SS24 Designer Brands Collection

What is Vachetta Leather and How Do You Care for It?

What is Vachetta Leather and How Do You Care for It?
Vachetta leather is a high-quality vegetable-tanned leather used historically for the creation of quality goods from luxury brands. Crafted from the skins of calves and young cows, its supple texture sets the material apart from any other leather on the market. Utilized by craftsmen over centuries, once the leather grew in fame it was picked up by many high-end luxury brands. Most notably, Vachetta leather is famous for being used by the fashion houses of Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

The word Vachetta actually originates from the French term for “calfskin,” referring to leather from young cows or calves. Despite its French name, this style of hide was actually popularized by leather workers in the Italian region of Tuscany.

Since its origination, luxury fashion brands have catapulted Vachetta leather into the fashion spotlight as an ideal material for classic handbags. Read further to explore the ins and outs of caring for this unique material before you add a Vachetta leather handbag to your designer collection.

Real or Fake YSL : How to Spot the Difference

The YSL handbag has especially grown in popularity in recent years, leading to a spike in the creation of knockoff and inauthentic copies. Innovations in technology have allowed for these knockoffs to become more and more realistic, making it all the more important for buyers to check the authenticity of their potential purchases before actually making a transaction. If you’re hoping to add a new purse to your collection, take a moment to read further about how to spot the difference between high quality and a cheap copy.

Qualities of Vachetta Leather

Vachetta leather has multiple distinguishing qualities, setting it apart from other lower-quality leathers like goatskin or lambskin. Vachetta leather differentiates itself from other skins used in fashion due to its soft stretchy feel, unique shifting colors, and strong durability.

Handbags crafted from Vachetta leather are also often-full grain, meaning that usually the entire length of a single hide is used for one piece without any additional cuts or attachments. This fullness adds a beautifully complete quality to your handbag or accessory, creating a universal symmetry around the entire piece.

These types of hides are also treated differently from the standard full breakdown of cheaper leathers. This unique quality comes from the vegetable finish, allowing Vachetta leather to maintain a high percentage of its natural fat content. This fat content leads to a softer and more malleable fabric, perfect for the creation of the highest quality handbags on the market.

The Patina Process

One quirk of the Vachetta leather comes with its untreated finish.This traditional hide is only treated with vegetable dye, meaning that the light beige material often darkens over time due to daily wear, weather, and contact with your skin. This natural darkening is referred to as the patina, a look that is often desirable and can add a style to your piece.

As Vachetta leather is exposed to natural moisture or humidity, it transitions into a beautiful oaky brown color. Louis Vuitton handbags are the most notable example of this transition. Many of their Vachetta leather handbags are designed to complement the patina process, as beige leather transitions to elegant brown.

Once you are aware of Vachetta leather patinas, you can also gain some insight into how to distinguish between an authentic and inauthentic purchase. Understanding how Vachetta leather pieces age is especially important if you are buying a luxury piece second-hand. Any piece that claims to be made from Vachetta leather but does not patina over time is most likely not authentic.

Vachetta in Luxury Brands

Chanel and Louis Vuitton are two brands widely renowned for utilizing Vachetta leather. Due to its light and flexible build, a large reason for its popularity among luxury brands is its easy ability to be shaped, sewed, or transformed into beautiful pieces. Additionally, its durability lends the hide to be the perfect choice for luxury brands focused on creating long-lasting accessories for their customers.

Outside of these two houses, many other brands have begun to utilize this material more commonly in their creations. Gucci, Coach, and Kate Spade are just a few other creators often recognized as purveyors of Vachetta leather pieces.

Once you start paying attention to the leather of your future purchases, you may be surprised to see how many accessories in the fashion world utilize this luxury leather. When you bring home your first Vachetta leather bag, you may also find yourself questioning how to really take care of it in the long term. However, cleaning and maintaining your Vachetta leather may actually be easier than you think.

Caring for Vachetta Leather

Although Vachetta Leather is desired for its graceful patina, you may notice extra darkness, scratches, or damage on the areas where you make more skin contact. This is especially likely at the handles and clasp areas of a Vachetta leather bag.

The leather can also be more susceptible to scratches or water stains due to its unfinished condition, meaning it can be very important to regularly treat and clean your leather accessory. We recommend thoroughly cleaning and conditioning your Vachetta leather every 6-8 months.

Cleansing

The first step to caring for your Vachetta leather piece comes with maintaining a regular cleaning schedule. This step is especially when the piece is used in daily wear.

To clean Vachetta leather, take a damp linen cloth or a baby wipe and rub-down the outer material. This step is for erasing any excess dust or marks that may hinder any further restoration treatments. Clothing steamers or small vacuums can similarly be used on the inside lining to suck up any grime that might otherwise damage the materials.

Conditioning

The next step of caring for your Vachetta leather is the conditioning process. Treating your piece with a quality leather conditioner every few months can moisturize, protect, and prolong its wear for years to come. Moisturizing the leather material can help keep the leather supple and soft, preserving its texture and preventing any cracks from forming.

A good conditioner will allow you to both treat and prolong your accessory’s lifespan. Leather oils, creams, and waxes come in a variety of shades, uses, and price ranges, making it all the easier for you to find the perfect treatment for your needs.

Storing

When you bring a Vachetta leather piece home for the first time, take a moment to consider the best place to store it to further prolong its lifespan. If possible, you should store Vachetta leather in a cool dry environment where it will not be exposed to the usual traffic around your living space.

The biggest things to avoid here are dust and excess moisture. So keeping your piece in an airtight container or even just stored in its original dust bag can both be perfect options for storage.

Protecting

Protecting your handbag even further with extra treatments can mean all the difference between purchasing a short-term accessory and a long-term collector’s piece. Waterproof sprays can keep your handbag from damage due to heavy liquid or oil stains, preventing extra daily wear and tear from devaluing your recent purchase.

Keep in mind however that these sprays and the previously mentioned leather conditioners can both affect the color. Consulting an expert at a restoration shop or the original store can be a great way to find the best possible treatments for your situation.

Restoration shops can also be an excellent last resort for leather pieces that have experienced more severe wear and tear. Professional resonators can help fix or maintain any more serious damage including ripped stitching, large stains, or significant holes.

Buy Authentic Vachetta Leather with Buyma

Over the years, purchasing a handbag crafted with Vachetta leather has become synonymous with owning an investment piece that has the look and feel of true luxury. Handbags created with this leather stand out with their unmatched soft and durable textures and their unique patina aging process.

Buyma is a luxury reseller of authenticated and never-before-worn goods from luxury brands including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Balenciaga. Their zero-tolerance policy for fake goods and multi-step authentication process adds layers of protection to every purchase, guaranteeing your satisfaction every step of the way.

Explore women’s luxury fashion trends on Buyma today and discover the perfect handbag to add to your collection.

Shipping to United States?

Continue shopping