Leather, Suede and Raffia: Caring for The Row Bags
Pick one of these bags up and the absences announce themselves. No logo plaque needs protecting, no coated canvas to wipe down, no bulky hardware soaking up the bumps. The trade is exposed surface: calfskin showing its grain, lambskin linings, suede that marks at the smallest provocation, and a summer raffia weave with no seal on it. Almost all of the care burden of The Row bags belongs to the material itself. Simple to look after, unforgiving when you get it wrong.
The guide below is arranged by material, because that is where the real decisions sit. A grained calfskin tote and a suede top handle from one season want opposite treatment, and a sisal bag asks for something else entirely.
An honest caveat about care instructions, first
There is no public care protocol issued by The Row for its bags. There is neither a manual nor a published cleaning chart, and no brand-approved products are sold with them. This is material-appropriate general guidance, built on how calfskin, lambskin, suede, canvas and raffia behave, not on instructions issued by the label. Handle it as a good leather specialist would: cautious, conservative and biased toward doing less. Anyone offering a definitive brand-issued cleaning routine for these bags is filling a gap, not quoting a source. Ask a professional before applying anything at all to a piece you care about.
Why habits outrank products
Most damage to a good bag comes from routine handling, and the remedies are behavioural rather than chemical. Nothing distorts a soft silhouette faster than overfilling, and it is the error owners make most often with the Margaux and the Park Tote. Adjusting the shape is what the belted side gussets on the Soft Margaux are for, and are not a licence to force more in. Leather is dried and faded by sun, and faster still on a radiator or a car dashboard. Rain is harder on unfinished surfaces than people assume, and neither suede nor raffia has much defence against it. Nothing on a shelf matches the the row bags crossbody effect of keeping a bag clear of sun, heat and water.
- Nothing stays in a stored bag, least of all receipts or 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.
- Wash your hands before you handle pale calfskin or untreated suede.
Smooth, grained, saddle and polished calfskin
Calfskin is the backbone of the line and it is the most forgiving material in it. Smooth calfskin reveals scuffs and shine, matte grained calfskin conceals them well, and polished saddle leather sits between the two. Routine care stops at a soft dry cloth after use, worked with the grain, with attention to the corners and base where dirt collects. A neutral conditioner may be used sparingly and infrequently, tested first on a hidden panel, and the emphasis belongs on both words. Too much conditioner darkens hide unevenly, leaves a tacky surface and softens structure you want to keep. Because pale calfskin picks up dye from dark denim, light bags belong away from indigo, and a transferred mark should never be scrubbed, because scrubbing spreads it.
Nappa and lambskin, usually found inside
Because both are more often lining than exterior, the approach to protecting them changes. The Margaux Shoulder is lined in lambskin and the Bourse Clutch pairs a calfskin exterior with a nappa lining, so the softest thing in the bag is what your keys lie against. Both mark easily, both are exceptionally soft, and neither rewards any attempt to work on it. A dry soft cloth and nothing else is the correct answer, used lightly and rarely. Skip conditioner entirely, 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: where the care burden peaks
Suede carries a consistent premium at this label and calls for a matching increase in care. Look at observed 2026 market prices and the gap is obvious: 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. For the premium you get a nap that flattens, soaks up and stains faster than any finished hide. Caring for suede is mechanical, not chemical, which is the point most owners miss. A dedicated suede brush, worked gently in a single direction, raises the nap and clears surface dust, and and that on its own covers most routine wear. Beyond that, hand it to a professional.
- A light brush along the nap after each wear, not a scrub across it.
- Let a wet bag dry naturally at room temperature, nowhere near a radiator or hairdryer, then brush it once it has dried completely.
- Dry marks come away with a suede eraser, applied with minimal pressure.
- Anything oily, coloured or set goes to a leather specialist rather than attempting it yourself.
Leather cream, conditioner, wet wipes, soap and water-based cleaners are all banned from suede — a short list, and an absolute one. Every one of them mats the nap or leaves a ring visible in every light. The realistic standard is prevention, not repair, since regular brushing outperforms any treatment across a year.
Raffia, sisal, canvas, nylon, silk and satin
Of everything the brand uses, these are the least serviceable, and they should be bought with that understood. Because these are not tanned surfaces, there is nothing to condition and no way to refinish a stained panel. Hard scrubbing and solvents will distort the weave and leave a clean patch that reads as damage, even though both wear well otherwise. Permanent marking from water and skin oils is the risk on silk and satin, the small evening bags and knotted crossbody shapes included. A barely damp cloth, a spot-clean and a quick blot — and that is the whole of home treatment for these materials. Prevention does all the work here, so keep them clear of rain and sunscreen.
| Surface | Routine care | Never |
|---|---|---|
| Grained and smooth calfskin | Soft dry cloth as standard, with neutral conditioner only sparingly and rarely | Frequent conditioning; soaking a stain |
| Lambskin and nappa | A dry, soft cloth, used with light pressure | Anything creamy or conditioning |
| Suede nap | Suede brush and eraser; a professional for stains | Creams, soap, wet wipes and water-based cleaners |
| Raffia, sisal, canvas, nylon | Spot-clean and blot; air-dry | Any immersion, any solvent, any hard scrubbing |
| Silk and satin | Professional care; keep them dry | Any do-it-yourself cleaning |
Hardware and linings, the overlooked parts
The hardware is palladium-plated with a matte or brushed finish, and that finish is the thing to protect. Polish is designed to add shine, so it burnishes a deliberately soft surface into something that no longer matches the bag. Wipe buckles and feet with a dry cloth, and dry them whenever they get wet, keeping moisture out of the join. The engraving on the Margaux buckles and base feet holds dust, which a soft brush lifts far better than a cloth. Vacuum rather than wash the cotton herringbone linings used in the Soft Margaux 10 and 12. Check the stitching at the handle roots occasionally, because spotting a loose thread early turns a large repair into a small one.
Storage between wears
Quiet deterioration is a storage problem, and the fix is cheap. The dust bag it came with is the right home, lightly stuffed so the shape holds without stretching the sides. Use acid-free tissue, or a soft cotton scarf; newspaper does not, because the ink transfers. Keep bags upright on a shelf instead of stacked beneath others, since these silhouettes keep their shape empty and lose it under weight. The space should be dark, dry and ventilated, and avoid sealed plastic boxes, since they trap humidity against leather. Because a resting bag recovers its form, rotating what you carry does more good than owners realise.
When to hand the bag to a professional
A clear line separates maintenance from 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, from loose stitching at a stress point to a lining torn away from its seam. Ask whether the specialist has handled unlogoed luxury calfskin, since techniques built for coated canvas do not transfer. A good one will test discreetly and tell you when a mark cannot be lifted cleanly, because on untreated hide some cannot. A botched attempt at home leaves a resale discount larger than the cost of one competent intervention.