Okay, so, I’ve been eyeing this PRADA Medium Prada Galleria Saffiano Leather Bag for a while now, and I finally decided to go for it and try to remake one myself. I mean, those things are pricey, right? And honestly, I kinda wanted to see if I could actually pull it off. Plus, I’ve always been drawn to that classic, structured look.
First things first, I spent ages just staring at pictures of the bag online. I mean I was trying to get a sense of how it is. I was trying to find its shape, size and some details. That Galleria bag is known for its Saffiano leather, which has this cool cross-hatch texture. I found out it’s real leather that’s been treated and embossed, not that fake stuff. That’s what makes it so durable and, you know, fancy. Oh, and those Prada bags are handmade, not mass-produced, which explains a bit of the price, I guess.
Next, I started hunting for materials. I found some pretty decent leather, but it wasn’t that special Saffiano stuff. I thought about trying to emboss it myself, but then I figured, nah, too much work. I ended up finding a leather that was thick enough and had a nice, sturdy feel to it. And the color? Classic black, of course.
Then came the actual making part. Let me tell you, it was way harder than I thought. Cutting the leather was a pain, you need some seriously sharp tools. And stitching? Ugh, my fingers were so sore! I tried using a sewing machine for some parts, but it just didn’t look right. I wanted that hand-stitched look.
The inside of the bag was another challenge. Authentic Prada bags have this ceramic plaque on leather bags, so I tried to find something similar, but it’s hard. I used a regular leather piece instead. It can’t be plastic or fabric one, it’s a key to judge a fake Prada bag. I just made a simple lining, nothing too fancy.
I also added some pockets, just like the real Galleria. It’s got those zipper pockets on the outside, which are super handy. And I even tried to copy that little leather key ring thingy they have. It’s removable, which is pretty cool.
The hardware was tricky. The real Prada bags have this metal triangle logo. I couldn’t find an exact replica, so I just used a simple metal piece instead. And the zippers? I found some that were pretty close in style to the original. The size of the bag is also an important thing. The length of the shoulder strap is about 110cm to 120cm. The bag is not very big, but it can carry a lot of stuff.
After weeks of work, I finally finished it! It’s definitely not perfect, and it’s not exactly like the real Prada Galleria, but I’m pretty proud of it. It’s got that same structured shape, and it’s a decent size for everyday use. I even used it to go to the grocery store, and nobody could tell it wasn’t the real deal!
Would I do it again? Probably not. It was a lot of work, and honestly, buying a used authentic one might have been easier. But it was a fun experiment, and I learned a lot about leatherwork. Plus, I have a pretty cool bag now, even if it’s not a real Prada!
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