Is your designer handbag really worth the price? This leather expert put popular brands to the test
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We all love a bit of designer gear, don't we? Whether it's a new outfit, watch, or piece of jewellery, there's nothing like feeling glamorous and sophisticated while wearing or using something that has a luxurious name attached to it.
But as anyone familiar with designer brands will tell you, that sophistication and exclusivity also come with quite a price tag. Sure, it might look fabulous on the outside, but is it really worth your hard-earned cash?
Designer handbags are more popular than ever. Celebrities and everyday people alike love to show off the latest ‘it’ bag from luxury brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes. But with prices ranging anywhere from $2000 to $10,000 (and sometimes even more), some people don’t think these items are worth it.
One man who can help you figure out whether a handbag is worth the splurge is Tanner Leatherstein – otherwise known as tanner.leatherstein – on TikTok.
Tanner is a leather expert from Dallas, Texas. He has amassed quite the following after clips of him reviewing designer handbags, and evaluating if they’re worth the hefty price tag, spread across social media.
But that alone wasn’t enough to make him go viral. The reason why he became an internet sensation was because of the unorthodox way he reviewed said luxury brands: he destroys them!
Yes, you read that right. Tanner ‘deconstructs’ luxury handbags, both inside and out. In a recent interview, Tanner shared that he liked looking at the ‘leather and the craftsmanship’ in the accessories he inspects. In the picture above, he’s 'inspecting' a Chanel wallet worth $1,200.
To do this, he uses two main methods: The acetone test and the ash test. For the former method, he applies acetone (or nail polish remover) onto a small patch of leather to see what kind of material is underneath.
The ash test involves burning small strips of leather over an open flame in order to analyse its ash residue. This helps Tanner determine what tanning methodology was used.
These tests give him valuable insights into how high quality – or low quality – each bag actually is. So far, his analysis has led him to some interesting conclusions about popular brands.
Then, the interviewer put Tanner on the spot and asked him which brand he stood by the most. He responded that Bottega Veneta, the luxurious Italian fashion house, has earned his respect.
He claims that handbags made by Bottega Veneta are 'artisan leather that you can sense with your touch.’ Tanner also praised the designs, saying that each piece is unique and detail-oriented.
The Bottega Veneta Arco Mini, worth a staggering $2,500, gets ‘deconstructed’ here:
As for brands like Louis Vuitton and Chanel? Tanner mentioned that their leather selection was ‘nothing impressive’, and hence not worth the price tag.
‘I’m all about leather and those big brands go for standardisation which means heavy finished. Once you utilise heavy finishes on leather, you cut the connections of that sensory experience,’ he said.
In the interview, Tanner said he keeps the materials from the handbags he’s deconstructed, and plans to recreate them into a piece he can auction off for charity.
Well, dear members, there you go! Do you also like designer items or do you prefer understated accessories? Do you think it’s a waste to destroy expensive handbags? Tell us your thoughts down in the comments!
But as anyone familiar with designer brands will tell you, that sophistication and exclusivity also come with quite a price tag. Sure, it might look fabulous on the outside, but is it really worth your hard-earned cash?
Designer handbags are more popular than ever. Celebrities and everyday people alike love to show off the latest ‘it’ bag from luxury brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes. But with prices ranging anywhere from $2000 to $10,000 (and sometimes even more), some people don’t think these items are worth it.
One man who can help you figure out whether a handbag is worth the splurge is Tanner Leatherstein – otherwise known as tanner.leatherstein – on TikTok.
Tanner destroys designer bags for a living. Credit: TannerLeatherstein.com
Tanner is a leather expert from Dallas, Texas. He has amassed quite the following after clips of him reviewing designer handbags, and evaluating if they’re worth the hefty price tag, spread across social media.
But that alone wasn’t enough to make him go viral. The reason why he became an internet sensation was because of the unorthodox way he reviewed said luxury brands: he destroys them!
Tanner films himself destroying a Chanel bag. Credit: tanner.leatherstein on TikTok
Yes, you read that right. Tanner ‘deconstructs’ luxury handbags, both inside and out. In a recent interview, Tanner shared that he liked looking at the ‘leather and the craftsmanship’ in the accessories he inspects. In the picture above, he’s 'inspecting' a Chanel wallet worth $1,200.
To do this, he uses two main methods: The acetone test and the ash test. For the former method, he applies acetone (or nail polish remover) onto a small patch of leather to see what kind of material is underneath.
The ash test involves burning small strips of leather over an open flame in order to analyse its ash residue. This helps Tanner determine what tanning methodology was used.
These tests give him valuable insights into how high quality – or low quality – each bag actually is. So far, his analysis has led him to some interesting conclusions about popular brands.
Then, the interviewer put Tanner on the spot and asked him which brand he stood by the most. He responded that Bottega Veneta, the luxurious Italian fashion house, has earned his respect.
Tanner destroys a Bottega Veneta Arco Mini to check its craftsmanship. Credit: tanner.leatherstein on TikTok
He claims that handbags made by Bottega Veneta are 'artisan leather that you can sense with your touch.’ Tanner also praised the designs, saying that each piece is unique and detail-oriented.
The Bottega Veneta Arco Mini, worth a staggering $2,500, gets ‘deconstructed’ here:
As for brands like Louis Vuitton and Chanel? Tanner mentioned that their leather selection was ‘nothing impressive’, and hence not worth the price tag.
‘I’m all about leather and those big brands go for standardisation which means heavy finished. Once you utilise heavy finishes on leather, you cut the connections of that sensory experience,’ he said.
In the interview, Tanner said he keeps the materials from the handbags he’s deconstructed, and plans to recreate them into a piece he can auction off for charity.
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