Where the Aster stands to attention, the Linden slouches. Soft pebbled leather, no base board, no side stiffeners — the bag collapses politely into itself when you are carrying nothing and opens wide when you are carrying everything.
The pebbled finish is the practical choice in this line. It hides the scuffs that a smooth leather would record permanently, which matters on a bag you sling into a footwell twice a day.
A wide gusset means it opens flat enough to actually see the bottom, and the interior is a single generous volume with one zip pocket. We resisted adding more compartments. Some bags are better as a bucket.