When you hear brands like Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Fendi you immediately think of luxurious, high-end, supple Italian leather. Styles that will always have a place in your closet. True craftsmanship. An artistic expression of functionality, design, and quality materials. Durable and made to last a lifetime. A piece that a daughter might covet in her mother’s wardrobe.
Italian Leather
There is a common thread that weaves all these brands together, and throughout all Italian leather in general. And that is the passion and skill that is passed down through generations to create these beautiful pieces. Their artisans are to the point of obsession when it comes to their craft. These bags are not made by machines. There are real, skilled artisans behind every piece of leather, every stitch, every detail. They are a community—most of these brands have a small team working together, no more than 20-50 artisans.
So, if we are using these markers as determining a luxury handbag, sapahn should be up in the ranks with these high-end brands. Why? Just like Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Fendi, and the likes, sapahn bags are made differently than most.
The sapahn craft
At sapahn, everything starts with our artisans. To us, they are family; they are not just factory workers. We treat them as true skilled craftspeople. They are the reason for our quality. In addition to their skill and because of our human rights first approach, they have agency and a voice. We listen to their thoughts and ideas. After all, they know the material, leatherworking, and the process better than we ever could.
Our group of 30 artisans is a family community that has passed their trade on from generation to generation. They all carry the mindset of a craftsperson—the obsession to detail, the passion, and the ingenuity that goes into making something by hand. Their level of skill is beyond what you would find in a large manufacturing setting. They take so much pride in the quality, details, and the process. All of our artisans are trained to do every piece of production to keep their skills sharp, but each individual naturally excels in one area or another.
Every touchpoint in bringing a sapahn style from an idea to the collection you see online has a human element. Each style starts with a beautiful piece of hide, hand selected working directly with the tannery. We take pride in our leather—the buttery soft texture and the natural imperfections inherited from the cow it came from. We also use all parts of the hide to reduce waste and highlight the beauty found in every piece. From there the pattern is made. We don’t use technology to produce our patterns. The pattern process is all done by hand, with pencil and card stock, drawn from Brooke’s vision. From there the leather is hand traced and hand cut. The pieces are then stitched together. The final step is adding our signature brass omega hardware.
Sapahn bags are designed to last, not only in their quality but in their style. Our designs are just trendy enough to be relevant, but not so much so that they become fast fashion. We are thoughtful, intentional, and deliberate with every new style we add to our collection. We want every bag to be something you will keep in your closet for years to come, and hopefully items you pass on to future wearers, whether it be to a friend, a daughter, or another sapahn aficionado.
This approach, this mentality, is why sapahn handbags have more in common with Italian leather handbags and the brands best known for their craftsmanship and luxury. We do things differently and honor the tradition of leatherwork. We see the value and beauty in the time honored craft that has been passed down for centuries. And most importantly, we see the value in all of our fellow humans, and we are so proud of that.
So the next time you think of luxury handbags, of Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Fendi, etc. we hope you think of sapahn, think of our artisans, and think of the impact you can make when you buy something that is made ethically and by hand.
Shop our best-selling styles to add some luxury leather to your closet.
