Mini bags it up

The Mini car is as British as bangers and mash with a rich racing heritage and a style that's been swinging since the sixties, and now Selfridges have unleashed the classic as a luggage line.

"Designed in Italy by a British designer, you can bag one of four lines"

Designed in Italy by a British designer, you can bag (sorry) one of four lines, Black Jack, Check Out, Pop Style of Go Fast. Teaming up with Mandarina Duck, the Anglo-Italian arrangement has given us some classic cases of the highest workmanship.

We picked out the Black Jack compact laptop bag sporting a subtle union flag design and sporty chequered lining for closer inspection. Every Mini driver has tried to beat the record number of passengers at some stage, but we tried the same thing with the Mini bag and our favourite tech toys. It turns out the Black Jack case can comfortably carry a 13-inch laptop, SLR camera and headphones, with a choice of padded pockets for your smaller-ticket items like a BlackBerry and iPod Touch. It's pockets galore and even when you fill them all, the bag still manages to keep its shape.

There's no real waterproofing going on here, but the stitching along the real leather seams is perfect and there's no imminent danger of the metal strap buckles giving way. For a day trip, or work duties, the laptop brief is ideal, but if you need something a little larger, there are a couple more Black Jack cases in the range.