Keeping The Row Leather, Suede and Raffia Bags in Good Order
Pick one of these bags up and the absences announce themselves. There is no logo plaque to protect, 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 if you look at it wrongly, and in summer a raffia weave left entirely unsealed. 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 organising principle is material, because that is how the decisions actually break down. Opposite treatment goes to a grained calfskin tote and a suede top handle from the same season, while a sisal bag is different again.
The caveat that has to come first
The Row issues no public care protocol for its bags. No manual exists, no cleaning chart is published, and no brand-approved product line is sold alongside them. Treat all of it as material-appropriate general guidance, drawn from how calfskin, lambskin, suede, canvas and raffia behave rather than from instructions issued by the label. Cautious, conservative and inclined to do less is how a good leather specialist works, 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. On a piece you care about, ask a professional before applying anything at all.
The habits that matter more than any product
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 owners make it most often with the Margaux and the Park Tote. The belted side gussets on the Soft Margaux adjust large tote bag the shape, 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. People underrate what rain does to unfinished surfaces, and suede and raffia are close to defenceless. No product on a shelf covers as much ground as simply keeping a bag away from sun, heat and water.
- Before storage, empty the bag completely, receipts and anything that can transfer colour included.
- Never leave a soft bag hanging by its handles for long, because the drop stretches.
- A pouch keeps pens, keys and cosmetics off the lining.
- Pale calfskin and untreated suede want clean hands.
Calfskin, from smooth to polished saddle
The most forgiving material in the line is also its backbone. Scuffs and shine show on smooth calfskin and hide well on matte grained calfskin, and polished saddle leather sits between them. Routine care is a buff with a soft dry cloth after use, going with the grain and concentrating on the corners and base, where dirt gathers. Sparingly and infrequently are the operative words for a neutral conditioner, provided you test it on a hidden panel first. 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, keep light bags away from indigo and never scrub a transferred mark, since scrubbing spreads it.
Nappa and lambskin, mostly on the inside
Because both are more often lining than exterior, 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 mark easily, both are exceptionally soft, and neither rewards any attempt to work on it. The correct answer is a dry soft cloth, nothing more, applied lightly and rarely. Because these hides are already supple, avoid conditioner completely: over-treatment leaves a greasy sheen that will not come out. Protection here means a pouch, not a product.
The line’s most demanding material is suede
At this label suede is consistently dearer, and the care it needs rises to match. Observed 2026 market prices spell the gap out: 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. Suede care is a mechanical business rather than a chemical one, which is precisely what most owners fail to grasp. Used gently and in one direction, a dedicated suede brush lifts the nap and takes off surface dust, and and that on its own covers most routine wear. Anything wetter than that belongs to a professional.
- Brush gently after every wear, following the nap rather than scrubbing across it.
- A wet bag should dry naturally at room temperature, well away from radiators and hairdryers, then brush once it is fully dry.
- Take dry marks off with a suede eraser, using 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. Each of those mats the nap or leaves a ring that shows in every light. Over a year, regular brushing beats any treatment, which makes prevention, not repair, the realistic standard.
Raffia, sisal, canvas, nylon, silk and satin
Buy these knowing they are the least serviceable materials the brand uses. The sisal family, along with the woven raffia and linen totes, are not tanned surfaces, so there is nothing to condition and no way to refinish a stained panel. Canvas and nylon are hard-wearing, but solvents and hard scrubbing damage them, 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, the small evening bags and knotted crossbody shapes included. Spot-clean with a barely damp cloth and blot quickly — that is the only home treatment worth trying on any of them. Because prevention carries the entire load here, keep them out of the rain and away from sunscreen.
| Surface | Regular routine | What to never do |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth and grained calfskin | Buff with a soft dry cloth; neutral conditioner used sparingly and rarely | Over-frequent conditioning; soaking a stain through |
| Lambskin and nappa | Soft cloth, dry, used with light pressure | Any conditioner or cream |
| Suede surfaces | A suede brush and eraser; a professional for stains | Creams, soap, wet wipes and water-based cleaners |
| Sisal, raffia, canvas and nylon | Spot-clean and blot; dry in the air | Immersion, solvents, hard scrubbing |
| Satin and silk | Professional care only, and keep dry | Any do-it-yourself cleaning |
Hardware, linings and the parts people forget
What needs protecting is the finish: palladium-plated hardware in a matte or brushed finish. Polish is designed to add shine, so it burnishes a deliberately soft surface into something that no longer matches the bag. Buckles and feet want nothing more than a dry cloth, with a proper drying if they get wet so moisture does not sit in the join. On the Margaux the buckles and base feet are engraved, and the recesses trap dust, which a soft brush clears better than a cloth. Vacuum rather than wash the cotton herringbone linings used in the Soft Margaux 10 and 12. 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.
Storing a bag between wears
Quiet deterioration is a storage problem, and it costs very little to fix. The dust bag it came with is the right home, lightly stuffed so the shape holds without stretching the sides. Acid-free tissue works, as does a soft cotton scarf; newspaper will not do, as the ink transfers. Store bags upright on a shelf rather than stacked under others, since the silhouettes hold shape empty and give way under weight. Keep the space dark, dry and ventilated, and avoid sealed plastic boxes that trap humidity against leather. Because a resting bag recovers its form, rotating what you carry matters more than owners expect.
When to hand the bag to a professional
Crossing the maintenance-to-restoration line at home is how good row handbags are ruined, and that line is clear enough. If it involves colour loss, ink, oil, water rings on suede or a stretched handle, it belongs with a leather specialist. Structural work belongs there too: loose stitching at a stress point, a lining torn away from its seam. Because coated-canvas technique does not carry across, find out whether the specialist has handled unlogoed luxury calfskin. Discreet testing and an honest answer are what a good specialist offers, because untreated hide holds some marks for good. A botched attempt at home leaves a resale discount larger than the cost of one competent intervention.
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