Is Your $3,000 Handbag Worth It? Tanner Leatherstein Has the Answer.

Is Your $3,000 Handbag Worth It? Tanner Leatherstein Has the Answer.

From The Business of Fashion Podcast by The Business of Fashion

March 27, 2026 · 48 min

About this episode

Volkan Yilmaz discusses the relationship between price and quality in luxury handbags and the consumer's evolving expectations.

Volkan Yilmaz — known to his millions of followers as Tanner Leatherstein — grew up in his family's tannery in Turkey, learning to convert raw animal hides into finished leather from the age of eleven.  That foundation took him through an improbable journey: a failed business venture in Turkmenistan, a green card lottery win, years driving trucks and cabs across New Jersey and Chicago, an MBA, a brief stint in management consulting he couldn't stand, an Etsy shop he built from scratch — and eventually, almost by accident, a viral video that changed everything. He started cutting luxury bags open. Applying acetone to test the finish. Burning the leather to verify tanning claims. Scratching the hardware to see what's underneath. And asking, what are you really paying for? “At upwards of $500, they’re not selling you a leather bag, they’re selling you a signal of status loaded on, hopefully, a good leather bag,” he says. “If I’m a customer of this brand paying $3,000, I know I’m buying a status signal, but at least I deserve the best quality of materials and craftsmanship.” Leatherstein joined BoF founder Imran Amed at our London offices to discuss what he's found inside some…

People in this episode

Host: Imran Amed

Guest: Volkan Yilmaz

Topics covered

  • luxury handbags
  • price vs quality
  • consumer behavior
  • leather craftsmanship
  • status symbols

Keywords

  • luxury handbags
  • leather quality
  • consumer expectations
  • status symbols
  • Tanner Leatherstein

Mentioned in this episode

Products: $3,000 Handbag, luxury bags

Places: Turkey, Turkmenistan, New Jersey, Chicago

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