The Best WELL MADE leather bag??

jackieusc

jackieusc

O.G.
Mar 8, 2008
1,445
3
#1
I would love to know what designer you ladies think makes THE BEST leather handbag.
This is a quality and craftsmanship question. All range of prices included.

I am looking for a bag that I can tell has had every inch looked at and finished. I went from Coach to Jerome Dreyfuss, Rebecca Minkoff and Allison Burns. I am only slightly impressed with RM quality but more with Allison Burns.

I am sick of paying good $$ for bags without these finishing thoughts .

Please tell me what you think. Who makes a killer quality leather handbag?
 
#3
I haven't owned all of the designers, but just from my experience based SOLELY on the quality and durability, I would say Coach.

I love my Guccis and Chanels (Fendi is the worst, but I still love their designs) but of all the bags I've ever had, the Coach ones stand up better than anything I've ever had. I don't really know yet about the signature ones, but the smooth leather and even their suede are the ones I mean.
 
#4
Honestly, the best in the world is Hermes. There's not a manufacturer out there that can compare to them. Beyond that, you may have some nice bags out there, but all the manufacturers cut corners in materials, manufacturing, etc. I'm actually reading an interesting book on this subject - it's called "Deluxe: How Luxury Lost It's Luster" and it's been really eye-opening. It details Hermes' manufacturing process versus some of the other popular brands, and I have to say that the amount of attention they still pay to detail blows me away. I would be proud to own one of their products one day.

I don't own any Hermes and probably never will, but they're the end-all, be-all in quality. They're all hand-stitched and made entirely of leather, thread and metal, no plastic fillers or glue. Most of the other brands' bags are made at least partially in China (this may not yet be true for small designers, but it is for the mega luxury brands) and then final finishes are put on in Italy or France so that they can have the "Made in ____" labels instead of copping to being Chinese assembled.

That being said, quality is important to me, but wouldn't necessarily stop me from buying a bag I loved. I love Balenciaga, and they're not off the charts as far as craftsmanship goes, but it doesn't ruin the experience for me.
 
#6
Thanks Momo, I just looked at the ignes website and will look further into them. Love the look book, awesome for customers.

Amanda- I agree. I am very happy with my rebecca minkoff bags because they are so useful and color/shape wise just so cool. But I am on a quest to find a handbag I can look at and say, "no corners were cut in the making of this bag". I'll check out Hermes again, even though I'm not too fond of the birkin.
 
#7
irishlass1029 said:
Ahhh...Hermes. *sigh*

Maybe someday.

I bet Amanda is right about that, but it's not in my realm of experience.
Click to expand...

Honestly, it's out of my realm of experience as well. Although I've seen many Hermes bags in person, I've never owned one, but would be proud to.

I encourage anyone interested in luxury goods to read the book I mentioned - it's out in paperback now and there have been a few threads on it in the general section. There's an entire chapter on handbags and their manufacturing process and how it differs across brands and how its changed over the years - the basic conclusion that they come to in the chapter is that Hermes is the only true "luxury" brand left in that market, and they back up that argument well. The painstaking detail that goes into the production of even one Hermes bag is way more than I even imagined. Every skin is closely inspected for flaws, and if the perfect skins cannot be found, the bag is simply not made until they are (I assure you, this does NOT happen at any other luxury house - they've all moved to mass production). Many of the skins are still cut without a machine, and all are sewn by hand with special linen thread. People go through years of school to becomes Hermes leathersmiths, it was really fascinating to read about.
 
#8
jackieusc said:
Thanks Momo, I just looked at the ignes website and will look further into them. Love the look book, awesome for customers.

Amanda- I agree. I am very happy with my rebecca minkoff bags because they are so useful and color/shape wise just so cool. But I am on a quest to find a handbag I can look at and say, "no corners were cut in the making of this bag". I'll check out Hermes again, even though I'm not too fond of the birkin.
Click to expand...

It took a long, long time for Hermes to grow on me, but the more I look at them, the more I find a lot of beauty in their simplicity. Knowing that they take their product as seriously as their buyers do is also really great.
 
#11
OK Momo.....you are in big trouble!!! I can't stop looking at the Ignes bags!!!!! They are gorgeous and the quality and CS seem really up there!!! THANKS for sharing!

I want more brands to check out ladies!!! More! More! More!
 
#12
I second Ignes! I just received my first Ignes bag, a Mini Sofia in silvery blue leather, and it is definitely the best quality handbag that I own right now!! Plus you get to customize and pretty much design your dream bag ;)
 
#13
I am getting 2 Ignes handbags...you should really look into that, perfect customer service, they make any modification you want, suede linings, and magnificent price.They guarantee their bags.

The other brand I'd say is Bottega Veneta. I've had wallets and handbags by them and they are really luxurious.
 
#14
For craftmanship - Bottega Veneta. The weaving is wonderful. For durability - Fendi Zucca canvas. I have several that I have not taken care of (used them rain or shine, did not store in dustbags) and not had a problem. Other quality brands - Ferragamo, tod's, prada, Marc Jacobs and bally. My older coach and gucci bags have held up very well, too.
 
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