Okay, so, the other day I was strolling through the mall, right? And I saw this Small Prada Galleria Saffiano Special Edition Bag at the Prada official flagship store. It looked so slick, and I thought, “Hey, I bet I can remake that!”
First thing’s first, I went back home and started digging around for info. Now, this Saffiano leather, they make a big deal about it. I heard it’s from Italy or somewhere fancy like that. Apparently, this bag is put together from over 80 different pieces! Can you believe that? I mean, that’s a lot of cutting and stitching. But I wasn’t scared, I love a good challenge.
I started by sketching out the design. I grabbed some paper, you know, just regular paper, nothing fancy, and started sketching what I remembered from the store. I mean I should have just taken a picture but I didn’t think of it until I got home. The Galleria bag, it’s got this classic look, kinda boxy but in a good way. It’s not too big, not too small, just the right size for everyday stuff. I made sure to get all those little details down, like the little triangle logo thingy and the way the handles are attached.
Next, I had to find some leather. This was tricky. I went to a bunch of local shops, looking for something that felt like the real deal. I finally found some black leather that seemed pretty close. It wasn’t exactly Saffiano, but it had that nice texture and felt sturdy enough. And I have a friend who did some leather work before, and he said I can use a small mallet or something to add that cross hatch pattern Saffiano is known for. I tried to mimic it on a piece of scrap leather, and it worked fine!
- Getting the pattern right was a whole other story. I ended up making a bunch of cardboard cutouts, kinda like a puzzle. It took a few tries, but I eventually got the shapes and sizes right.
- Then came the cutting. I carefully traced my patterns onto the leather and started cutting. It’s like being a tailor, but with tougher material. I was super scared that I would mess up and ruin the leather, but I didn’t, so that’s something.
- Sewing it all together was the real test, and this is where I had to call up that friend of mine. I used my mom’s old sewing machine, but I had to watch a bunch of videos online to figure it all out. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to put it all together. I even added a little zipper pocket inside, just like the real one!
Finishing Touches
For the hardware, I found some metal bits and bobs at a craft store. They weren’t exactly Prada quality, but they did the job. I attached the handles and that little triangle logo thing, which I made out of some shiny metal sheet I found. I tried my best to make it look like the original, but obviously it’s not gonna be identical.
And there you have it! My very own homemade version of the Small Prada Galleria Saffiano bag. It’s not perfect, of course, but I’m pretty proud of it. It took me a good chunk of time, but it was a fun project. Plus, I saved a ton of money! Who needs to spend thousands when you can just make one yourself, right? I might even try to remake the big one, the Large Prada Galleria bag, next time. Wish me luck!
Click to consult