I just found one of my old Loewe bags from 15 years ago in my mom's closet, I was so excited to be reunited with this adorable little red bag, until I opened it up to find the mess that the lining has become. I have no idea what happened to it but the two sides stuck together and when I pulled it apart the entire lining became cracked and is now peeling off all over my hands. I am pretty sure it is some sort of synthetic material, although when I spoke to Loewe they insisted that it is leather. I have never seen leather do this before, it is not patent leather that would stick. I was told I can take it back to have it replaced which I am happy about but am still distraught that this would happen. The outside is still buttery soft and the leather is in perfect condition and just as lovable as it was 15 years ago but I can't get over how poor their lining quality is. Why would you end the superior craftsmanship at the zipper? Based on my conversation with them, I am sure this problem has been corrected for their current bags. But if you have this problem, at least they stand by their product and will fix it for you.
Older Louis Vuitton handbags have this problem, too (i.e. when their bags, mainly the canvas ones, were lined in that pale leahter-like material) - it cracks and peels like you wouldn't believe.
Your poor, poor Loewe! I feel for you, Kelly.
In the bag's defense, Taiwan is very humid and this happened to a Chanel bag I had stored in the closet of my old room at home in Taipei. But mine cracked on the outside, too.
At least Loewe said they'll fix it. Chanel wanted to charge me $500 to fix mine!
I'm sorry this happened to you Kelly - and you too, Tina. All the more reason to always stuff your bags with tissue paper when you store them. I do that religiously.
Ugh..the good thing, they can fix it. Leather lining needs extra care. I've read that leather bags should be stored with epsom salts/bicarb soda, to prevent mold/mildew as well.
Wow. 500 bucks to fix it? I am glad Loewe is taking care of the problem, even 15 yrs later! Chanel is so snobby, for them to be that PITA about it, they don't deserve such recognition that they get. That's pathetic. I don't think Hermes would even charge that much would they? let's just hope. good point though, to always take care of your bags to the fullest extent.
I had an LV bag in my closet from a few years back with the same problem now I couldn't carry it around looking like that.
Luckily though my bff bought me a new chanel bag, and my fiance bought me gorgeous diamond necklace from www.idonowidot.com that I wear whenever I carry the bag around so I can look chic when I'm downtown with my girlfriends. But I still miss my old LV bag.
So its a good thing they can fix it, I can't imagine how much my old bag would cost to get it cleaned up.
Cracking/peeling really does not indicate that the leather Loewe used is inferior. This happens to leather when it's not treated or isn't stored properly. I'm no expert, but I live in a humid country, with a serious bag obsession, and we're always sooo paranoid about maintaining the leather, and believe me, cracking/peeling is one of the things we are most vigilant about our precious bags. It really is tricky. The leather can be logged with all of that moisture that the leather just blisters and falls off, which I think what happened to your bag. I have a Loewe wallet and my SA always insists I treat it with leather lotion with mink oil to prevent this problem. What I like is that Loewe offered to replace it. Now that for me is what a luxury purveyor should be. :)
Has anyone ever found mold on a leather bag? A couple of weeks ago, I discovered white mold spots on the front of an unused leather bag stored in my closet that I bought at a sample sale last year. The leather repair store would not take the bag into the shop and advised that no solution to eliminating the mold would work successfully.
I deal in vintage bags, funky old stuff along with designer, and so many of them have this problem no matter what the pedigree, so sad! If you manage to get to your purse when it is just sticky and sweaty inside, not all crackly, a good sprinkling of baby or other talcum powder will really help alot with absorbing the moisture and getting rid of the smell a bit. Sorry Kelly, old Loewe bags are soooo aweosme, hope the repair works out well!
i had a calfskin ferragamo wallet that had a leather clasp that turned BLACK from use (BLACK from PINK)!!!!!
i also had mould growing on my satin jimmy choo shoes and was advised by the ladies at the jimmy choo boutique and their leather expert that no amount of cleaning would take it away!
If you are in Taiwan, it must be the humidity, my mum always keeps her bags in wardrobes with those mini dehumidifiers.. otherwise they do the sticky leather thing like the Loewe.
yep...that's what humidity does to bags. mold begins to form and then later on, the leather begins to crack. humidity's ruined a lot of my bags and i've learned my lesson. I now store my bags in a room with a dehumidifier to combat this.
Thank goodness I live in Chicago - I couldn't imagine having to deal with this humidity stuff - I'd go insane!!!
Maybe not having so many bags and using the ones on a regular basis and stuffing them with silk paper and in a dust bag, when not using them, might help to prevent something like this. I remember having canvas covered Dior bags with leather insides that turned rock hard,but then I stored them sometimes in a cold attic. Both pearls and leather love to be used frequently.
I am so sorry Kelly...
I own a couple of exotics with suede lining and they age really good. BS readers have you had any bad experience with suede interiors? I am concerned now.....
I was just going to comment that my suede lined bags have fared much better.
Also, it helps to keep your bags in its original box or in a container. I love see thru container store boxes, they keep the moisture out and if you also stuff the bags with tissue while stored in the box, they will last a lifetime :)
By the way, I have Hermes bags from the '60s and they're in perfect condition.
I've also had bags that cracked and peeled. My Louis Vuitton peeled inside. It was sticky and gross. A Longchampe tote cracked and peeled on the outside. It really must be humidity (wasn't so sure till I read the comments). I live in Manila.
the same thing happened to my mum's Gucci,
she was upset abt it because it was her favorite so i took it back to Gucci and they've replaced the lining with a nice canvas one :)
i think its the humidity too. i live in Malaysia
WOW~~I did NOT know such things can happen to bags, (and here I thought I knew everything about a bag) Thank Goodness I live in the desert!!
Be careful of your crocodile and python bags in the dry desert. They crack, you need to condition them often!
Thank YOU T!!~~I will be doing that ASAP!!! xox
The cause is constant change in humidity and bad storage. Bags are skin, you have to moisturise and protect, and store properly when not in use. This is a lesson for everyone. I have old vintage leather bags too. I can tell which previous owners were not so smart with their storage.
Anyway, I just went to Malaysia and bought a rawkin Loewe bag last week. I'm so glad Loewe is not widely distributed. Can't imagine the whole street overrun with Loewe like all those Louis Vuittons.
And what a fabulous offer on replacing the lining for free. That is a true luxury house.
My Chanel wallet is flaking a bit, but it's not due to humidity. I just don't take very good care of it.
In other news, I need advice on taking care of leather in the extreme dry cold. We sometimes reach the negative 50's Celsius, and it's a dryyyyyyyy cold. Sucks the moisture out of our leather. Any help?
I think it would be a good idea to post the best ways to store and care for our bags. This post is really making me worry if I am storing and caring for my bags the best way possible. Kaytey where do you live that it gets that cold?
Kelly, I don't think your bag cracking has anything to do with the quality. It looks just like my leather belt which had mold growing on it. I live in a very humid country, the only way to prevent it is to keep the aircon on and install a dehumidifer in your closet. I would not advise keeping the bags in boxes if you live in a humid place like S'pore/Malaysia etc as it doesn't allow the bag to breathe, any moisture trapped inside will remain there and it will eventually go moldy. You are very fortunate that Loewe are going to replace it for you! Just goes to show the power of the Bagsnobs! Us mortals would have just been told that we didn't store it properly!
It's rather unfair to blame Loewe and smear their reputation- no matter how great the quality, if a bag is stored improperly such problems are likely. I've had this happen to a Fendi of mine and have seen it in older Guccis, Vuittons, and Chanels, so apparently Loewe is not alone in making "poor quality" linings.
Izzie, I am glad to hear that Gucci will replace the lining. I do have one of their purses that had this problem (but not others that I got around the same time). Thank goodness I didn't throw it away yet. I will call their store tomorrow and see if they can do something about my purse. Kelly, what a very informative and relevant topic!