Is an Italian Leather Diaper Bag Too Much?

Is an Italian Leather Diaper Bag Too Much?

I recently met up with an old acquaintance I hadn’t seen in years. He’s worked hard andenjoyed substantial business success since we last saw each other. We met up as old friends, but I also wanted to introduce my new line of bags and catch a few tips from a successful entrepreneur.

When it was time for me to show him a few Alise products, I started by walking him through the features of an Amelie bag, highlighted the benefits and uses, and pointed out the detailed craftsmanship that sets our bags apart from a bag mass - produced in China.

My friend listened and then joked that us Europeans are such snobs. I brushed off his comment in the moment and continued on.

But I shouldn’t have.

I should have told him the difference in being a snob and being smart. 

A snob typically prefers designer labels and other status items simply to impress people rather than seeking after their intrinsic quality regardless of label.

Impressing others for status’ sake is not why people purchase Alise bags. That’s not why YOU are reading this.

It’s smart - not snobbish -  to pay a fair price for one bag to last forever. It’s not smart to purchase three poorly made bags in five years.

It’s smart to reward companies thatpay fair wages in ethical working conditions.

It’s smart to reward a family business that takes pride in its work and is not owned by a massive, tax avoiding corporation.

It’s smart to use only leather hides that are waste products of the food industry and then treat them with natural vegetable dyes that don’t damage the environment with harmful, cancer-causing chemicals.

Theprice of an Alise Bag reflects the qualityof its materials and workmanship. Only the finest vegetable tanned leather is used and each bag is handmade.

On average, every bag takes 10 square feet of leather to complete. Craftsmen work by handin groups of 4-5 with the capacity to only produce 3-4 bags a day.Eight people are involved in the construction or quality checking of each bag throughout the process. 

With products 100% made in Italy with 100% Italian materials,the cost of tariffs and taxes are much higher than China (despite the recent headlines), Mexico, or other cheap importing countries. 

Is an Italian leather bag too much? When compared to a fast fashion bag from synthetic compounds, the answer is no. It’s smart.