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Brand Scorecard:
★★★★☆
Leather: 4.5
Hardware: 4
Design: 4
Engineering: 4
Craftmanship: 4.5
TOTAL: 4.21
Brand Website: bottegaveneta.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BRIEF HISTORY
Bottega Veneta is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Milan, Italy, known for its ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and fragrances. Founded in 1966 in Vicenza by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro, the brand is renowned for its signature Intrecciato leather weaving technique. Headquartered in Milan with its main atelier in Montebello, Vicenza, Bottega Veneta is part of the luxury group Kering.
FIVE PILLARS OF A GOOD LEATHERCRAFT
CRITERIA | 5 (Very Strong) | 4 (Strong) | 3 (Mixed) | 2 (Limited) | 1 (Not Present) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leather | A perfect balance of art and fashion of leather tanning. Rare and artisanal hides from exceptional tanneries | Good leathers for the application in hand. Coming from environmentally conscious tanneries | Average corrected leathers that do NOT require high-quality raw hides. Less info on the source of the leather | Low-quality leather choice with significantly less information about the sourcing practice. | Inferior sketchy leather derivates or non-leather materials. |
Hardware | Top of the line Stainless Steel or Brass Hardware with Highest Caliber Coatings | Common alloy or brass hardware with high-quality plating and thin protection that will last a good while. | Alloy hardware with acceptable coating. Lifetime may be impacted due to the coating of the hardware. | Serious flaws in the making and coating of the low-grade alloy hardware that is harmful to humans and the planet. | Non-metal, plastic, and non-durable hardware that is harmful to humans and the planet. |
Design | A professional design language that is unique and consistent with the brand | A creative take on a classical design concept | Minimal changes to common styles | Almost copy of common/famous designs. Dysfunctional elements. | Problematic design elements affect the functionality, durability, and aesthetics of the product. |
Engineering | Highly organized, sophisticated shape and form engineering with high-quality materials inside the craft. | Clean and quality inner support materials and structure | Acceptable cleanliness of inner work with medium-quality support materials | Messy inside with low-grade support elements | Complete lack of inner structure and craftsmanship. |
Craftsmanship | Expert craftsmanship with flawless, hand or machine stitching, demonstrating advanced skills. No visible errors; edge paint is avoided using superior techniques. | Perfect machine stitching with excellent edge finishing. Immaculate inside and out, with no visible flaws, showing a commitment to quality. | Good overall stitching and alignment with minor flaws. Acceptable edge finishing, with fairly clean interior and exterior. | Noticeable misalignment and sloppy workmanship. Multiple errors affect visual appeal, with untidy interior work. | Poor craftsmanship with missed stitches, visible errors, and uncleaned residues. Major issues that may affect durability. |
Overall Score | An incredible value for money that I have no problem recommending to anyone | Very good example of great quality for a great price without any risk to try | A considerable offer with a relatively high price. Make your choice at your own discretion | Consider it well within your own criterion as the quality/price is not a decision point I can recommend here | Stay away! |
READING MY ASSESSMENT SCORES
SCORE | NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
5 | Strong Yes | ⭐ This grade is given to brands that present great value for the price they charge you for their product. I have no problem confidently recommending you check their products. These are the brands I reach out to ask if they can give me an affiliate link so your purchases using my link can support my content efforts. |
4 | Yes | 👍 This indicates that the brand meets all my expectations from the perspective of price and information they have about their products. I would happily buy their products at this level of quality/value score. This is the only other category of brands I request an affiliate link to support this channel to improve my Leathertainment content. |
3 | Mixed | ➖ There are areas that I found less than desirable for the quality/price performance I appreciate personally. Some high-end luxury brands may fall under this category given I am looking for tangible value in the products, ignoring the intangible brand prestige they may offer as a value to their customers. I am not a customer of these brands and I wouldn’t recommend them to my audience if they do NOT value brand logos. |
2 | No | 👎 This indicates that the product and the brand failed my expectations in significant ways and I won’t recommend them to anyone. |
1 | Strong No | ❌ This is the lowest assessment and indicates fundamental issues in the product and/or the brand. I would say look somewhere else. |
LEATHERVERSE MATRIX
The Leatherverse Brand Matrix visually compares leather brands based on sophistication and pricing, helping consumers understand their market positioning.
Legend
Vertical Axis: Ranges from simple artisan crafts to exclusive, master-crafted items.
Horizontal Axis: Covers pricing from low (no brand premium) to high (perceived luxury), with 2x multipliers for basic products and up to 15x for heavily marketed luxury items.
Diagonal Line: Represents the balance between price and performance. Brands on the line offer good value, those below suggest poor value, and those above offer exceptional value.
AUDIENCE & CUSTOMER'S PERSPECTIVE
Based on these criteria, how would you rate Bottega Veneta as a brand?
How would you rate Bottega Veneta as a brand?
5
4
3
2
PRODUCTS REVIEWED
Luxury or Letdown? An Honest Review of Bottega Veneta's Wallet
Bottega Veneta's Cassette Bifold Wallet
Watch the videos here:
When it comes to luxury fashion, Bottega Veneta is a name that commands respect and admiration. Known for its exceptional craftsmanship and high-quality materials, the brand has built a reputation for excellence. However, my recent experience with the Bottega Veneta Cassette Bifold Wallet has made me question the value proposition of this luxury item. Is the $650 price tag really worth it? Let’s delve deeper into it.
DISCLAIMER: This is an UNSPONSORED review. I purchased all of these products myself and am not affiliated with the brand mentioned in any way. All statements and expressions made about the products are solely the opinion of Tanner Leatherstein and are not meant to be conclusive or definitive. The purpose of this video is for informational and educational purposes only. We recommend that as a consumer, you exercise your due diligence and research on the products before adopting the opinion of Tanner Leatherstein.
The Authentication Chip
First and foremost, the wallet comes with an authentication chip, a feature that underscores Bottega Veneta's commitment to authenticity and exclusivity. This chip is meant to assure customers that they are purchasing a genuine product, which is a significant consideration given the prevalence of counterfeit luxury goods.
The Leather Quality: A Closer Look
The Bottega Veneta Cassette Bifold Wallet features two types of calfskin leather: one for the exterior and one for the interior, each with different finishes. To understand the quality of these leathers, I conducted an acetone test to see how the material reacts.
Applying acetone to the exterior leather revealed that it has a pigment finish, which started to come off upon testing. This is concerning because high-quality leather, especially full-grain calfskin, should not peel or show significant degradation with acetone application. What was revealed underneath was quite shocking: a plastic layer that peeled off to expose a suede-like material.
The description of the wallet claims it is made of 100% calfskin. When I think of calfskin, I expect full-grain, top-quality leather. Unfortunately, the exterior leather of this wallet is far from that. The presence of a plastic layer indicates it is not full-grain leather but rather a lower-quality material treated to look like higher-end leather. This is a major letdown from a brand that prides itself on luxury.
Interior Leather: A Saving Grace
The interior leather fared much better in the test. It is a top-grain calfskin with a superior finish, suggesting that Bottega Veneta didn't entirely compromise on quality. However, given the high expectations set by the brand and the wallet's price point, the interior leather alone isn't enough to justify the cost.
Cost Breakdown and Value Proposition
Let's break down the costs associated with making this wallet:
Leather Material Cost: Based on my estimates, the amount of leather used in the wallet should cost around $10. The exterior's lower-quality material is disappointing, but the interior's better leather somewhat compensates for this.
Labor Cost: The complex and unique design of the wallet is indeed well put together. Factoring in labor, the cost to produce the wallet should be about $25 to $30.
In total, the production cost of the wallet, including leather and labor, is around $35 to $40. Given the $650 price tag, there is a substantial markup. While luxury brands typically command a premium for their craftsmanship and brand name, the discrepancy between the production cost and retail price is striking, especially considering the exterior leather's quality.
Final Thoughts
After three months of using this wallet and believing it to be a high-quality calfskin product, I feel deceived by the materials used. The interior leather is commendable, but the exterior's quality falls short of Bottega Veneta's standards. For $650, I expected a full-grain, top-notch calfskin wallet, not a product with a plastic finish masquerading as luxury leather.
While Bottega Veneta's brand name carries weight and the wallet is undoubtedly stylish and well-constructed, the materials used, particularly on the exterior, do not justify the hefty price tag. If you're considering purchasing this wallet, be aware of what you're paying for—you're investing more in the brand name than the material quality.
In conclusion, the Bottega Veneta wallet, with its current material quality, is not worth $650. There are better options out there that offer genuine high-quality leather without such a steep premium.
Scorecard
TANNER APPROVED!
★★★★☆ - 4.21
Criteria | Score | Results |
|---|---|---|
Leather | 4.5 | Good leathers for the application in hand. Coming from environmentally conscious tanneries |
Hardware | 4 | Common alloy or brass hardware with high-quality plating and thin protection that will last a good while. |
Design | 4 | A creative take on a classical design concept |
Engineering | 4 | Clean and quality inner support materials and structure |
Craftsmanship | 4.5 | Fair Value for quality with a brand premium: 5 to 6 x multiplier pricing. |
OVERALL SCORE | 4.21 | Very good example of great quality for a great price without any risk to try |
PRICE / COST MULTIPLIER | 5x | Fair Value for quality with a brand premium. |
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