I have this bag and it is my absolute favorite! I can assure you that I have never, ever seen or felt leather as soft as this. On mine, the front flap with the cross on it is a very subtle iridiscent brown but the rest of the bag (under the flap, back side and handle) is black which makes it very verstatile. I believe it retailed for $998 so at 40% off, $595 is a great price. I also think the Byzance line is discontinued so it will only become harder to find pieces from that line. As you can tell by the rave review, I LOVE this bag!