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Brand Scorecard:
★★★★☆
Leather: 4.5
Hardware: 4
Design: 4
Engineering: 4
Craftmanship: 4.5
TOTAL: 4.21
Brand Website: gioia.in
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BRIEF HISTORY
Founded in 2021, Gioia was established with a mission to find joy in meaningful relationships that have endured over time. This belief guided every aspect of the brand, from the inspiration drawn from family members for timeless collections to the quality materials used in crafting their products. Gioia aimed to capture and share this essence of joy through their work.
Reflecting on their journey, Gioia acknowledges the crucial role of the dedicated team behind the scenes, particularly the skilled craftsmen with over 25 years of experience and generational expertise. These artisans, many from the parent company's leather goods export house, exemplify the exquisite workmanship that Indian artisans are renowned for. Despite occasional skepticism toward the "Made in India" label, Gioia is committed to showcasing the exceptional quality and craftsmanship of Indian artisans, hoping to contribute positively to changing perceptions. The brand's ethos, "Made with Gioia, to spread Gioia," encapsulates their purpose and dedication to their craft.
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 Gioia as a brand?
How would you rate Gioia as a brand?
5
4
3
2
PRODUCTS REVIEWED
From Website to Reality: The Truth About the Bella Medium Crossbody
Gioia's Bella Medium Crossbody
Watch the videos here:
Today, we're excited to introduce a new contender in our lineup: Gioia, a brand hailing from India. Let's dive into my review of the Bella Medium Crossbody, which I purchased for $179, and evaluate whether their quality meets our standards.
DISCLAIMER: The “Rip My Bag Challenge” is a review series that tests leather products’ quality, price, and craftsmanship. While the brand supports the challenge financially, my opinions stay fair, unbiased, and truthful. Products featured are purchased anonymously without brand involvement. Brands have no control over content, publishing dates, or the review process. You may watch/read the full disclaimer here.
First Impressions: Website vs. Reality
When I was shopping on the Gioia website, the Bella Medium Crossbody bag appeared to have a structured form. However, upon opening the box, I discovered that the bag is actually slouchy. This unexpected surprise might disappoint some customers, so I recommend Gioia clearly depict this slouchy characteristic in their product photos to set accurate expectations.
Initial Feel and Look
Opening the bag, I was pleased to see clean workmanship inside. The support materials were solid, and the overall construction was above average. One detail that stood out was the binded edges. This old-school technique requires more work but results in a much more durable finish. Apart from a few stray threads that needed trimming, the craftsmanship was impressive and felt distinctly European.
Interior Workmanship: A Different Story
While the exterior craftsmanship is almost impeccable, the inside tells a different story. The internal workmanship is noticeably rushed, with misaligned seams and hasty stitching. This disparity is significant; the outside of the bag is beautifully crafted, but the inside seems like an afterthought. The bag’s lack of structure is due to minimal padding in the main body, contributing to its slouchy nature.
Testing the Leather: The Acetone Test
To assess the leather quality, I removed a layer of finish using acetone and discovered full-grain leather underneath with natural pebbling. The leather selection is excellent, with a tasteful finish that enhances its quality and substance. This level of leather quality is outstanding for the bag's price point.
Hardware and Assembly
The Bella bag features zamak alloy hardware with decent plating, which is above average for its price. I estimate the leather for this bag costs around $24, with assembly and hardware in India costing between $55 and $60. This brings the total production cost to approximately $79 to $84. Given this, the $179 price tag reflects a price multiplier of 2.1x, which is a fantastic deal by my standards.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Bella Medium Crossbody from Gioia impresses with its leather quality and visible craftsmanship. The only significant downside is the slouchy nature of the bag, which wasn’t clearly depicted on the website. This is an easy fix for Gioia to help their online shoppers make informed decisions.
Despite the rushed internal workmanship, I’m pleased with the quality and price performance of this bag. It's a great value for the price, and with a few tweaks in their online presentation, Gioia can enhance the customer experience even further.
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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