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Token
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Profile
When the last of the Manhattan Portage shops closed in 2006, the company consolidated its namesake line and its slicker, grown-up bag brand, Token, at this airy, functional store. Gracing the shoulders of everyone from harried undergraduates to sweaty bike messengers, Portage’s iconic nylon messenger bag is to the urban vagabond what a survival pack is to a Boy Scout: a slim, industrial-strength bundle that protects contents from the abrasions of rain, pavement, and unforeseen threats, like subway car doors. Made from sturdy, military-grade fabric that boasts a four- to six-year street life, the sacks encompass simple laptop bags, angular backpacks, and body-hugging carryalls with hip-grazing holsters. The more limited selection of briefcases and man-bags from Token promises similar durability, but with a slightly more elaborate design. The buckles, zippers, and snap-pockets adorning Italian leather duffels and waxed-canvas totes translate into a slightly higher price point and—with façades in soft, metallic leather—a higher street-style quotient, too.