Okay, so, I just gotta share this with y’all because it was a wild ride. I decided I wanted to try my hand at remaking the Prada Galleria Saffiano Leather Mini-Bag, the one they sell at specialty stores. You know, the fancy one.
First off, I went down a rabbit hole trying to figure out what “Saffiano” even meant. Turns out, it’s this special kind of textured leather, which I definitely did not have just lying around. I hit up a bunch of local stores, but no dice. Then I remembered a buddy of mine who’s into this kind of stuff mentioning some online places that sell all sorts of materials, I finally found something that looked right after a bit of searching.
Next up, the pattern. Let me tell you, figuring out the dimensions and how all the pieces fit together was a headache. I spent days sketching, cutting out cardboard shapes, and then redoing the whole thing because I messed up somewhere. My room was a total mess, but I was determined. I started to use those shapes from cardboard to cut the leather.
- First, I cut all leather pieces one by one.
- Then, I started to sew them one by one.
When I tried to sew the leather I have prepared. I realized I needed a special needle and also had to use some special tools. So I went to the store again and got these. Now I was ready to sew the leather. Sewing that thick leather was a whole other story. I broke, like, five needles before I got the hang of it. My fingers were sore, but slowly but surely, the bag started to take shape.
After all that, I started working on the lining. I chose some random fabric I had at home, which, in hindsight, was a mistake. It was way too flimsy, and it made the inside of the bag look all wonky. Live and learn, I guess, so next time I decide to do this kind of project, I am going to use a stronger fabric.
Finally, the hardware. I initially thought I could just pick up some generic stuff, but let me tell you, finding something that even remotely resembled the Prada hardware was impossible. I ended up ordering some pieces online, and when they arrived, they were totally the wrong size. So, back to the drawing board. I decided to go for a completely different look, something a bit more rustic, and it actually turned out pretty cool.
The End Result
It’s definitely not perfect. It’s a little lopsided, the stitching is wonky in places, and it doesn’t scream “Prada” like I wanted, but you know what? I made it. And I learned a ton along the way. Would I do it again? Maybe. But next time, I’m definitely investing in some better materials and doing way more research beforehand. And maybe taking a leatherworking class, haha.
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