David Jones x VESTIRSI.

As featured by David Jones, Monica Upton shares the story behind VESTIRSI.

VESTIRSI is where Italian craftsmanship meets Australian laidback luxury. Founded by Australian creative Monica Upton, the brand was born from a desire to create beautifully crafted Italian leather handbags that feel elevated and timeless, without the traditional luxury mark-up. After struggling to find the perfect work bag while working in luxury beauty, Monica travelled to her grandparents’ native Italy, working with artisans and sourcing the finest leathers. Today, VESTIRSI creates thoughtfully designed modern heirlooms defined by versatility and sophistication. 

Describe Vestirsi in 3 words?

Elevated. Intentional. Enduring.

How do you want people to feel when they wear your brand?

I want her to feel quietly powerful. Polished but never overdone.

Put together without trying too hard. Confident in the room, yet completely at ease in herself.

What feeds your creative instinct?

My creative instinct is fed by contrast. Italy and Australia. Tradition and modern life. Time spent in Tuscany visiting our factories, feeling the leather in its raw form, watching artisans work with decades of skill. Long European lunches. The architecture of Florence. 

Back home, it’s the rhythm of real life: busy mornings, strong women balancing careers and family, airport lounges, meetings, school drop-offs. I’m constantly observing how women actually move through their day and what they need their bag to carry, both practically and emotionally. Travel sharpens my eye. Conversations with confident, intelligent women refine my ideas. 

“I’m constantly observing how women actually move through their day and what they need their bag to carry, both practically and emotionally.”

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What makes a piece earn its place in a wardrobe season after season? 

For me, as a business owner and a busy mum of three, it’s versatility first. If a bag can move seamlessly between work, weekends, and events, it earns its place quickly. But versatility only works if the design is timeless and the quality holds up. The leather needs to move effortlessly and age beautifully. The proportions need to feel balanced. The hardware needs to be considered. When design, craftsmanship, and practicality align, a piece stops feeling seasonal and starts feeling timeless and essential. 

Which pieces from this collection are designed to be worn on repeat?

	The Bella 3 – 1 Backpack is designed for real life.   The ability to wear it three ways (backpack, crossbody, or tote) makes it one of the most versatile pieces in the range, practical for commuting, travel, and weekends while still polished enough for work. It is our bestseller for a reason.
	The Eden Shoulder Bag is effortless and easy.   Softly structured and wearable across seasons, it works just as well with tailoring as it does with denim and knitwear. Its smaller shoulder silhouette is deceptively roomy, and customers love it for that balance of size and practicality.
	The Sloane Crossbody Clutch is the piece you reach for when you want to feel instantly pulled together. Worn crossbody, it’s perfect for school pick-up or a girls’ lunch; carried as a clutch, it transitions seamlessly into weddings and special events. Compact yet thoughtfully proportioned, it holds the essentials without feeling bulky.

What cultural shift do you think fashion hasn’t fully caught up with yet? 

Women’s lives are more multifaceted than ever. We move between professional, personal, and social roles multiple times within the same day; as a working mum of three under five, I feel this struggle and juggle deeply. However, fashion still tends to segment those identities, as though workwear, weekend wear, and event dressing need to be separate wardrobes. Modern women need more pieces that transition seamlessly. 
 
We think about this constantly when designing our VESTIRSI bags. The woman is at the core of everything we do, and we are designing for her real life, not a single moment or occasion. That is why versatility and longevity are so important to us. We aim to create pieces that support her day in a way that is both practical and chic, without ever feeling overcomplicated. 

“People keep pieces that are reliable. They remember pieces that made them feel something. The sweet spot is when a bag does both… that balance is our design philosophy at VESTIRSI.”

– Monica Upton, Founder + CEO of VESTIRSI

What are you most excited about for the future of fashion, particularly in how we dress, buy, and wear clothes? 

I am excited by the move toward thoughtful consumption. Women are becoming more discerning about what they bring into their wardrobes. There is a growing appreciation for craftsmanship, longevity, and versatility over novelty. I think we are moving into a period where getting dressed feels less about reacting and more about refining. Fewer impulse purchases, more considered investment. That shift encourages brands to design with integrity and purpose. For me, the future of fashion is about creating pieces that feel personal, enduring, and genuinely useful in a modern woman’s life.