BOX San Sebastián

BOX San Sebastián is a family leather goods brand that was born in the tiny attic workshop of Manuel González — a young saddler who made bridles and saddles for the Spanish royal household when they spent their summers in San Sebastián. In 1948, Manuel decided to work for himself and started with leather suitcases.

By his side was always his wife Pepi Baragaña. She grew up in a haute couture atelier — her mother worked as Balenciaga's first assistant during the Belle Époque. Manuel had the golden hands of a craftsman, Pepi had impeccable taste. Their suitcases and first bags turned out so well that the family business quickly took off. Wallets and belts were added to the suitcases and bags, and in 1965, after several address changes, the workshop and shop finally settled at Calle San Martín 12. That same year, the BOX San Sebastián brand was officially registered — not after the sport of boxing, but after box calf, the legendary finish of cowhide they'd used from the very beginning.

From the mid-1970s onwards, Manuel and Pepi's seven children gradually joined the business, and the brand began to find its own identity. That's when the brand started incorporating symbols of its home city. In 1977, Pepi designed a metal clasp that echoed the shape of the stone blocks on the façades of San Sebastián's old buildings. In 1980, bag 8010Y6 appeared — austere, streamlined, practical. It became the brand's flagship and remains an icon to this day: it's now being carried by the third generation of women.

In 1989, Manuel's son Gerardo González, who became the brand's creative director, developed the signature lining in the colour of sand from La Concha beach. In 2000, the logo became a double stirrup — a tribute to his father's saddlery past. And in 2012, the curved railings of the La Concha promenade were transformed into a repeating pattern on the leather of bags in the Barandillas collection.

Since 2019, all BOX San Sebastián products have been made with an eco-friendly lining from recycled fishing nets, with a distinctive pattern of waves on sand. And the Frontoia collection is made entirely from SEAQUAL® YARN fabric — made from plastic bottles fished out of the ocean by fishermen.

Today at BOX San Sebastián you can buy bags, wallets, belts, accessories, unique fans made from natural leather, and even Esencia de Piel perfume — with the scent of leather that fills their workshop. The historic workshop's address remains the same: San Martín 12, and not long ago a boutique with a more contemporary design was added on Calle Garibai.

And if you want to take something special and memorable from San Sebastián, a BOX bag with local architectural patterns and sandy lining inside will do the job perfectly.