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Rediscovering My Love for Suede: From Fear to Full Circle
- xoxo.minang
- Oct 8
- 4 min read
Watch the videos here:
I will admit something. For years, I was afraid to do what I love. Back in 2017, when I first opened my Etsy shop, I made a suede tote bag — just four or five of them, using suede from my top tannery in Turkey. But then I dropped the idea, thinking, “Who would buy a suede bag?” It felt like a risk, one that maybe no one would understand. Fast forward eight years, and suddenly suede is the hottest thing in leather fashion. Maybe The Row had something to do with bringing it back in such a big way. Either way, I couldn’t ignore my inner craving for suede anymore. So, I decided to join in — even if I was late to the party.
Back to the Source: A Global Leather Quest
As always, for me, good leather bags start with good leather — period. So, I set out on a mission to refresh my suede knowledge from the ground up. That meant traveling across the globe: visiting tanneries, attending exhibitions, going on sampling trips — a full catch-up after years away from suede. But the final decision, the grand finale, could only happen in one place: Lineapelle in Milan. This is where the masters of leather craft gather twice a year, and I was there with one mission — to choose the suede for my next bag line and finally get to work.
At Lineapelle, I visited my shortlist of tanneries, and, as fate would have it, I ended up choosing the very first tannery I had worked with to make those original five suede bags eight years ago. It felt like coming home — but with fresh eyes and renewed purpose.
The Turning Point: A Visit to Manu Atelier
One big acknowledgment is due here: my visit to Manu Atelier played a major role in shaping my decision. When I saw Manu’s suede bags in their store, I was blown away by the texture, richness, and craftsmanship. I learned that they had been making suede bags for the past ten years — long before suede became trendy again. I really admire their vision and confidence to champion suede when the market wasn’t ready for it yet.
Even more interesting was discovering that the suede they’ve been using comes from the best suede tannery in Turkey — the same one I work with — but with a twist. The article Manu uses isn’t something you can just pick off the shelf; it’s a specialty product developed exclusively for select clients. When I learned that, I realized I had just unlocked the “secret menu” of suedes. Huge thanks to Manu for sharing that insight so generously — it was the final clue I needed to bring me back to my roots.
Meeting Daphne: The Obsessive Suede Masters
That tannery, Daphne, quickly rose to the top of my list again. After visiting all the others and comparing articles, I returned to them convinced that they still produced the best suede I could find. I asked them a few key questions that I knew my community would also find helpful.
When asked about their expertise, they explained, “We’re from Istanbul, Turkey, and we’ve been producing split cow suede for more than 25 years. For the past five or six years, we’ve stopped producing anything else. We are kind of… mentally ill obsessed about suede,” they laughed. That obsessive passion was exactly what I was looking for.
So what makes good suede? They explained that color fastness is key — when you rub your hand on it, your fingers shouldn’t get dirty. It should also be slightly hydrophobic, meaning that water beads off instead of being absorbed. This happens when the leather is filled with high-quality oils that naturally repel moisture.
They also showed me how to test quality visually: “When you look at good suede, you should get the writing effect — you can literally write on it with your finger, and see the mark appear. It shines in motion. Bad suede doesn’t have that effect. It looks dull, with uneven fiber lengths — some areas long and fuzzy, others burned or bare. That’s how you know it’s not top quality.”
The Art and Care of Suede
Before I left, I asked about maintenance. They advised that while suede is indeed a luxury, artisan product that needs gentle care, it’s not as fragile as people think. “If you drop oil or food, don’t panic. There are many cleaning sprays available now. Just don’t wait too long. If you clean it before it dries too much, you’ll be fine.”
It was a reassuring reminder that suede isn’t something to fear — it’s something to respect. And that’s the difference between a fleeting trend and a timeless material.
Full Circle at Lineapelle
After seeing Daphne’s obsessive approach, touching their articles, and understanding their craftsmanship philosophy, everything made sense. I placed my first order. The suede for our new bags was chosen — and with that, my suede journey officially began again.
This entire experience reminded me why I go to Lineapelle every year. It’s not just about finding new materials — it’s about staying connected to the craft, the community, and the future of leather. Without Lineapelle, I’d need to travel to three or four countries to gather the same insights. But here, it all comes together — intelligence, materials, and creativity under one roof.
If you’re in the leather industry, or even just curious about getting into it, Lineapelle is where ideas meet craftsmanship. Come to Milan with a plan, and you’ll leave with inspiration that will push your leather journey forward.
Tomorrow, we’ll dive into something many of you have been asking about since the start of Suede Week — how to keep your suede bags in tip-top shape. Stay tuned — the best suede deserves the best care.
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