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Brand Scorecard:
★★★★☆
Leather: 4.5
Hardware: 4
Design: 4
Engineering: 4
Craftmanship: 4.5
TOTAL: 4.21
Brand Website: demellierlondon.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BRIEF HISTORY
DeMellier, founded by Mireia Llusia-Lindh, designs ethically and sustainably crafted handbags in Europe, using the finest materials. Each purchase funds vaccines and treatments to save the lives of children in need.
Mireia, with a background in strategy advising for luxury brands and an MBA from Harvard, created DeMellier to offer high-quality, socially conscious handbags that empower women. The brand combines heritage and modernity, reflecting Mireia's noble Spanish and French lineage and her commitment to integrity and social responsibility.
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 DeMellier as a brand?
How would you rate DeMellier as a brand?
5
4
3
2
PRODUCTS REVIEWED
DeMellier's London Clutch Review
DeMellier's London Clutch
Watch the videos here:
As a lover of leather, I'm always on the hunt for high-quality products that won't break the bank. That's why I was so excited to discover DeMellier, a brand that promises to deliver affordable luxury without compromising on quality.
After hearing rave reviews from our viewers, I decided to try out their London Clutch for myself. As someone who has had the opportunity to review this product, I'll be sharing my thoughts on the quality and craftsmanship of this clutch bag. I will share my experience with a DeMellier London Clutch bag, which arrived from Neiman Marcus, and compare it with other affordable luxury brands like Polene, Strathberry, Mlyoue, and La Portegna. With this review, I hope to help you decide whether DeMellier is the right brand for you.
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.
Upon receiving the DeMellier London Clutch, I was immediately impressed by its premium hardware. The bag arrived in a dust bag inside a plastic bag, which was an underwhelming unboxing experience. However, when I opened the dust bag, the bag itself was impressive. The color was a beautiful black. The bag's design was simple yet elegant, with a gold-tone metal chain that could be used as a shoulder or crossbody strap. The weight of the clutch itself and the snap closure both felt of high quality and comparable to luxury hardware.
The leather itself had a good amount of pigmented finish, providing a uniform look and protection. I estimate that the cost of leather and assembly would total around $65, which makes the final $330 price slightly above my range of affordable luxury pricing.
Furthermore, DeMellier proudly mentions that its bags are made in Ubrique, where most top luxury brand bags are crafted. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed a few red flags that did not match up to the level of detail I witnessed in my Polene, Strathberry, and other luxury brand bags that were also made in Ubrique.
In my opinion, the inside lining, more specifically, the patches that cover up some internal parts of the bag can be improved. It felt like the materials were just slapped onto the leather without giving much thought to the design. I haven't seen this in the other brands I reviewed such as Polene and Strathberry which were both made from Ubrique. Better materials could be used to improve the inside lining and details considering the bag's price.
DeMellier's Ubrique workshops may not be as detailed and precise as those of high-end luxury brands workshops (most of which are also from Ubrique), which gives the clutch a more budget-friendly look.
All in all, the craftsmanship was good but not exceptional.
Despite its slightly higher price point, the DeMellier London Clutch still has a lot of great qualities. The leather itself is of good quality. While it may not necessarily be the absolute best, it is still great for its price range. In addition, the design and production of the clutch itself were well done. DeMellier's aesthetic is modern and fresh, with sleek lines and simplistic designs. Overall, I believe that DeMellier is a nice alternative to luxury leather brands.
While the DeMellier London Clutch has some positive qualities, it did not meet my heightened expectations due to the brand's popularity and the "Made in Ubrique" branding behind it. However, this does not mean that the DeMellier leather products are not of good quality overall. The brand offers nice designs and production, which make their leather a nice alternative to luxury brands. Furthermore, DeMellier's affordable pricing has allowed them to make a name for themselves in the fashion industry. This is important as not everyone can afford luxury leather goods, and having an alternative option is always beneficial.
However, there is still room for improvement for DeMellier. I suggest a slightly lower price point that would better fit the brand's definition of “affordable luxury pricing”. While the leather and production are good, there are some budget-friendly details that still make the clutch look like it was crafted with a lower budget. I suggest that DeMellier could tweak these details and really elevate their products closer to luxury status to fully satisfy their definition of affordable luxury pricing.
You might also be wondering why DeMellier bags are priced so affordably compared to luxury houses that charge three to ten times more for comparable products. Well, it's all about the business model. DeMellier does not engineer an elite status and load that onto high-quality leather goods. Instead, they focus on providing affordable luxury to customers by using cost-effective yet high-quality materials.
Another standout feature of DeMellier is the brand's commitment to social responsibility. For every bag purchased, DeMellier donates a vaccine to a child in need. I appreciate the brand's approach to giving back to society, and I believe it adds value to the product.
While the DeMellier London Clutch may not be the absolute best, it can still be considered good quality. The brand's overall production is on par with luxury brands, and the affordability factor is a clear advantage. DeMellier offers a nice balance to those looking for designer-quality leather goods without breaking the bank.
Conclusion
DeMellier is a brand that offers affordable luxury options while also contributing positively to society. The DeMellier London Clutch bag I reviewed was good but not exceptional in terms of craftsmanship. It is a good option for those who want luxury leather without a luxury price tag.
The leather and hardware are of good quality, and the design and production are both on point. While there is still room for improvement, DeMellier is a great alternative to pricier luxury leather brands. The affordability of DeMellier bags makes it an attractive option for customers who want to own a quality leather bag without breaking the bank. If you're looking for an affordable luxury brand with a social responsibility component, DeMellier is worth considering.
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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