Keeping The Row Leather, Suede and Raffia Bags the Right Way
Buy one of these bags and what is absent registers fast. No logo plaque, no coated canvas, no heavy hardware taking the knocks. The trade is exposed surface: calfskin that shows its grain, lambskin linings, suede that marks if you look at it wrongly, and in summer a raffia weave with nothing sealing it. With The Row bags the care burden falls almost entirely on the material rather than on some coating applied on top. That leaves them simple to look after, and unforgiving of mistakes.
The organising principle is material, because that is how the decisions actually break down. Take a grained calfskin tote and a suede top handle from the same season and they need opposite handling, and a sisal bag asks for something else entirely.
First, an honest caveat about care instructions
Nothing resembling a public care protocol has been issued, since The Row issues none. No manual, no published cleaning chart, no brand-approved product line accompanies them. Everything below is therefore material-appropriate general guidance, taken from the behaviour of calfskin, lambskin, suede, canvas and raffia rather than from any instructions the label has issued. A good leather specialist would be cautious, conservative and biased toward doing less, and so should you. 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 of what ruins a good bag is routine handling, and the fixes are all behavioural. Overfilling distorts a soft silhouette faster than anything else, and owners make it most often with the Margaux and the Park Tote. The belted side gussets on the Soft Margaux exist so you can adjust the shape, not for cramming more in. Sun dries leather out and fades it; radiators and car dashboards do it faster. Unfinished surfaces suffer more from rain than people expect, and suede therowbags.net/tote-bags 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.
- Empty the bag out before it goes into storage, including receipts and anything that can transfer colour.
- Never leave a soft bag hanging by its handles for long, because the handle drop will stretch.
- A pouch keeps pens, keys and cosmetics off the lining.
- Pale calfskin and untreated suede want clean hands.
Calfskin in its four forms: smooth, grained, saddle and polished
Calfskin carries the line and the most forgiving material in it. Scuffs and shine show on smooth calfskin and hide well on matte grained calfskin, and polished saddle leather sits between them. 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. A neutral conditioner can be used sparingly and infrequently, with a test on a hidden panel first, and both of those words carry weight. Too much conditioner darkens hide unevenly, leaves a tacky surface and softens structure you want to keep. Pale calfskin will also take dye from dark denim, so keep pale bags clear of indigo, and never scrub a transferred mark, because scrubbing only spreads it.
Inside jobs: nappa and lambskin
Because they appear more often as linings than exteriors, the approach to protecting them changes. Lambskin lines the Margaux Shoulder; the Bourse Clutch has a calfskin exterior and a nappa lining — so the softest material in the bag is the one your keys sit against. Both mark easily, both are exceptionally soft, and neither rewards any attempt to work on it. A soft dry cloth, applied lightly and rarely, is the whole treatment. Avoid conditioner altogether, because these hides are already supple and over-treatment leaves a greasy sheen that will not come out. The protection that works is a pouch inside the bag, never something rubbed onto it.
Suede, the most demanding material in the line
Suede is consistently the more expensive choice here, and it demands a matching increase in care. Observed 2026 market prices make the gap obvious: India 10.00 sits at $3,850 in leather against $5,370 in suede, and Agnes 15 runs $5,000 in leather against $5,800 in suede. For the premium you get a nap that flattens, soaks up and stains faster than any finished hide. Most owners miss the key point: suede is cared for mechanically, not chemically. A dedicated suede brush covers most routine wear on its own, used gently in one direction to lift the nap and clear surface dust. Past dry brushing, it is a professional’s job.
- 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.
- Leave anything oily, coloured or set alone — it belongs with a leather specialist.
Never put leather cream, conditioner, wet wipes, soap or a water-based cleaner on suede — the list is short and absolute. Every one of them mats the nap or leaves a ring visible in every light. The realistic standard is prevention, not repair, because regular brushing does more over a year than any treatment.
Raffia, sisal, canvas, nylon, silk and satin
These are the least serviceable materials the brand uses, and buy them knowing it. Because these are not tanned surfaces, conditioning is meaningless and a stained panel cannot be refinished. Hard scrubbing and solvents will distort the weave and leave a clean patch that reads as damage, even though both wear well otherwise. Water and skin oils mark silk and satin pieces permanently, the small evening bags and knotted crossbody shapes included. For all of these, spot-cleaning with a barely damp cloth and quick blotting is the only home treatment worth trying. Prevention carries the entire load here, so keep them dry and well away from sunscreen.
| Material | Everyday care | Never |
|---|---|---|
| Calfskin in grained and smooth form | A soft, dry cloth; neutral conditioner sparingly and rarely | Regular conditioning; soaking a stain |
| The nappa and lambskin surfaces | Dry soft cloth, and only light pressure | Anything creamy or conditioning |
| Suede nap | A suede brush and eraser; professional cleaning for stains | Creams, soap, wet wipes and water-based cleaners |
| Sisal, raffia, canvas and nylon | A spot-clean with prompt blotting, then air drying | Immersion, solvents, hard scrubbing |
| The silk and satin pieces | Professional cleaning; keep dry | Trying to clean it yourself |
Hardware and linings, the overlooked parts
The finish is what you are protecting: palladium-plated hardware in a matte or brushed finish. Metal polish has no place here: it is made for shine and will burnish a deliberately soft surface into something that no longer matches the bag. A dry cloth on the buckles and feet is enough, with a proper drying if they get wet so moisture does not sit in the join. Engraved buckles and base feet on the Margaux trap dust in their recesses, and a soft brush clears it better than a cloth. Vacuum rather than wash the cotton herringbone linings used in the Soft Margaux 10 and 12. Because early attention turns a large repair into a small one, check the stitching at the handle roots occasionally.
How to store them between wears
Good bags deteriorate quietly in storage, and the remedy is cheap. The dust bag it came with is the right home, with just enough stuffing to hold the shape and not stretch the sides. Acid-free tissue or a soft cotton scarf works; newspaper does not, since the ink transfers. Because these silhouettes hold their shape when empty and lose it under weight, keep them upright on a shelf and never stacked under others. Dark, dry and ventilated is what the space needs, and no sealed plastic boxes, which trap humidity against leather. Because form comes back to a bag that rests, rotating what you carry does more good than owners realise.
When to hand it to a professional
A clear line separates maintenance from restoration, and crossing that line at home is precisely how good row handbags get ruined. A leather specialist should take anything involving colour loss, ink, oil, water rings on suede or a stretched handle. Structural work belongs there too: loose stitching at a stress point, a lining torn away from its seam. Ask whether the specialist has handled unlogoed luxury calfskin, since techniques built for coated canvas do not transfer. A good one will test discreetly and tell you when a mark cannot be lifted cleanly, because on untreated hide some cannot. One competent job costs less than the resale discount that follows a botched attempt at home.