Eklund Griffin has just dropped a premier five-piece Maiden Collection of handcrafted leather bags. With a thoughtful balance between approachability and aspiration, Eklund Griffin’s designs feature beautiful and practical details from the custom marine-grade three-strand rope zipper pulls with a brass finish to the durable chambray lining.

The brand offers a range of nautically inspired, timeless silhouettes that make a perfect holiday gift for ocean-lovers. The Maiden Collection includes five styles ranging from the compact Rope Wristlet to the roomier airplane carry-on approved Wave Weekender. From its pinnacle solid leather Infinity Tote for everyday wear, and the resort-ready Wave Weekender, to the chic Dory Clutch, the playful color-blocked Buoy Block Clutch, and the compact Rope Wristlet, Eklund Griffin has achieved an elevated collection that subtly sways nautical while maintaining appeal to all who appreciate fine craftsmanship and clean lines.

Eklund Griffin has been three decades in the making from sisters-turned-business-partners, Hayley and Blair Griffin. A natural-born artist, Hayley, the design visionary behind the brand, had long-awaited the opportunity to transform her lifetime archive of inspiration from coastal Maine and her father’s career as a lobsterman into tangible works of wearable art. Hayley enlisted her younger sister, Blair, straight out of business school and together they began chasing their dream of joining the resurgence of heritage-quality American made goods.

Sourcing domestic Maine-tanned bovine leather and partnering with skilled leather craftswomen and men in Connecticut, Eklund Griffin produces each bag to be as rugged, and beautiful, as the pristine Maine coast that inspired it.

By Kinya Claiborne, STYLE & SOCIETY