At Minnessak (min-es-saak, Swedish for ‘keepsake’), every bag is designed to be treasured and kept forever.
That’s why we make them by hand in London with dedicated skill, care, and attention to detail. But we don’t start with new rolls of fabric. Instead, we give existing materials a new life. Repurposed, recycled, and deadstock fabrics form the backbone of every design, ensuring each bag carries history, character, and responsibility built into its very construction.
Military Flight Jackets
At the core of Minnessak is the Alpha Industries flight jacket –
a true design icon. First developed in the 1950s and officially adopted by the U.S. Air Force in 1963, the MA-1 jacket was engineered for the jet age: lightweight, durable, and lined in bright “rescue orange” to aid survival if a pilot was downed.
We carefully unpick and rework original jackets, preserving authentic details like zips, cuffs, and pockets. Each bag carries a fragment of this aviation heritage, remade for modern life.
Signature Orange Lining
Our bold orange interiors are more than just a signature. They pay homage to the MA-1’s original purpose: visibility. Pilots could flip their jackets inside out to signal for rescue.
In our bags, this history is woven into a practical and striking feature – making essentials easy to find, while nodding to the cultural legacy that turned orange linings into a streetwear icon. Made from recycled polyester, it is also a reminder that sustainability runs through every stitch.
Vintage Italian Leather
We source deadstock leather from the Vicenza region of Italy, renowned for its soft tanning and dyeing techniques. These hides, some over 20 years old, are naturally supple and beautifully tactile.
By choosing existing stock rather than commissioning new, we reduce waste while adding strength, structure, and luxury to each bag. The more you carry it, the more character it develops – leather built to age gracefully alongside you.
Japanese Obi Silk & Denim
For limited editions, we weave in heritage fabrics from Japan. The Obi - a sash once used to fasten a kimono – is often centuries old, with intricate weaving that makes every piece one of a kind. Some obi silks in our collection are over 150 years old, making each bag a unique artwork with a lineage of its own.
Alongside these we also use dead stock and off-cuts from FULLCOUNT denim – shuttle-loom woven from Zimbabwe cotton in Japan. Both materials embody meticulous craftsmanship and lend cultural depth and individuality to our designs.
Halley Stevensons' Waxed Cotton
Waxed cotton from Halley Stevensons, Dundee, has been a benchmark of durability since 1864. Originally created for sailors, explorers, and military uniforms, this densely woven fabric is water-resistant, hardwearing, and designed to last.
Even better, waxed cotton can be maintained and reproofed by its owner, making it a material that only gets better with time. By using dead stock from this legendary mill – hand-selected by Jas, our Head of Design – we bring heritage British craft into a modern sustainable context.
Straps & Hardware
The strength of a bag often lies in its details. Our straps are cut from recycled canvas and deadstock webbing – some even salvaged from 300 foot-long straps often found on U.S. military Humvee vehicles! Our hardware like buckles, sliders, and adjusters are sourced from surplus brass and nickel-plated stock, chosen for their strong aesthetic, solid construction and endurance.
Every functional element is built to work hard and last, just like the bags themselves.
Riri Zips
Often the first thing to fail on a bag is the zip. That’s why we chose the best in the world: Swiss-made Riri zips, admiringly referred to as the “Rolls Royce” of zippers. Since 1936, Riri has supplied luxury houses like Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, and Margiela.
Every Riri we use is taken from deadstock, giving new life to these precision-engineered components while ensuring smooth action and decades of reliability.
Military Flight Jackets
At the core of Minnessak is the Alpha Industries flight jacket –
a true design icon. First developed in the 1950s and officially adopted by the U.S. Air Force in 1963, the MA-1 jacket was engineered for the jet age: lightweight, durable, and lined in bright “rescue orange” to aid survival if a pilot was downed.
We carefully unpick and rework original jackets, preserving authentic details like zips, cuffs, and pockets. Each bag carries a fragment of this aviation heritage, remade for modern life.
Signature Orange Lining
Our bold orange interiors are more than just a signature. They pay homage to the MA-1’s original purpose: visibility. Pilots could flip their jackets inside out to signal for rescue.
In our bags, this history is woven into a practical and striking feature – making essentials easy to find, while nodding to the cultural legacy that turned orange linings into a streetwear icon. Made from recycled polyester, it is also a reminder that sustainability runs through every stitch.
Vintage Italian Leather
We source deadstock leather from the Vicenza region of Italy, renowned for its soft tanning and dyeing techniques. These hides, some over 20 years old, are naturally supple and beautifully tactile.
By choosing existing stock rather than commissioning new, we reduce waste while adding strength, structure, and luxury to each bag. The more you carry it, the more character it develops – leather built to age gracefully alongside you.
Japanese Obi Silk & Denim
For limited editions, we weave in heritage fabrics from Japan. The Obi - a sash once used to fasten a kimono – is often centuries old, with intricate weaving that makes every piece one of a kind. Some obi silks in our collection are over 150 years old, making each bag a unique artwork with a lineage of its own.
Alongside these we also use dead stock and off-cuts from FULLCOUNT denim – shuttle-loom woven from Zimbabwe cotton in Japan. Both materials embody meticulous craftsmanship and lend cultural depth and individuality to our designs.
Halley Stevensons' Waxed Cotton
Waxed cotton from Halley Stevensons, Dundee, has been a benchmark of durability since 1864. Originally created for sailors, explorers, and military uniforms, this densely woven fabric is water-resistant, hardwearing, and designed to last.
Even better, waxed cotton can be maintained and reproofed by its owner, making it a material that only gets better with time. By using dead stock from this legendary mill – hand-selected by Jas, our Head of Design – we bring heritage British craft into a modern sustainable context.
Straps & Hardware
The strength of a bag often lies in its details. Our straps are cut from recycled canvas and deadstock webbing – some even salvaged from 300 foot-long straps often found on U.S. military Humvee vehicles! Our hardware like buckles, sliders, and adjusters are sourced from surplus brass and nickel-plated stock, chosen for their strong aesthetic, solid construction and endurance.
Every functional element is built to work hard and last, just like the bags themselves.
Riri Zips
Often the first thing to fail on a bag is the zip. That’s why we chose the best in the world: Swiss-made Riri zips, admiringly referred to as the “Rolls Royce” of zippers. Since 1936, Riri has supplied luxury houses like Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, and Margiela.
Every Riri we use is taken from deadstock, giving new life to these precision-engineered components while ensuring smooth action and decades of reliability.
