Betraying My First Love — And Finding My Way Back to Suede
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Time to read: 4 min
Hermès. Louis Vuitton. Bottega Veneta. The names alone evoke prestige, craftsmanship, and an undeniable luxury aura. But what happens when reality doesn’t live up to the promise? In my latest short video, I set out to answer this question by buying, using, and ultimately destroying three high-end wallets in a quest to find perfection. What I discovered was shocking—and it changed everything about how I approach wallet design.
In this blog, we will answer the following questions:
Why did I walk away from suede despite it being my first love in leather craftsmanship?
What makes high-quality suede so special compared to other types of leather?
Why is suede making a comeback now—and how can it be used confidently in modern luxury bags?
Growing Up in a Tannery
As a child, I spent countless hours wandering through our family tannery, absorbing the smells, textures, and quiet craftsmanship that defined the space. Leather wasn’t just a product; it was a living, breathing art form. I was fascinated by every stage of the process — from raw hide to refined material.
One moment, however, shaped my understanding of leather forever.
I remember standing beside our headmaster while he was quality-checking a batch of lambskins ready for shipment. At the time, we were producing double-face leather — hair on one side, suede on the other — typically used for jackets. Curious, I asked him a simple question:
“How do you understand the quality of suede?”
He paused. Then he asked me something unexpected:
“Have you ever had a girlfriend?”
I was eight years old. Completely confused. I said no.
He smiled and said, “Then it might be difficult to explain.”
After a brief silence, he continued:
“A good suede should feel like you’re touching your partner. The moment your hand touches it, you want to touch it again. That’s what good suede is.”
At the time, I didn’t fully grasp what he meant. But that answer stayed with me.
When Suede Became an Obsession
As I grew older and learned more about leather craftsmanship, his words began to make perfect sense. Suede isn’t judged only by sight — it’s judged by sensation. The density of the fibers, the softness, the way light dances across the surface, the subtle resistance under your fingertips. True quality suede creates a desire to interact with it again and again.
It became my obsession in the tannery.
Suede was emotional. It was intimate. It wasn’t loud luxury — it was tactile luxury.
Why I Walked Away
Then life shifted. I moved into bag making.
And I got scared.
Suede, despite its beauty, carries a reputation: delicate, fragile, impractical. I worried it wouldn’t hold up in everyday use. I questioned whether customers would accept it in structured bags. I hesitated.
So I avoided it.
For years.
In trying to be practical, I betrayed the very material that first made me fall in love with leather.
@tanner.leatherstein A lesson from my family tannery stayed with me for 20 years. #SincereLuxury #StowLondon #Craftsmanship #Suede #MadeWell #SlowFashion #LeatherTok #TannerLeatherstein ♬ original sound - Tanner Leatherstein
Coming Back to What I Loved
A few months ago, we finally did it. We launched our suede line with Stow.
And the response? Insane.
Customers immediately connected with what I had felt decades ago in the tannery — that sensory experience. The fuzzy suede fibers catching light. The velvety sheen shifting with every movement. The depth of color that only suede can deliver.
When paired with polished stainless steel hardware and timeless, classic silhouettes, suede didn’t feel delicate. It felt intentional. Elevated. Confident.
It wasn’t a mistake to come back to it — it was a correction.
Expanding the Suede Collection
Now, we’ve expanded the collection into one of our cutest silhouettes: the Mini East West design. It’s compact, refined, and perfectly proportioned to let the suede take center stage.
The first batch is already in production and will be ready to ship at the end of February. But here’s the reality: we only produce 5,000 bags in total this year, and just 500 of those will be this design in suede.
Scarcity isn’t a marketing trick — it’s a commitment to controlled craftsmanship. When you limit production, you protect quality.
Full Circle
Looking back, I realize I didn’t truly betray suede. I just needed time to understand how to use it properly in a different context. Some materials require maturity — both technical and emotional.
That lesson from the tannery still guides me today:
If you touch it and don’t want to touch it again, it’s not good enough.
I hope when you hold one of these suede bags, you feel exactly what my master described all those years ago — that irresistible urge to reach back and experience it one more time.
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About Tanner
Tanner Leatherstein
Known as the "butcher of leather bags," Tanner has amassed over 2 million followers and 301 million views, with features in outlets like The New York Times and Financial Times. PEGAI, Tanner's brand, embodies his passion for crafting premium leather goods with unmatched authenticity and precision.
