How to Care for The Row Leather, Suede and Raffia Bags
The first thing you register about one of these bags is everything it leaves out. Nothing to protect: no logo plaque, no coated canvas to wipe down, no heavy hardware taking the knocks. What you get in exchange 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. The material, not a finish laid over it, carries almost the whole care burden of The Row bags. Simple to look after, unforgiving when you get it wrong.
This guide is organised by material, because that is where the real decisions sit. A grained calfskin tote and a suede top handle from the same season need opposite treatment, and a sisal bag needs something different again.
The caveat that has to come first
No public care protocol exists for these bags, since The Row issues none. No manual exists, no cleaning chart is published, and no brand-approved product line is sold alongside them. This is material-appropriate general guidance, drawn from how calfskin, lambskin, suede, canvas and raffia behave rather than from instructions issued by the label. Cautious, conservative and inclined to do less is how a good leather specialist works, which is the right posture here. No definitive brand-issued cleaning routine exists for these bags, so anyone presenting one is filling a gap rather than quoting a source. On a piece you care about, ask a professional before applying anything at all.
Habits that matter more than any product
Routine handling causes most damage to a good bag, which makes the fixes behavioural. The most common mistake, especially with the Margaux and the Park Tote, is overfilling, and it distorts a soft silhouette faster than anything. Adjusting the shape is what the belted side gussets on the Soft Margaux are for, not making room for more. Leather dries and fades in sunlight, and faster still ysl logo on a radiator or a car dashboard. Unfinished surfaces suffer more from rain than people expect, and suede and raffia have almost no defence against it. No product on a shelf covers as much ground as simply keeping a bag away from sun, heat and water.
- Empty the bag out before it goes into storage, receipts included, along with anything that can transfer colour.
- Leave a soft bag hanging by its handles and the drop stretches, so do not do it.
- A pouch keeps pens, keys and cosmetics off the lining.
- Handle pale calfskin and untreated suede only with washed hands.
Smooth, grained, saddle and polished calfskin
Calfskin is the backbone of the line and the most forgiving material in it. Where smooth calfskin shows scuffs and shine, matte grained calfskin hides them, with polished saddle leather between the two. A soft dry cloth after use is the whole of routine care, used with the grain and concentrated on the corners and base where dirt collects. Sparingly and infrequently are the operative words for a neutral conditioner, tested first on a hidden panel. Over-conditioning darkens hide unevenly, produces a tacky surface and softens structure you meant to keep. Dark denim also transfers dye onto pale calfskin, so keep light bags away from indigo, and never scrub a transferred mark, because scrubbing only spreads it.
Inside jobs: nappa and lambskin
Because they appear more often as linings than exteriors, protecting them works differently. The Margaux Shoulder is lined in lambskin and the Bourse Clutch sets a calfskin exterior against a nappa lining, so the softest thing in the bag is what your keys lie against. Exceptional softness, easy marking, and no tolerance for being worked on describe both. The correct answer is a dry soft cloth, nothing more, used lightly and rarely. Avoid conditioner altogether, because these hides are already supple and over-treatment leaves a greasy sheen that will not come out. Protection here means a pouch, not a product.
Suede: the most demanding material in the line
Suede commands a consistent premium 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. The nap is what you are paying for, and it flattens, absorbs and stains more readily than any finished hide. The point most owners miss is simple: suede is cared for mechanically, not chemically. Most routine wear is handled by a dedicated suede brush alone, used gently in one direction to lift the nap and clear surface dust. Anything wetter than that belongs to a professional.
- Brush lightly after each wear, going with the nap instead of scrubbing against it.
- Allow a wet bag to dry naturally at room temperature, well away from radiators and hairdryers, then brush once it is fully dry.
- Lift dry marks with a suede eraser using minimal pressure.
- Leave anything oily, coloured or set alone — send it to a leather specialist.
Leather cream, conditioner, wet wipes, soap and water-based cleaners are all banned from suede — a short list, and an absolute one. Matted nap or a ring that shows in every light is the result. Regular brushing does more over a year than any treatment, which makes prevention rather than repair the realistic standard.
The unserviceable materials: raffia, sisal, canvas, nylon, silk and satin
Know before you buy: these are the least serviceable materials the brand works with. 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. Hard scrubbing and solvents will distort the weave and leave a clean patch that reads as damage, despite how well both wear. Silk and satin pieces — the small evening bags and knotted crossbody shapes among them — mark permanently from water and skin oils. For all of these, spot-cleaning with a barely damp cloth and quick blotting is the only home treatment worth trying. Here, prevention carries everything, so keep them dry and well away from sunscreen.
| The material | Everyday care | Avoid entirely |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth and grained calfskin | Buff with a soft dry cloth; neutral conditioner used sparingly and rarely | Conditioning too often; drenching a stain |
| Lambskin and nappa | Soft cloth, dry, used with light pressure | Anything creamy or conditioning |
| Suede nap | Suede brush plus eraser; stains go to a professional | Cream, soap, wet wipes, water-based cleaners |
| The raffia, sisal, canvas and nylon pieces | Spot-clean, blot, and let it air dry | Dunking, solvents, or scrubbing hard |
| The silk and satin pieces | Keep dry, and leave cleaning to a professional | Any home cleaning attempt |
Hardware, linings and the parts people forget
The finish is what you are protecting: the hardware is palladium-plated with a matte or brushed surface. Metal polish is made for shine and 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. Engraved buckles and base feet on the Margaux trap dust in their recesses, 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
Storage is where good bags quietly go wrong, and the fix is cheap. Store it in its own dust bag, with just enough stuffing to hold the shape and not stretch the sides. Acid-free tissue and soft cotton scarves both work, but not newspaper, because the ink transfers. Store bags upright on a shelf rather than stacked under others, since the silhouettes hold shape empty and give way under weight. Keep the space dark, dry and ventilated, and steer clear of sealed plastic boxes, which trap humidity against leather. Rotating what you carry matters more than owners expect, because a resting bag recovers its form.
When to hand it to a professional
There is a clear line between maintenance and restoration, and crossing it at home is how good row handbags end up ruined. If it involves colour loss, ink, oil, water rings on suede or a stretched handle, it belongs with a leather specialist. Structural work is the same, whether that is loose stitching at a stress point or a lining torn away from its seam. Because coated-canvas technique does not carry across, find out whether the specialist has handled unlogoed luxury calfskin. The right specialist tests discreetly and says plainly when a mark will not come out cleanly, since on untreated hide some cannot be lifted. One competent job costs less than the resale discount that follows a botched attempt at home.
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