Who Is Mansur Gavriel? The Founders, the First Bags and the Range Today

Mansur Gavriel is a New York leather goods label founded in 2013 by Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel, and it launched with just two bags, the Bucket bag and the Tote. Today the brand’s Mansur Gavriel collection at Coveti runs to 120 pieces across 43 model lines, from roomy leather totes to card holders, and every one of them is made in Italy. For the full model by model breakdown, see our Mansur Gavriel bags guide.

Who founded Mansur Gavriel?

The label carries the surnames of its two founders, Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel. They started the company in 2013, and the brand’s own story page puts it simply: the goods are dreamt up in New York City and crafted with artisans around the world. That is the whole origin story the brand chooses to tell, and it is a short one by design. There is no heritage house behind it, no grandfather’s workshop. Two designers, one city, a first collection of two bags.

What happened next is the part people still talk about. The label says those first two styles “quickly captured global attention”, and within its first three years Mansur Gavriel had won two CFDA awards. For a company that began with a pair of leather bags, that is a fast climb.

The two bags that started it

The Bucket bag and the Tote are the pieces the brand itself calls “now-iconic”. Both were plain in shape and confident in colour, and the contrast lining became a calling card. The house still uses that idea today: a Black and Flamma piece is black on the outside with a flamma red interior, so the colour only shows when the bag opens.

One honest note for shoppers. The original Bucket bag is not part of Coveti’s current stock. The closest pieces we carry are the Drawstring Cabas in Black Suede, a drawstring bucket shape that takes up to a 14-inch laptop, and the smaller Drawstring Pouchette in Jasmine. Our Mansur Gavriel bucket bag article covers that history in more detail.

What does Mansur Gavriel stand for?

The brand describes its goods as everyday luxury defined by simplicity and a focus on material, technique and shape. Its own phrase for the look is a balance of “quiet restraint and colorful exuberance”. In practice that means clean silhouettes with very little hardware, then a shade like Claret, Uva and Butter to wake the shape up.

You see the restraint in the construction. Several Cabas styles are unlined, so the leather is the bag, with no fabric layer hiding the reverse side. You see the exuberance in the colour cards, which change every season while the shapes stay put.

The house colour names

Mansur Gavriel names its shades rather than calling them tan and green, and the names come up on every product page. This is the short glossary.

Where are Mansur Gavriel bags made?

Design happens in New York. Making happens with artisans around the world, and for the pieces Coveti stocks the answer is specific: every one of the 120 is labelled Made in Italy on the brand’s product page. The leathers are Italian too. Across the range you will find Italian calf, soft calf, pebbled and tumbled leather, spazzolato (a brushed leather with a soft sheen), lambskin, nubuck, suede, kid suede, patent and naplak. The more playful pieces use ponyhair, raffia, plush velvet, knit and mesh.

That spread matters when you choose. The Gaia Shoulder Bag in Black and Flamma is spazzolato, which wipes clean and keeps its shape. The Everyday Cabas in Sabbia Nubuck is unlined nubuck, softer to the hand and better suited to dry days. For a wider look at the region’s craft, our Italian leather bags guide compares several houses.

What does Mansur Gavriel make today?

The brand also makes shoes, including ballet flats such as the Dream Ballerina, plus some ready-to-wear. Coveti stocks only the bags and small leather goods, and that is where the depth is. Of our 120 pieces, 33 are totes, 18 are shoulder bags, 15 are crossbody bags and 13 are hobo bags, with clutches, minis, pouches, card holders and a single large wallet filling out the rest.

The lines worth knowing first

If you are new to the label, five lines explain most of it.

• Everyday Cabas. The open tote, 26.5 cm wide and 34 cm high, that takes up to a 14-inch laptop. It comes in four sizes at Coveti, from the Mini Everyday Cabas at $830 up to the full Cabas at $1,170.
• Gaia. A slim zip shoulder bag in spazzolato leather, 24 cm wide and only 4 cm deep, priced from $760. Read the Gaia bag guide for sizes.
• Candy Hobo. A soft hobo with a zip closure that takes most 13-inch laptops with a snug fit, at $1,200. The Maxi version fits up to a 16-inch laptop.
• Cloud Clutch. A ruched clutch with a magnetic closure. The Mini Cloud Clutch in Black and Flamma has a 53 cm strap drop, so it also goes over the shoulder.
• Everyday Soft Tote. A slouchy tote, 54.5 cm wide at the top, that takes up to a 16-inch MacBook Pro, at $1,420.

What is new for autumn winter 2026/27

Fall Winter 2026 is the largest season in our edit, with 61 pieces. The colour story leans warm and dark: Chocolate Suede, Claret, Seaweed Village, Aubergine Soft Patent and Uva. New textures include the Gaia Shoulder Bag in Olive Plush Velvet and the Pina Evening Bag in Plum Ponyhair, which is 19 cm wide and fits up to an iPhone Pro Max. For holiday 2026 the metallic pieces are the obvious choice: the Mini Cloud Clutch in Crinkled Gold and the Mini Candy Bag in Tumbled Silver. Our Mansur Gavriel Fall Winter 2026 edit walks through every new piece.

How does Mansur Gavriel compare with its peers?

It sits in the same conversation as The Row and Khaite for minimal shapes, though its prices at Coveti stay between $390 and $1,710. The difference is colour. Where many quiet labels stick to black, camel and grey, Mansur Gavriel will put a claret lining in a black bag and call it a signature. If you like the shape language but want to see the alternatives side by side, read brands like Mansur Gavriel, and for a pure value question, is Mansur Gavriel worth it.

Editor’s note: if you buy one piece to understand the label, make it a Cabas in a house colour, not black.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the founders of Mansur Gavriel?

Mansur Gavriel was founded in 2013 by Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel. The brand takes its name from both of their surnames. Its goods are dreamt up in New York City and crafted with artisans around the world.

What was the first Mansur Gavriel bag?

The label launched with two bags at once, the Bucket bag and the Tote. By the brand’s account, both quickly drew global attention. The original Bucket bag is not in Coveti stock, but the Drawstring Cabas is the closest shape we carry.

Is Mansur Gavriel made in Italy?

Every one of the 120 Mansur Gavriel pieces Coveti stocks is labelled Made in Italy on the brand’s product page. The leathers are Italian as well, including calf, lambskin, nubuck, suede and spazzolato. Design takes place in New York.

Has Mansur Gavriel won any awards?

Yes. By the brand’s own account, Mansur Gavriel won two CFDA awards within its first three years. That came after a launch with only two bags.

What does Flamma mean on a Mansur Gavriel bag?

Flamma is the house name for the brand’s signature red. A Black and Flamma bag is black on the outside with a flamma red interior. The contrast shows only when the bag is open.

How much do Mansur Gavriel bags cost at Coveti?

Mansur Gavriel pieces at Coveti range from $390 for the Pocket Card Holder to $1,710 for the Helios Travel Bag. Most shoulder and crossbody bags sit between $690 and $1,130. Full-size totes run from $1,050 to $1,420.