Loewe Puzzle Fold Tote Honest Review

Genevieve Go

February 1

This was one of the buzzier bags of the last couple of years, so I was really curious to see it in action in person. Unfortunately, they only had the small ones available on display at Rinascente in Milan last November, but I think it gives us a good enough basis as to the overall quality and functionality.

The parts where there are seams are slightly thicker & stiffer, which is why it helps the bag follow the fold because the parts with softer leather will collapse first along the lines

Stitches look machine-made, good consistency. Some of the flesh side of the leather or glue bits are peeking out a bit at the folds (I've marked them below), but this isn't necessarily a deal breaker (it doesn't affect the bag's strength or functionality, it's more of an aesthetic thing haha)

I am a little bit concerned about these being the only stitches attaching the handles to the bag body. I checked photos of the large tote, and they also only have a small "X" attaching the handles to the bag. It probably won't be an issue for this small one (unless you're carrying a bowling ball or some canonballs in there hahaha), but for the large one, it is a point of concern. Especially because the leather is quite thin and soft--this means that they may be more likely to tear (the stitches are like perforations on the leather, basically) with enough force/ weight pulling down.

The exterior of the bag is described as calfskin on the site, but there was no info on the material used for the lining. It's suede-like but I am suspecting it might be microfiber, because it looks and feels very similar to LV's Empreinte Tote interior, which made me feel very cheated :))

Attachments for a detachable shoulder strap inside (this is the small tote so it can double as a crossbody), but otherwise it's just a very basic, open tote. No closure or pocket (although I imagine these would hinder the foldability element, so they are understandably absent).

Unlike Mansur Gavriel's totes, you can see here a line of stitches along the top edge of the bag, meaning the outer leather is stitched together with the interior lining, and not just glued. In the case of Mansur's bags (the bucket bag and the tote, at least), they are not stitched, so I had to glue them back together when a friend of a friend brought one to me for repair.

Mini discussion: Suede vs Microfiber, what's the big deal?

Suede is lovely to touch, but a real pain to maintain and keep clean. It is not ideal to use as the sole material for a bag, as it is not very strong. Suede is basically the flesh side of leather. Leather has a top grain part which is the side that has the color, "grain" (pebbled, croc stamped, etc.), and is basically the strongest part. Leather, after tanning, starts out very thick, so tanneries usually "skive" or shave them down to make them ready for most general uses, like bags, furniture, shoes, etc. The layer that gets shaved off is the flesh side of the leather, which is the weakest side, which is now your suede. Now, suede for load-bearing items is not a good idea, but it's great for using as bag lining!

Microfiber is just fabric.. basically polyester or something. Cost-wise, I guess brands are switching to using this because it can come off as suede-like but costs a lot less than suede. When you've paid so much for a good quality bag or a luxury bag (since the two are not always one and the same, haha), it seems like a bit of a cheat to find out the material you thought was suede is actually polyester. So not luxe. And I think that I've also seen in some bag forums that the microfiber linings seem to wear down a lot more quickly too. I'll try to find proof or confirmation somewhere what the actual lining material is here and in the puzzle bag (which I think has a similar lining).

And with that, back to the review:

Here is how the side looks when it's folded

It was pretty easy, and the way it folds really is quite clever. If you're not planning on bringing such heavy things, I think this could be a good backup bag for travel. However if you're a bring-everything-you-could-possibly-need type of packer like I am (when is my bag ever not heavy haha), this bag's construction may not be able to withstand the weight of everything plus the kitchen sink, so to speak.