Girls, I am devastated. I got this bag a week ago and have carried it about 4x.
I love it, its gorgeous, perfect, etc. I got a million compliments.
And then a flower petal dropped on it.
I'm not kidding. The bag has a huge yellow stain from a FLOWER PETAL. I took it to a leather place/shoemaker and he said it's stained and I have to dye it, and it's going to look weird there. He said, "the best way to not ruin this bag quickly is to not wear it." Apparently the color and type of leather is just incredibly stainable. And I asked if I could treat it with something to protect it, and he said, I could, but it wouldnt really protect it from anything except major water stains.
I am devastated. I cried. I'm not kidding. Sigh.
Just wanted to warn anyone else thinking about this bag. Apparently its only meant to be looked at and not touched.
ps... I don't suppose there's any way I could complain to Active Endeavors and get some kind of compensation??? Thoughts?
Can you take it to another leather person for a "second opinion"? There must be something someone can do- last winter I left a red sharpie marker in my brand new Anna Corinna bag and the damn thing exploded and stained through the lining. I too, cried, and am not afraid to admit it!
I was able to find an excellent leather cleaner who was able to get 99% of the stain out (they had to re-dye the stained section) They also told me that the leather my purse was made of was super soft and delicate, but they were able to fix it...seems like a flower petal stain would be much easier to treat than a red sharpie, but I'm no leather expert...
Anyway, I would definitely take the purse to another leather expert- it would be a shame not to be able to wear your purse again!
I would contact both Active Endeavors and Gsutto. Gsutto should care about this concern and something like that shouldn't happen to an expensive bag, or should at least come with a warning. This is going to make them look bad, and of course make you not want to endorse them. I'd bring it to their attention. I would think they would make a point to replace the bag or refund your money. This is unacceptable.
__________________
Fashion your life as a garland of beautiful deeds. -Buddha
Holy crap, I would be so mad! And believe me, for the price you paid for that bag, you have every right to cry over a stain! I would call Active Endeavors and ask about a refund, I'm not familiar with their return policy so I'm not sure what they could offer you. It's definitely worth a shot. As gorgeous as the bag is, I'd return it if at all possible because even if someone can get the stain out, you'll forever be scared you're going to stain it again.
I had a VERY similar experience with an off-white leather bag about a year ago. I was walking in a conference that was crowded with the bag over my arm, and I guess someone was holding out a pen getting ready to write something..they bumped into me and accidentally left a long, thin, black pen mark in the middle of my bag!!! I was PISSED. I tried to clean it myself, and then it only got worse and I went through the same thing as you - dying wouldn't help and would be expensive.
i think you should try getting it cleaned again. My honest take on the situation though is that leather is difficult to clean. its not like the bag is made from faulty leather or anything- its just the nature of the material. And white leather tends to be baddd news- especially if its soft (not slick/plasticky). I've spent hundreds of dollars on off-white bags to have them ruined within a few wears. The designer should have had the foresight to realize that a bag of that material wouldn't have been practical, but other than that, I'm not sure its their fault =/ Sorry girl, i woulda cried too. I think i have actually.
mara- i feel your pain. a few weeks after i purchased my bulga last year- i wore my new black gauchos. the ink from the gauchos stained the bag and i was also told b/c of the softness of the leather, etc. that it couldn't be cleaned without altering the state of the bag. i was devastated... overall, i was pretty dissapointed with my bulga- but thats a whole 'nother story...
i would get a 2nd opinion but also contact the manufacturer as well.
oh no!! thats why I'm alwats scare of white bags. I'd def get a second opinion though.
I'll never forget how once when I was little a cobbler gave my Mom a really hard time about somethng- I think she wanted some shoes resoled. He was a total ass. Later we found out (it was a small town) it was because the baby doll that I was carrying was black. I was like 5 max, and I knew this guy was an ass. Point of the story? Sometimes you don't know what will set a person off and make them just not want to do anything for you. Not that it's always the case, but a second opinion is always a necessity when hearning what you don't want.
He was a total ass. Later we found out (it was a small town) it was because the baby doll that I was carrying was black. I was like 5 max, and I knew this guy was an ass. Point of the story? Sometimes you don't know what will set a person off and make them just not want to do anything for you. Not that it's always the case, but a second opinion is always a necessity when hearning what you don't want.
Ok sorry I'm know help anout the bag, and not to hi-jack the thread but an ass is an understatement.
I read somewhere that you can clean white leather bags with Oxyclean. You just put a little on a cloth and rub. I've never tried it but it might be worth a shot.
I'm sorry Mara! That sucks and I would have cried too.
I can see how the leather on that bag would stain easily - it's so soft and so porous. I hope you can get a free replacement from Gustto - keep us posted!
oh no! i feel responsible! the people at active endeavors are super nice, so i hope they work with you. i ordered the bag, then cancelled it because of your review. thanks for the review but i'm super sad for you. now i know why i don't have a cream bag in my collection.
__________________
"i tell you one lesson I learned
If you want to be something in life, You ain't gonna get it unless, You give a little bit of sacrifice, Oohh, sometimes before you smile you got to cry.." -The Roots