Published on September 6, 2026
Dunhill
Every heritage brand has an archive. The challenge is making it feel fresh. For Dunhill’s Alfred 40, the answer wasn’t to re-create a single design from the past but to reinterpret more than 130 years of the British house’s history. Named for founder Alfred Dunhill, whose company earned its reputation creating accessories for motorists, the briefcase weaves together inspiration from automotive luggage, Art Deco metalwork, and document carriers. As creative director Simon Holloway explains, “The ambition was never to create something nostalgic. It was to make a bag that feels completely relevant today, while quietly carrying the character and intelligence of Dunhill’s past.”
The details that make the Alfred sing are often the ones you don’t immediately notice. Rather than relying on traditional English bridle leather, Holloway partnered with an Italian tannery to develop a custom patinated calfskin with a rich depth of color and the suppleness needed to achieve the bag’s signature tailored slouch. Each piece is hand-tinted, ensuring that no two bags look exactly alike. Even one of its defining features—the handle—traces its lineage to an 1890s Dunhill map case, a design still produced today in the house’s Walthamstow workshop for its Heritage collection.
Starting at $5,300, the Alfred is crafted in Italy over nearly a week, requiring about 24 hours of hands-on work. Only about 200 can be made annually, with roughly five craftspeople assembling 115 leather components. The briefcase is available in three sizes and a curated selection of patina calf, grained calf, and made-to-order alligator finishes, with seasonal colors and materials introduced throughout the year. Designed to soften and develop character over time, it’s meant to last for decades. Here’s how it comes together.
1. Reinterpretation
Image Credit: Dunhill
Instead of reviving a single archival case, the design team drew inspiration from throughout Dunhill’s back catalog. The sliding lock references the Unique lighter of the 1920s, with its reed-patterned hardware that also nods to the brand’s historic engine-turned metal textures. “We were almost sampling ideas from across the house’s history, then reinterpreting them in new proportions to create something that feels entirely contemporary,” Holloway notes.
2. Sketching
Image Credit: Dunhill
The Alfred takes shape on paper first. Hand sketches establish the case’s proportions before the design evolves through multiple prototypes. A full-size model in Salpa (a composite leather used for prototyping) is created, followed by about 10 leather mock-ups that undergo three rounds of user testing before production begins.
3. Patterns
Image Credit: Dunhill
Once the design is finalized, hand-developed patterns are converted into digital files, allowing each component to be laser-cut with precision. But technology only goes so far. Every hide is inspected individually before production, with artisans selecting the highest-quality sections and determining the optimal placement for every piece.
4. Handling
Image Credit: Dunhill
The handle is one of the Alfred’s most important elements—and one of its most technically demanding. Made from multiple layers of leather, it’s wet-molded to create its rounded shape before roughly 220 holes are punched for stitching. It’s then hand-sewn and meticulously finished, a process that takes approximately three hours.
5. Edge Detailing
Image Credit: Dunhill
Each exposed-leather edge is carefully sanded, painted, and polished using a fine applicator. The process is repeated over a minimum of five coats, with drying time between each layer. The edge paint is typically a shade or two darker than the body of the bag, subtly defining the design’s profile and creating a smooth, durable finish that stands up to everyday use.
6. Palladium Finish
Image Credit: Dunhill
With the leatherwork complete, the Alfred begins to take its final form. The bag’s solid-brass hardware is given a vintage-palladium finish before assembly, lending it the soft, aged-silver glow of the Art Deco era. Its signature sliding lock reimagines Dunhill’s Unique lighter as a horizontal clasp.
7. Quality Checks
Image Credit: Dunhill
Before leaving the workshop, every bag passes through a series of quality checks. Leather and individual components are inspected twice, but the finished briefcase is examined three times. “We wanted to create something timeless—an object that endures both physically and aesthetically,” Holloway says.