Building Block Crafts Heirlooms For The City-Cool Set

Does the aesthetic descriptor “American heritage” get you down? The phrase (and its corresponding look), though noble and cool, is getting as played out as your coworker’s ironic mustache. Enter: Building Block, the young, California-based line we’ve decided is one-upping the now-ubiquitous look for a more up-to-date, city-cool customer. A champion of extremely simple silhouettes — always with a fun, unexpected twist — Building Block is carving the perfect niche of updated heirlooms for the fashion set.

And, for fall, the brand does not disappoint. The basic bucket bag is given heft and quirk-factor with the addition of a wooden disc on the bottom; your basic, leather tote is transformed from humdrum to super-rad by being created in the shape of a half-oval (and the option to be artfully folded like origami). Oh, it's also made the coolest clutch we’ve seen in a long while: It looks like a beautiful, black, leather planner (but so isn't) and is finished off with a rubber strap and quirky pale-wood ball. If only Building Block was around when our moms were buying handbags...