawn from how calfskin, lambskin, suede, canvas and raffia behave rather than from any instructions the label has issued. Handle it as a good leather specialist would: carefully, conservatively, always leaning toward doing less. Anyone presenting a definitive brand-issued cleaning routine for these bags is the row sale vintage top handle filling a gap rather than quoting a source. On a piece you care about, ask a professional before applying anything at all.
What you do matters more than what you buy
Most damage to a good bag comes from routine handling, and the fixes are all behavioural. Nothing distorts a soft silhouette faster than overfilling, and it is the error owners make most often with the Margaux and the Park Tote. Adjusting the shape is what the belted side gussets on the Soft Margaux are for, and are not a licence to force more in. Leather is dried and faded by sun, and faster still on a radiator or a car dashboard. People underrate what rain does to unfinished surfaces, and suede and raffia are close to defenceless. Nothing on a shelf matches the effect of keeping a bag clear of sun, heat and water.
- Before storage, empty the bag completely, receipts and anything that can transfer colour included.
- Leave a soft bag hanging by its handles and the drop stretches, so do not do it.
- Keep pens, keys and cosmetics in a pouch rather than leaving them loose against the lining.
- Wash your hands before handling pale calfskin or untreated suede.
Smooth, grained, saddle and polished calfskin
The most forgiving material in the line is also its backbone. Where smooth calfskin shows scuffs and shine, matte grained calfskin hides them, with polished saddle leather between the two. Routine care stops at a soft dry cloth after use, used with the grain and concentrated on the corners and base where dirt collects. A neutral conditioner may be used sparingly and infrequently, with a test on a hidden panel first, and both of those words carry weight. Darkening, tackiness and lost structure are what over-conditioning buys you. Because dye moves from dark denim onto pale calfskin, light bags belong away from indigo, and a transferred mark should never be scrubbed, because scrubbing spreads it.
Nappa and lambskin: linings more than exteriors
These two turn up more often as linings than as exteriors, which alters how protection works. Lambskin lines the Margaux Shoulder and the Bourse Clutch pairs a calfskin exterior with a nappa lining, so the softest material in the bag is the one your keys sit against. Both mark easily, both are exceptionally soft, and neither rewards any attempt to work on it. Use a dry soft cloth, lightly and rarely. Because these hides are already supple, conditioner should be avoided altogether, since over-treatment leaves a greasy sheen that will not come out. Protection here means a pouch, not a product.
Suede: where the care burden peaks
A consistent premium attaches to suede at this label and earns a matching increase in care. Observed 2026 market prices spell the gap out: India 10.00 sits at $3,850 in leather against $5,370 in suede, and Agnes 15 runs $5,000 in leather against $5,800 in suede. That premium buys nap — which flattens, absorbs and stains more readily than any finished hide. Suede care is a mechanical business rather than a chemical one, which is the point most owners miss. A dedicated suede brush covers most routine wear on its own, used gently in one direction to lift the nap and clear surface dust. Past dry brushing, it is a professional’s job.
- Brush gently after every wear, going with the nap instead of scrubbing against it.
- Dry a wet bag naturally at room temperature, clear of radiators and hairdryers, and brush only when it is fully dry.
- Take dry marks off with a suede eraser, using minimal pressure.
- Leave anything oily, coloured or set alone — it belongs with a leather specialist.
Never put leather cream, conditioner, wet wipes, soap or a water-based cleaner on suede — a short list, and an absolute one. Each of those mats the nap or leaves a ring that shows in every light. Over a year, regular brushing beats any treatment, which makes prevention, not repair, the realistic standard.
The unserviceable materials: raffia, sisal, canvas, nylon, silk and satin
These are the least serviceable materials in the brand’s range, and they should be bought with that understood. Because the sisal family and the woven raffia and linen totes are not tanned surfaces, conditioning is meaningless and a stained panel cannot be refinished. Solvents and hard scrubbing distort the weave of canvas and nylon and leave a clean patch that reads as damage, despite how well both wear. Water and skin oils mark silk and satin pieces permanently, the small evening bags and knotted crossbody shapes included. A barely damp cloth, a spot-clean and a quick blot — and that is the whole of home treatment for these materials. Because prevention carries the entire load here, rain and sunscreen are the two things to avoid completely.
| Material | Everyday care | Never do this |
|---|---|---|
| Grained and smooth calfskin | A soft, dry cloth; neutral conditioner sparingly and rarely | Conditioning too often; drenching a stain |
| Lambskin and nappa | Soft cloth, dry, and only light pressure | Anything creamy or conditioning |
| Suede | Brush and eraser made for suede, with stains sent to a professional | Cream, soap, wet wipes, water-based cleaners |
| Raffia and sisal, canvas and nylon | Spot-clean, blot, and let it air dry | Soaking, solvents and hard scrubbing |
| Silk or satin | Professional care; keep it dry | Home cleaning of any kind |
The parts people forget: hardware and linings
The fittings are palladium-plated with a matte or brushed finish, and that finish is the thing to protect. Metal polish exists to create shine, and it will burnish a deliberately soft surface into something that no longer matches the bag. Give buckles and feet a wipe with a dry cloth, and dry them whenever they get wet, keeping moisture out of the join. The engraving on the Margaux buckles and base feet holds dust, and a soft brush clears it better than a cloth. Vacuum cotton herringbone linings, as found in the Soft Margaux 10 and 12, instead of washing them. Because early attention turns a large repair into a small one, check the stitching at the handle roots occasionally.
Between wears: storage that works
Most quiet deterioration happens in storage, and it costs very little to fix. Use the dust bag that came with it, stuffed lightly so the shape holds without stretching the sides. Either acid-free tissue or a soft cotton scarf will do the job, though never newspaper, whose ink transfers. Because these silhouettes hold their shape when empty and lose it under weight, keep them upright on a shelf and never stacked under others. Keep the storage space dark, dry and ventilated, and avoid sealed plastic boxes that trap humidity against leather. Rotating what you carry counts for more than owners expect, because a resting bag recovers its form.
When to hand the bag to a professional
Crossing the maintenance-to-restoration line at home is how good row handbags are ruined, and the line itself is clear enough. A leather specialist should take anything involving colour loss, ink, oil, water rings on suede or a stretched handle. So does structural work, including loose stitching at a stress point or a lining torn away from its seam. Ask whether the specialist has handled unlogoed luxury calfskin, since techniques built for coated canvas do not transfer. A good one will test discreetly and tell you when a mark cannot be lifted cleanly, because some marks on untreated hide never will be. A botched attempt at home leaves a resale discount larger than the cost of one competent intervention.
