Honestly, I find this particular rack to be something of a "fashion" item. Not to say it isn't functional or won't hold your stuff, but for the price (plus the cost of the mounting hardware you'll need), you can get so many other functionally identical (or superior) racks that it only really makes sense if you're going for that "look."

Compare with VO's porteur rack, which is expensive, but fills a less populated niche and is typically less expensive than alternatives.