My name is Marco. I have been working with leather in a small workshop outside Florence for over ten years. Every morning I arrive before the sun is fully up, and I spend my day cutting, stitching, and shaping leather that I hope will outlast me. I have seen beautiful bags ruined not by use, but by neglect — left in the wrong place, stored the wrong way. So let me tell you what I know.
A Bag Needs to Breathe
The first thing I tell everyone: leather is skin. It was once alive, and in many ways, it still is. It needs air. When you finish using your bag for the day, do not throw it into a dark corner of your wardrobe sealed in a plastic bag. Plastic traps moisture. Moisture is the enemy. It invites mildew, it softens the structure, it dulls the colour.
Instead, place your bag in a cotton dust bag — like the one we include with our Maglia. Cotton breathes. It protects from dust while letting the leather live.
Give It Its Shape Back
After ten years, I can tell you: a bag that loses its shape rarely gets it back fully. When you store your bag, stuff it gently with white tissue paper or a soft cloth. Not newspaper — the ink transfers and stains the lining. Just enough filling to hold the form, not so much that you stretch it.
Stand it upright. A bag that slumps on its side for months will begin to crease along the bottom, and those creases become permanent. Treat it like a guest — give it a proper place to rest.
Keep It Away from Light and Heat
In my workshop, we keep our leather away from the windows. Sunlight fades colour — slowly, invisibly, until one day you notice one side of your bag is lighter than the other. Heat dries the leather out, makes it brittle. A cool, dry shelf inside a wardrobe is ideal. Not the floor, where it can absorb cold and damp from the tiles.
The Hardware Deserves Attention Too
The gold clasps and chains on a fine bag are beautiful, but they scratch easily against each other. When storing, tuck chains inside the bag or wrap them in a small piece of soft cloth. I have seen bags come into our workshop for repair with deep scratches on the hardware — all from being stored carelessly. A small thing, but it matters.
Rotate. Always Rotate.
I have three bags of my own — yes, even artisans have favourites. But I rotate them. A bag that rests recovers. The leather relaxes, the handles straighten, the structure resets. If you carry the same bag every single day without rest, it will age faster than it should. Give each bag its week, its season.
One Last Thing
When I finish a bag in my workshop, I hold it for a moment before it leaves. I think about the hands that will carry it, the places it will go, the years it will travel. A well-made Italian leather bag is not a fast fashion item. It is a companion. Store it with that in mind, and it will reward you for a lifetime.
— Marco, leather artisan, Florence