→ The Encounter Collection

The Encounter Collection by Stephen Kenn: A Legacy in Leather & Canvas

In an era of disposable fashion and mass manufacturing, there’s something quietly radical about crafting an object that’s meant to last. Not just through the years, but through the seasons of a life. Stephen Kenn’s Encounter Collection was born out of this intention—to create bags that don’t just serve a purpose, but tell a story. A collection of heirloom-quality travel bags made by hand in Los Angeles, The Encounter Collection reflects a commitment to craftsmanship, heritage, and the deeply personal relationship between people and the objects they carry.

The Inspiration: A Grandfather’s Legacy

It started with a camera case.

Passed down from Stephen’s grandfather, the vintage leather case bore the marks of a life well-traveled. It had accompanied him through decades, continents, and countless personal adventures—most notably throughout South America. The surface of the leather had been worn smooth in some places, roughened in others, each scuff and stain whispering a fragment of its journey.

When Stephen first held the case, he didn’t just see a functional object—he saw a piece of his family’s story. He imagined his grandfather crouched in the dirt to get the right shot, pulling the case open in bustling train stations, or placing it carefully in the overhead compartment of a twin-prop plane bound for the Andes. That moment of connection—between material and memory, between a man and his lineage—sparked the idea for a collection of travel bags that would act as vessels of personal legacy.

Objects That Carry Our Stories

From the beginning, The Encounter Collection was envisioned not as a fashion statement, but as a set of lifelong companions. Each bag is designed to grow more beautiful with use—to pick up the patina of travel, to carry the evidence of adventures undertaken, challenges faced, and memories made. They’re bags that, like the old camera case, could one day be passed down to another generation and still feel relevant, meaningful, and alive with story.

This philosophy is central to Stephen Kenn’s approach to design: create fewer things, make them well, and make them last. The Encounter Collection doesn’t chase trends. It’s built to outlive them.

To express this ethos visually, Stephen collaborated with the filmmakers at Process Creative to create a short narrative film that captured the feeling of heritage, exploration, and reverence for beautifully aged things. The film—later honored with a Vimeo Staff Pick—stands as an ode to objects that become part of our personal mythology. The bags aren't just for travel; they are, in themselves, a kind of map. The letter in the film was written by Stephen's friend and author, James Watson.

Design That Lasts

While inspiration sparked the idea, it was design that brought it into form. The Encounter Collection celebrates minimalist design principles and the honest beauty of raw materials. Each bag is crafted from vegetable-tanned leather—a material chosen not only for its strength and integrity but also for its ability to evolve over time. Unlike synthetic materials or even most chrome-tanned leather, vegetable-tanned leather undergoes a slow, natural aging process. Sunlight, skin oils, rain, and time all leave their imprint, turning a new bag into something deeply personal.

The first Encounter bags were released in 2012 in a warm cognac leather—rich and golden with a gentle sheen. In 2014, a deep black leather was introduced, offering a more subdued yet equally timeless option. And in 2024, the Duffle Bag was released in a heavy dark olive green canvas with black leather details. This canvas option allowed for a lower price point, while still retaining the standard of excellence, durability, and beauty that has become part of this collection.

Every detail in the Encounter Collection is intentional. The bags are made without lining, avoiding the most common point of failure in traditional bag construction. Instead of hiding the interior behind fabric, the leather or canvas is left raw inside, allowing the strength of the material and the precision of the stitching to take center stage.

The zippers are sourced from RiRi, a Swiss manufacturer revered in the design world for their exceptional quality and smooth operation since 1936. The shoulder straps are crafted with a combination of cotton webbing and leather, subtly referencing the vintage military belts that appear in Stephen Kenn’s Inheritance Collection of furniture. This shared language between collections speaks to the cohesion of the studio’s overall aesthetic—utilitarian, elegant, and thoughtfully reduced to the essential.

Handmade in Los Angeles

At the heart of the Encounter Collection is its place of origin: Los Angeles. Every bag is designed and hand-assembled in the Stephen Kenn studio, located in the Arts District of downtown L.A. Here, small-scale production means that nothing is rushed, overlooked, or compromised. Each piece is cut, assembled, and sewn with care by a small team of makers who understand that craftsmanship is not just about skill, but about intention.

Making the Encounter Collection in Los Angeles is a deliberate decision—one rooted in the belief that American manufacturing is still alive and well, especially when approached with a human-scale mindset. It’s also about proximity. Being closely involved in every stage of production allows Stephen to prototype, iterate, and refine until the design is just right. The bags don’t just bear his name; they carry his hand.

This hands-on approach ensures quality and consistency, but it also builds a tangible connection between the maker and the end user. There’s a sense of accountability and pride in local manufacturing, especially when contrasted with the anonymous supply chains of mass production. When you pick up an Encounter bag, you’re not just holding a product—you’re holding the result of a relationship between designer, material, and craft.

Material Matters

Vegetable-tanned leather is at the core of the Encounter Collection. Unlike chrome tanning—a process that uses heavy metals and chemicals to soften hides quickly—vegetable tanning is a slow, artisanal method that uses tannins from tree bark, roots, and leaves. The result is a more environmentally conscious leather that has a firmer feel and a much longer lifespan.

With use, this type of leather doesn’t degrade; it transforms. It softens, darkens, and develops a patina that reflects the life of its owner. Each scrape, spill, or patch of sun exposure tells a different chapter. Over time, two bags of the same model can end up looking entirely distinct—a fingerprint of experience.

Stephen Kenn embraces these imperfections. In fact, the Encounter Collection invites them. In a culture obsessed with newness and perfection, these bags quietly rebel by encouraging wear. They’re not afraid of a little dirt, a little rain, a little baggage claim scuff. They’re made for it.

A Return to Bag Making

Before Stephen Kenn became widely known for his furniture collections—particularly the Inheritance and Grounded Collections—he was a bag maker. Designing backpacks, duffels, and carryalls was his first love in the design world, and the Encounter Collection marked a return to that early passion that was born when he was the founder and designer for iconic brand Temple Bags.

Reconnecting with leatherwork was not just a nostalgic decision; it was a natural extension of his core design philosophy: work with great materials, reduce the form to its essentials, and honor the story behind the object. Bags, like chairs, are objects we interact with every day. They should serve us without asking for too much attention, but they should also bring a quiet sense of joy each time we reach for them.

That’s exactly what the Encounter Collection offers—simplicity, beauty, and reliability in equal measure.

Built for a Lifetime (or More)

Longevity is the ultimate form of sustainability. At a time when “eco-conscious” products often mean cheaply made things with green branding, the Encounter Collection offers a different solution: don’t replace it—repair it. Don’t discard it—pass it down.

Each bag is designed to be serviceable, with components that can be repaired or replaced as needed. Zippers can be restitched. Straps can be reinforced. Leather can be conditioned. In this way, every piece remains a functional, beautiful part of your life—whether you’re using it daily or saving it for the next generation.

In a disposable culture, that’s not just refreshing. It’s essential.

Made in America, Made to Matter

In the years since its launch, The Encounter Collection has earned a loyal following among creatives, travelers, designers, and anyone who values authenticity in the things they own. But more than that, it has helped shape a deeper conversation about how—and where—things are made.

By choosing to design and manufacture in America, Stephen Kenn isn’t just preserving traditional methods of craftsmanship. He’s also investing in local economies, supporting skilled labor, and reinforcing the idea that beauty and durability should not be outsourced.

There’s a quiet elegance in this kind of commitment. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t beg for attention. But it speaks volumes in the hands of those who understand what it means to live with intention.

Final Thoughts

The Encounter Collection is more than a line of bags. It’s a reflection of how we move through the world—and what we choose to carry with us along the way. It stands for something rare in the modern marketplace: original design, made with care, by people who believe that a bag can be more than a bag. It can be a witness to your life.

Crafted in Los Angeles. Designed for the journey. Built to tell your story.