How to Treat, Protect and Look after Louis Vuitton Vachetta Leather
Vachetta leather is perhaps one of the most coveted leathers popularised by the luxury fashion house - Louis Vuitton.
We get so many questions from our customers asking how to best look after vachetta leather so we thought we'd write a post to answer the most common questions!
The Basics:
Vachetta is the name given to a type of premium cowhide leather that is largely untreated and unsealed. This means by nature, vachetta leather is more susceptible to water stains, grime and sunlight compared to other leather types.
What we love about vachetta is the patina process. The leather develops into a beautiful golden honey colour with use. The depth of patina depends on a variety of factors including how often the bag is used, exposure to sunlight etc. This means your vachetta will be unique with no two bags ageing the same way!
Treating and Protecting Brand New Vachetta:
We always recommend protecting your new purse before use. Luxegarde's Leather Protector is specially formulated to create an invisible barrier that protects against stains and grime without darkening the leather. In the below photo, we have treated the right side of this brand new vachetta strap yet you cannot tell the difference at all!
For a detailed instructions on how to protector vachetta leather and see live how effective Luxegarde's Leather Protector is at preventing water stains - see our post here: Why You Need to Waterproof Louis Vuitton Vachetta Leather Before Use
Patina:
We have seen a lot of blogs recommending using baby wipes to accelerate the patina process - we would caution against doing so unless the vachetta has already developed a dark patina. Baby wipes contain ingredients such as moisturising agents, oils and other additives that can remove the leather’s tanning agents, leading to a loss of colour and cracking. Worse still, it could leave stains on the leather particularly with light vachetta. Instead, we recommend regularly protecting vachetta and letting it patina naturally over time.
Cleaning Vachetta:
Forgot to protect you bag before use and got caught in the rain? Spray Luxegarde Leather Cleanser into a cloth, rub the cloth to foam up the cleanser, and gently work in small sections. Our Cleanser is light and specially formulated to give a uniform finish, whilst also removing any dust or dirt on the bag. Don't forget to restore and nourish the leather with a light coating of leather protector after cleaning.
Other Tips for Looking After Vachetta:
- Avoid using hand cream when carrying vachetta bags as the oils will unevenly stain the handles.
- If handing the vachetta handle on bags like the Pochette Metis stresses you out, it might be best to wrap the handle in a gorgeous silk twilly / bandeau instead.
- Store your bag in a dust bag in a cool, dry area away from sunlight
Conclusion:
Looking after vachetta might sound high maintenance but it doesn't have to be! Here at Luxegarde, we've all about keeping leather care simple but effective so you can spend more time enjoying your favourite purse. Our Luxegarde Combo Pack has all the basics you need to clean and protect your favourite LV bag - now with free worldwide shipping!
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Accidentally dropped hand sanitiser on your favourite Louis Vuitton bag? Our article takes you through a few simple steps to repair the coated monogram canvas!: How to Restore Hand Sanitiser Mark on Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas Bags