Okay, here is my sharing about how I remade the PRADA Medium Prada Galleria Saffiano Leather Bag:
So, I saw this PRADA Medium Prada Galleria Saffiano Leather Bag at a specialty store the other day, and man, it was love at first sight. But the price? Let’s just say it wasn’t in my budget. But I really wanted it, so I thought, why not try to make one myself?
First, I did some serious observation. I went back to the store, a couple of times, to really check out the bag. Took a bunch of pictures, trying to look like I was just browsing, you know? I noticed all the details, how the Saffiano leather looked, the way the handles were attached, the little metal feet at the bottom, that iconic triangle logo, everything.
Next, I hit the internet. Searched “Saffiano leather,” and found a supplier for something close to it. I compared a bunch of places, and finally found one that seemed good. Ordered a few sheets. Then, I searched for “bag patterns,” trying to find something similar to the Galleria’s shape. It took some time, and some forums said it is hard to make, but I eventually found a pattern that was kind of close, but I knew I’d have to modify it.
Then came the hardware. Finding the right metal feet, the zippers, the little rings for the strap, and that triangle logo was tough. I searched “bag hardware,” looked at a ton of websites. I managed to find some that looked pretty similar, but not exactly the same. Especially the logo, which was a real challenge. I ended up using some metal sheet to try to make my own. I spent a lot of time to search “how to make metal logo” on the internet and followed some instructions.
Once I had all the materials, I started working. I used the pattern as a base, but I had to change it a lot to match the Galleria’s shape. I cut the leather, making sure to leave extra room for error. Then, I started sewing. This took forever! Hand-stitching leather is no joke. I watched a bunch of videos online about “hand-stitching leather” to learn the techniques.
- Cut the leather using the modified pattern.
- Sew the main body of the bag.
- Attach the handles.
- Sew the lining.
- Add the hardware.
- Make and attach the logo.
The handles were super tricky. I had to figure out how to get that rounded shape and make them sturdy enough. I watched some videos about “making leather handles” and tried a few different methods before I got it right.
After many, many hours of work, and a few mistakes along the way, I finally finished it. It wasn’t perfect, obviously. It didn’t look exactly like the real PRADA bag, but it was pretty darn close. I was so proud of myself for actually pulling it off!
Now, I’m carrying my “PRADA” bag around. And you know what? I get compliments on it all the time. People ask where I got it, and I just smile and say, “Oh, I made it myself.”