New Leather Accessories From The Design Studio Of Cross:
Models Of Style, Performance And Peerless Engineering

Timeless style, smooth performance and peerless engineering. The new Autocross leather collection rallies this spring with a spirit that perfectly embodies the Cross history of innovation and craftsmanship.

In creating this collection, Cross designers considered the connection between personal writing accessories and personal leather accessories – essential elements that enable the act of writing. Regarded as one of the world’s finest producers of writing instruments, Cross takes the pen from a place of obscurity tucked inside a leather agenda, to a place of prominence, integrated into the unusual closure of its new leather padfolios. The pen becomes a visual enticement, its chrome gleaming against the warm retro tones of the leather. This is just one of the surprises in a beautifully designed collection that blends classicism with modern detailing.

The Autocross collection features fifteen styles of leather accessories, each one attentively designed and crafted for enduring use. The collection ranges from padfolios and agendas, to pen, card and coin cases. It also includes other items such as a money key fob with a snapped tube precisely fitted for that single bill – your emergency money. The design of the collection hints at sporty, automotive-inspired details influenced by the Cross history. Deep, sophisticated tones, such as black, brown, toffee, red and teal are reminiscent of the rich leather appointments you’d find inside vintage cars.

Echoing some of the fundamentals of the 1930’s streamline era, this collection uses the guiding principle of utility (the pen) to inform the design. Handsome and understated, this collection attracts with an uncluttered form, yet is distinguished by subtle details in decoration, shape, and texture. The rhythmic placement of the perforations, which are evocative of kidskin driving gloves, adds freshness, an unexpected élan. Clean lines, as well as gently rounded corners and curves, convey a modern aesthetic.

The leathers are pleasantly textured and come in two finishes. One finish features a natural, pebbled look with deeply saturated colors and enhanced softness (available in black, toffee, and teal). The smooth, vintage leather option uses a vegetable tanning process that highlights the natural characteristics of the leather, showcasing the depth of the colors (red and brown) and improving the longevity and performance of the leather. Throughout the collection the interiors combine coordinating ultra-suede and Cross dot linings.

Each Autocross padfolio and agenda comes with a lustrous chrome Cross pen that can be custom-engraved. As with all Cross writing instruments, this pen includes a lifetime guarantee. For ultimate versatility, the closure mechanism on the padfolios is astutely engineered, allowing the owner to substitute his or her favorite pen -- from thin to wide girths. There is also a hidden magnet that keeps the padfolio or agenda closed, even if the pen is not utilized.

The Autocross collection takes inspiration from the company’s long-seated fascination with automobiles. In a pioneering effort, company founder Alonzo Cross built the first car in Rhode Island using a steam-powered engine back in 1896. This enthusiasm reappears in the Cross history, with the leadership of the Boss family in the twentieth century. There have been three generations of auto racers in the Boss family, beginning with former Cross President, Russ Boss, who discovered his love of sports cars as a young man in the 1930’s. He was an enthusiastic and accomplished racer, and could be found throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s heading off to various racing events across the country. In 1946 he was appointed as a member of the racing contest board – an arm of the American Automobile Association that then sanctioned and ran the major auto races in the U.S. His son, Brad, Chairman Emeritus of Cross, continued the auto racing tradition, as did grandson Andy Boss (now at Cross).

The Autocross leather collection will be available in April at Cross stores, select specialty and department stores, and online at www.cross.com. Styles include: