Okay, so, I’ve been eyeing this Prada Galleria Saffiano bag for a while, you know, the big one. But the price tag? Crazy! So, I thought, why not try to remake it myself? Sounds nuts, I know, but I was feeling adventurous.
First thing I did was hit up all the specialty leather stores around town. I was looking for that Saffiano leather, which is basically genuine leather that’s been treated and stamped with a cross-hatch pattern. I learned that it doesn’t really age like full-grain, which can be either chrome-tanned or vegetable-tanned, and its thickness can vary. And guess what? This kind of leather is a bit different. Oh, and I also found out that Prada bags don’t really hold their value that well, even though they’re super well-made. My friend has a Prada nylon tote, she’s been using it for about 8 years, and it’s still look like new. It make me think that if you want this bag, maybe just buy a used one.
I also went to some Prada’s and LV’s products to see how much they cost. I saw that LV is actually a bit pricier, no matter what you’re looking at – leather jackets, bags, or shoes.
Anyway, back to the leather hunt. After a lot of searching, I finally found this gorgeous piece of blue full-grain Saffiano calf leather. It looked just like the real deal, or at least good enough for me. It was thick, sturdy, and had that signature texture. Score!
Next, I needed to figure out the size and shape. I spent hours looking at pictures of the Galleria online, trying to get the dimensions right. I even tried to find some information from a place that sells and swaps designer bags, but it didn’t help much. Also, I found a shop called Bleu de Chauffe. They make their bags in France with vegetable-tanned leather. Their bags looked good, but it’s not the one I want.
Then, I started sketching out the pattern. This was the hardest part, I think. I wanted it to be as close to the original as possible, so I was super careful with every measurement. I drew, erased, and redrew until I was finally happy with it. Oh! There is also a store sell new collection of Prada bags. It seems that they get inspired by Prada’s old stuff. But I didn’t see the one I want.
With the pattern ready, I carefully cut the leather. It was a bit nerve-wracking, to be honest. I didn’t want to mess up that beautiful (and expensive!) leather. But I took my time, and it went pretty smoothly.
Sewing everything together was a whole other adventure. I don’t have an industrial sewing machine, so I had to do it all by hand. Let me tell you, my fingers were sore! But it was worth it. Seeing the bag take shape was so satisfying.
Finally, after what felt like forever, the bag was finished! It wasn’t perfect, of course. There were a few wonky stitches here and there, but overall, I was really proud of myself. It looked pretty darn close to the real Prada Galleria, and it only cost me a fraction of the price. It’s big, it’s blue, and it’s all mine! Plus, I learned a ton about leather and bag making. Not bad for a little DIY project, right?
- Total cost: Way less than a real Prada.
- Time spent: Let’s just say I lost track… a lot.
- Satisfaction level: Through the roof!
So, yeah, that’s the story of how I remade a Prada bag. Maybe not the smartest use of my time, but hey, it was fun! And now I have a pretty awesome bag to show for it.
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