'The Brierley' briefcase

This briefcase - entitled 'The Brierley' - was designed by Simon Manchester, for his post-punk leather accessory label, EX23, which became a cult brand in New Zealand in the 1980s.

Simon Manchester, a self-confessed "snotty-nosed punk in black leather", began EX23 in 1985. He started off making belts and soon expanded into leather bags. He learned how to work leather from a local shoemaker, and specialised in using 'hard leathers', that he dyed, sealed and backed inhouse. He preferred to use hard leather, where the structure was integral, rather than using cardboard and stiffeners to give his bags shape.

Not long after launching the business, it became apparent to Manchester that the brief case market was a lucrative one. Initially, he had resisted the idea of creating bags specifically for men or women due to his punk aesthetic - he preferred to make unisex bags. However, as he says, 'the industry beat me into shape', and EX23 launched a range of satchels and briefcases - ' a sartorial signifier of professional status'. His handcrafted, high quality leather briefcases included the Cheney Briefcase (1986), the Cube (1986), the Brierley (1987) and the Imperial (1990).