Porter, the Japanese bag company founded in 1962 by Yoshida & Co., based its business on the fundamental principal that passion is required in every stitch. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that you would be hard-pressed to find a Porter bag in the United States. As common and successful as the brand is in Japan, it was slow to arrive here. Though based in the U.K., Porter’s collaboration with Monocle gave the company more recognition in the west, and little by little, stores like Steven Alan and Opening Ceremony began to carry a selection of designs from its vast catalog.

We were able to preview Porter’s Fall/Winter 2010 collection this morning which includes over 11 lines with several older lines (Tanker and Smokey) from past seasons. The collection carries on the tradition of durability and functionalism without compromising style. Ever conscious of its construction, Porter uses various traditional and non-traditional techniques including stitching cotton conventionally used for silk to create intricate patterns, hand dyeing, and mixing fabrics complementing and contrasting its final product. We were especially drawn towards the Deep Blue line which uses traditional techniques in dyeing its fabric from Kyoto which are then stonewashed giving it a natural texture. It also ages really well. 2010 may prove to be the year that Porter sees a wider distribution as they plan to collaborate on exclusive items with brands from Barneys to Bloomingdales.