Freja New York started with a missing tote. In April 2019, founder Jenny Lei could not find a suitable bag to carry to an interview, so she decided to make one. The first launch came in February 2020, with 300 bags in two colors, latte and black. The brand has been self-funded from the beginning, with no outside funding, and the name is Scandinavian in origin and means love. Each bag is made exclusively from vegan ultrafiber, a recycled microfiber non-woven fabric with a water-based PU top layer. In this first group, the smaller bags lead. The Ida and Sylvie shoulder bags and the Mini Chrystie are the ones I would carry for the day, the Miro and Mercer top-handle bags add a handle, and the Seamed Clutch is the evening piece. The Mercer croc-effect shoulder bag adds texture, while the Bleecker grained-effect tote and the Jane top-tote bag lean toward work. A quick test for a new bag is to put your phone, keys and wallet in it and see whether it still holds a shape. For small shapes, the clutch bag edit and the crossbody bags edit are good reading.

The Paloma Tote is the bestseller, and it fits a 16-inch laptop, which suits the story of a founder who needed a tote for an interview. Behind each bag are more than a hundred steps, and the dedicated factory has 50 full-time team members. The Linnea, Kaia and Mercer totes, including the lizard-effect Mercer, give you other sizes and textures, and the Mercer top-handle East-West bag is the wide one. The Chrystie, Alma, Caroline and Jane bags round out the shoulder options. What I would skip is the lizard-effect tote with a heavily textured coat; let a smooth wool or a plain knit sit next to it. For work in particular, a tote bag for work that holds everything and the best tote bags compare a few more shapes.

If I were building a small bag wardrobe from Freja New York, I would choose one Paloma Tote for work days and one Mini Chrystie or Ida for evenings. That covers the interview that started the company and the dinner after it, and the clean shapes mean the two bags will get along with almost any coat. Minimalist is the word the brand uses, and I like that the pieces say so quietly. For one more way to think about totes, the tote bags edit is worth a look.

For more in the same spirit, take a look at Au Départ Bags and Totes and Bottega Veneta Shoes and Bags.