The Row Bag Care: Leather, Suede and Raffia
What you notice first about one of these bags is what it does not have. Nothing to protect: no logo plaque, no coated canvas to wipe down, no heavy hardware taking the knocks. What you have instead is a lot of exposed surface: calfskin that shows its grain, lambskin linings, suede that marks at almost nothing, and in summer a raffia weave left entirely unsealed. The material, not a finish laid over it, carries almost the whole care burden of The Row bags. Easy to maintain, and unforgiving of an error.
This guide is organised by material, because that is where the real decisions sit. A grained calfskin tote and a suede top handle from the same season need opposite treatment, and a sisal bag wants something different again.
The caveat that has to come first
Nothing resembling a public care protocol has been issued, since The Row issues none. No manual exists, no cleaning chart is published, and no brand-approved product line is sold alongside them. What follows is accordingly material-appropriate general guidance, drawn from how calfskin, lambskin, suede, canvas and raffia behave rather than from any instructions the label has issued. A good leather specialist would be cautious, conservative and biased toward doing less, which is the right posture here. Anyone presenting a definitive brand-issued cleaning routine for these bags is filling a gap rather than quoting a source. Before anything goes onto a bag you care about, ask a professional.
The habits that matter more than any product
Most damage to a good bag comes from routine handling, and the fixes are behavioural. With the Margaux and the Park Tote in particular, overfilling is the usual mistake, which is also the fastest way to distort a soft silhouette. The belted side gussets on the Soft Margaux exist so you can adjust the shape, not for forcing more inside. Leather is dried and faded by sun, and faster still on a radiator or a car dashboard. Unfinished surfaces suffer more from rain than people expect, and suede and raffia have almost no defence against it. Keeping a bag away from sun, heat and water covers more ground than any row leather tote bags product on a shelf.
- Nothing stays in a stored bag, least of all receipts or anything that can transfer colour.
- Do not hang a soft bag by its handles for long stretches, because the drop stretches.
- A pouch keeps pens, keys and cosmetics off the lining.
- Wash your hands before you handle pale calfskin or untreated suede.
Calfskin in its four forms: smooth, grained, saddle and polished
Calfskin is the spine of the line and the most forgiving material in it. Where smooth calfskin shows scuffs and shine, matte grained calfskin hides them, with polished saddle leather between the two. Routine care means buffing with a soft dry cloth after use, going with the grain and concentrating on the corners and base, where dirt gathers. Neutral conditioner can go on sparingly and infrequently, with a test on a hidden panel first, and the emphasis belongs on both words. Over-conditioning darkens hide unevenly, creates a tacky surface and takes out structure you wanted. Pale calfskin also picks up dye from dark denim, so keep light bags away from indigo, and never scrub at a transferred mark, as scrubbing spreads it further.
Nappa and lambskin, usually found inside
Because they appear more often as linings than exteriors, the approach to protecting them changes. On the Margaux Shoulder the lining is lambskin, and the Bourse Clutch pairs a calfskin exterior with a nappa lining — which puts the softest material in the bag right where your keys sit. Both are exceptionally soft, both mark easily, and neither responds to being worked on. Use a dry soft cloth, lightly and rarely. Because the hides are supple as they are, conditioner should be avoided altogether, since over-treatment leaves a greasy sheen that will not come out. Real protection is a pouch inside the bag, not a product applied to it.
The line’s most demanding material is suede
At this label suede is consistently dearer, and it demands a matching increase in care. Look at observed 2026 market prices and the gap is obvious: India 10.00 is $3,850 in leather and $5,370 in suede, while Agnes 15 goes $5,000 in leather against $5,800 in suede. The nap is what you are paying for, and it flattens, absorbs and stains more readily than any finished hide. The point most owners miss is simple: suede is cared for mechanically, not chemically. A dedicated suede brush, used gently in one direction, lifts the nap and clears surface dust, and and that on its own covers most routine wear. Anything wetter than that belongs to a professional.
- After each wear, brush lightly along the nap, never scrubbing across it.
- Dry a wet bag naturally at room temperature, clear of radiators and hairdryers, and brush only when it is fully dry.
- Dry marks come away with a suede eraser, applied with minimal pressure.
- Anything oily, coloured or set goes to a leather specialist rather than having a go at it yourself.
What should never touch suede makes a short, absolute list: no leather cream, no conditioner, no wet wipes, no soap and no water-based cleaner. What you get is a matted nap, or a ring that shows in every light. Regular brushing achieves more across a year than any treatment, which makes prevention rather than repair the realistic standard.
Raffia and sisal, canvas and nylon, silk and satin
Of everything the brand uses, these are the least serviceable, and they ought to be bought with that in mind. Neither the sisal family nor the woven raffia and linen totes are tanned surfaces, so there is nothing to condition and no way to refinish a stained panel. Canvas and nylon wear well, though solvents and hard scrubbing do them no favours, which warps the weave and leaves behind a clean patch that looks like damage. On silk and satin, water and skin oils leave permanent marks, including the small evening bags and knotted crossbody shapes. A barely damp cloth, a spot-clean and a quick blot — that is the only home treatment worth trying on any of them. Because there is no repair to fall back on, keep them out of the rain and away from sunscreen.
| Surface | Routine care | Avoid entirely |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth and grained calfskin | Soft dry cloth as standard, with neutral conditioner only sparingly and rarely | Conditioning too often; drenching a stain |
| The nappa and lambskin surfaces | Dry soft cloth, used with light pressure | Any conditioner or cream |
| Suede nap | A suede brush and eraser; professional cleaning for stains | Cream and soap, wet wipes, any water-based cleaner |
| Sisal, raffia, canvas and nylon | Spot-clean, then blot; air-dry | Soaking, solvents and hard scrubbing |
| Silk or satin | Professional care only, and keep dry | Any do-it-yourself cleaning |
Hardware and linings, the overlooked parts
What needs protecting is the finish: palladium-plated hardware in a matte or brushed finish. Metal polish exists to create shine, and it will burnish a deliberately soft surface into something that no longer matches the bag. Wipe buckles and feet with a dry cloth, and dry them off if they get wet, so moisture does not sit in the join. The engraving on the Margaux buckles and base feet holds dust, and a soft brush clears it better than a cloth. Cotton herringbone linings, as used in the Soft Margaux 10 and 12, should be vacuumed out rather than washed. Because catching a loose thread early costs a small repair instead of a large one, give the stitching at the handle roots an occasional look.
Between wears: storage that works
Storage is where good bags quietly go wrong, and the remedy is cheap. Use the dust bag it came with, lightly stuffed so the shape holds without stretching the sides. Acid-free tissue and soft cotton scarves both work, though never newspaper, whose ink transfers. Store bags upright on a shelf rather than stacked under others, since these silhouettes keep their shape empty and lose it under weight. Keep the storage space dark, dry and ventilated, and steer clear of sealed plastic boxes, which trap humidity against leather. Rotating what you carry counts for more than owners expect, because time off lets a bag recover its form.
The point at which it goes to a specialist
Maintenance and restoration are divided by a clear line, and crossing it at home is how good row handbags end up ruined. A leather specialist should take anything involving colour loss, ink, oil, water rings on suede or a stretched handle. Structural work is the same, from loose stitching at a stress point to a lining torn away from its seam. Ask whether they have worked on unlogoed luxury calfskin before, since techniques built for coated canvas do not transfer. The right specialist tests discreetly and says plainly when a mark will not come out cleanly, because untreated hide holds some marks for good. The resale discount from a botched home attempt outweighs the price of one competent intervention.