Caring for The Row Leather, Suede and Raffia Bags
Buy one of these bags and what is absent registers fast. There is no logo plaque in the way, no coated canvas asking to be wiped down, no bulky hardware soaking up the bumps. What you get in exchange is exposed surface: calfskin showing its grain, lambskin linings, suede that marks at the smallest provocation, and a summer raffia weave with no seal on it. The care burden of The Row bags sits almost entirely on the material rather than on some coating applied on top. Simple to look after, unforgiving when you get it wrong.
Material is the organising principle here, because that is how the decisions actually break down. The same season can give you a grained calfskin tote and a suede top handle that need opposite treatment, while a sisal bag is different again.
First, an honest caveat about care instructions
The Row issues no public care protocol for its bags. You will find no manual, no published cleaning chart and no brand-approved product line sold with them. Everything here is therefore material-appropriate general guidance, based on how calfskin, lambskin, suede, canvas and raffia actually behave rather than from any instructions the label has issued. Treat it the way a good leather specialist would: cautious, conservative and biased toward doing less. If someone hands you a definitive brand-issued cleaning routine for these bags, they are filling a gap rather than citing a source. If the bag matters, consult a professional before putting anything on it.
What you do matters more than what you buy
Most of what ruins a good bag is routine handling, and the fixes are behavioural. The most common mistake, especially with the Margaux and the Park Tote, is overfilling, which is also the fastest way to distort a soft silhouette. The belted side gussets on the Soft Margaux adjust the shape, not making room for more. Sunlight dries and fades leather; radiators and car dashboards do it quicker still. On unfinished surfaces, rain does more damage than most people expect, and suede and raffia have almost no defence against it. Sun, heat and water avoided will do more for a bag than anything sold in a bottle.
- Take everything out before you store it, receipts and anything rowhandbags.com/shoulder-bags else that might transfer colour included.
- Do not hang a soft bag by its handles for long stretches, because the drop stretches.
- Put pens, keys and cosmetics in a pouch rather than loose against the lining.
- Handle pale calfskin and untreated suede only with washed hands.
Calfskin, from smooth to polished saddle
Calfskin is the backbone of the line and it forgives more than anything else here. Smooth calfskin shows scuffs and shine, matte grained calfskin hides them well, and polished saddle leather sits between the two. A soft dry cloth after use is the whole of routine care, worked with the grain, with attention to the corners and base where dirt collects. Neutral conditioner is fine sparingly and infrequently, and both words matter, tested first on a hidden panel. Too much conditioner darkens hide unevenly, produces a tacky surface and softens structure you meant to keep. Because pale calfskin picks up dye from dark denim, light bags belong away from indigo, and a transferred mark should never be scrubbed, because scrubbing spreads it.
Nappa and lambskin, usually found inside
These two turn up more often as linings than as exteriors, which changes the way you protect them. The Margaux Shoulder is lined in lambskin and the Bourse Clutch puts a nappa lining inside a calfskin exterior, so the softest material in the bag is exactly what your keys rest on. Each is exceptionally soft, each marks easily, and neither one responds to being worked on. Use a dry soft cloth, lightly and rarely. Because the hides are supple as they are, conditioner should be avoided altogether, since over-treatment leaves a greasy sheen that will not come out. Protection here means a pouch, not a product.
Suede: where the care burden peaks
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. What the premium buys is a nap that flattens, absorbs and stains more readily than any finished hide. Suede care is mechanical rather than chemical, which is the point most owners miss. Used gently and in one direction, a dedicated suede brush lifts the nap and takes off surface dust, and that alone handles most routine wear. Anything wetter than that is a job for a professional.
- Brush lightly after each wear, working with the nap rather than scrubbing across it.
- Allow a wet bag to dry naturally at room temperature, away from radiators and hairdryers, then brush it once it has dried completely.
- Lift dry marks with a suede eraser using minimal pressure.
- Do not attempt anything oily, coloured or set — it belongs with a leather specialist.
Never put leather cream, conditioner, wet wipes, soap or a water-based cleaner on suede — a short list, and an absolute one. What you get is a matted nap, or a ring that shows in every light. Regular brushing does more over a year than any treatment, which makes prevention, not repair, the realistic standard.
Raffia and sisal, canvas and nylon, silk and satin
These are the least serviceable materials in the brand’s range, and they should be bought with that understood. Because these are not tanned surfaces, there is nothing to condition and no way to refinish a stained panel. Canvas and nylon wear well but react badly to solvents and hard scrubbing, which pulls the weave out of shape and leaves a clean patch that reads as damage. Silk and satin pieces, including the small evening bags and knotted crossbody shapes, mark permanently with water and skin oils. Spot-clean with a barely damp cloth and blot quickly — that is the only home treatment worth trying on any of them. Prevention carries the entire load here, so keep them clear of rain and sunscreen.
| Material | Everyday care | Avoid entirely |
|---|---|---|
| Grained and smooth calfskin | Soft dry cloth; neutral conditioner sparingly and rarely | Regular conditioning; soaking a mark |
| Nappa and lambskin | Dry soft cloth, and only light pressure | Anything creamy or conditioning |
| Suede nap | A suede brush and eraser; professional cleaning for stains | Anything wet: soap, wet wipes, water-based cleaners, and cream too |
| The raffia, sisal, canvas and nylon pieces | A spot-clean with prompt blotting, then air drying | Immersion, solvents, hard scrubbing |
| Satin and silk | A professional; keep it dry | Any home cleaning attempt |
Hardware, linings and the bits people forget
The finish is what you are protecting: 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. 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. The engraving on the Margaux buckles and base feet holds dust, 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, give the stitching at the handle roots an occasional look.
Between wears: storage that works
Most quiet deterioration happens in storage, and it costs very little to fix. Put it back in the dust bag it arrived in, with light stuffing so the shape holds and the sides do not stretch. Acid-free tissue and soft cotton scarves both work, though never newspaper, whose ink transfers. Stand bags upright on a shelf rather than piling them under one another, since these silhouettes keep their shape empty and lose it under weight. Keep the space dark, dry and ventilated, and avoid sealed plastic boxes that trap humidity against leather. Because form comes back to a bag that rests, rotating what you carry matters more than owners expect.
When to hand the bag to a professional
A clear line separates maintenance from restoration, and crossing it at home is how good row handbags end up ruined. A leather specialist should take anything involving colour loss, ink, oil, water rings on suede or a stretched handle. The same goes for structural work, loose stitching at a stress point or a lining torn away from its seam included. Because coated-canvas technique does not carry across, find out whether the specialist has handled unlogoed luxury calfskin. The right specialist tests discreetly and says plainly when a mark will not come out cleanly, because untreated hide holds some marks for good. One competent job costs less than the resale discount that follows a botched attempt at home.