How does a handmade Hermès Garden Party 23 bag in full black Togo leather achieve a truly high-end feel? Shebag has complete replication expertise in this area.

The reason Shebag’s all-black Togo leather Garden Party 23 can achieve a level of refinement comparable to the authentic bag lies in solving the three most common problems of black leather: a “plastic” look, cheap reflective shine, and an impure or flat black tone.

Low-end leather is often only surface-sprayed black, and when cut, the cross-section appears grey. Shebag uses a drum dyeing process, allowing the black dye to fully penetrate deep into the leather fibers. This results in a black that looks extremely deep and substantial, and even with minor wear, the inner layers remain pure black.

Hermès black is not a simple cold black, but a warm, inky black with depth. By carefully controlling the dye formula, Shebag eliminates the cheap blue or purple undertones often found in inferior black leather, creating a calm and refined visual effect under natural light.

If black leather is too glossy, it looks plastic; if too dry, it looks cheap. Shebag replicates Hermès’ specific polishing methods and oil balance, giving the Togo leather a semi-matte finish.
By incorporating special natural animal oils, the black leather develops a subtle, natural luster that seems to come from within the leather rather than from a surface-applied chemical gloss.

Black leather absorbs light, and if the grain is unclear, it appears flat and lifeless. Shebag precisely controls the duration of the tumbling process, allowing the natural pebbled grain of Togo leather to become fuller and more three-dimensional.

This pronounced grain creates subtle shadow variations across the black surface, which is a key factor in elevating the perceived “luxury” of a black bag.

For an all-black bag, the edge paint’s color and sheen must be perfectly unified with the leather. Shebag uses Italian Fenice edge paint and applies repeated cycles of “application, sanding, and reapplication,” resulting in edges that match the body in thickness, matte finish, and depth.

The stitching uses high-grade French Fil au Chinois thread, hand-waxed before sewing. On black leather, the stitching must not only be neat, but also convey a sense of tension and embedded strength within the leather — an aesthetic unique to true hand saddle stitching.