WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie

By Brad Jamieson

rban style-oriented travelers of both the business and pleasure ilk always manage to source out the latest styles in suitcases, carry-ons, iPod cases, laptop bags and other sherpa-friendly accessories. It's this demand of hip and upscale luggage that spawned market rulers Jack Spade, Mandarin Duck and Freitag (all worth checking out). Now we can add WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie to the mix of superlative suitcasers.

An under-the-radar brand, the Montreal-based travel accessory label produces a range of slicker-than-Tuscadero leather and ballistic baggage for the masses. Launched by twin brothers Byron and Dexter Peart in 2005, the line includes passport holders, camera bags, leather wallets, iPod cases, laptop bangs and, of course, luggage, all adorned with the signature two-toned zipper.

Focusing on quality and promoted as luxury travel classics, each bag takes the name of a major city airport. The De Gaulle and Trudeau laptop bags ($995) are large enough to hold your laptop, with ancillary space for books, crossword puzzles, sleep masks, valium, and other travel necessities. A very popular carryall, the De Gaulle (vive Quebec baggage) is a neo-classic of modern performance luggage. Shoulder straps feature much-needed extra padding and the bag comes with an aggressive, feel-free-to-beat-the-hell-out-of- it warrantee against material or workmanship defects. The Trudeau laptop cases are skillfully lined with ample pockets for OCD organizers. Alternative to clunky backpacks, this sleek pack provides all the carry space an urban wanderer needs.

The Narita is the label's signature iPod holder, designed like a chic vintage cigarette case. Clocking in at a whopping $180, the holder emulates 1920's luxury re-worked as a modern case with hip and functional practicality. Currently, WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie pieces are available at Holt Renfrew and Barneys New York, but you can also find them online. -B.J.