As I mentioned in my Hawaii shopping post, I picked up the Mochi bag and sunglasses case from the Valextra boutique in Ala Moana. I had never shopped there before (since I got my first Valextra bag through Matches Fashion), but I was pleasantly surprised by their service (my client advisor was a sweet Japanese lady) and Hawaii prices (I go into that in my Hawaii post). I never expected to buy anything, but fell in the love with the Mochi pouch bag. And it must be true love since it’s already in my top 10 most used bags of all time, which is really impressive for a bag that’s only a couple months old.
First a bit about, Valextra isn’t a mainstream brand, but they make quality leather goods with their Millepunte leather. It’s a coated leather, a lot like Hermes’ Epsom, but in a Valextra’s characteristic dot pattern. The leather is super durable like all coated leathers, but can feel plasticky to some. I actually don’t mind Epsom and the Millepunte, especially when it comes to structured bags. Using this kind of leather makes the bag super light and super durable. And yes it’s structured but both Epsom and Millepunte soften over time.
And even though Valextra doesn’t hand stitch their bags (as in they’re mostly machine stitched, much like Chanel and all the other brands except Hermes), the craftsmanship is impeccable. Valextra is known for their precise handpainted leather edging in their characteristic shiny black laquered edge painting called Costa. I wasn’t really a fan of the shiny edging in my first Valextra bucket bag, however I have to admit the shininess of the edging makes it super obvious if they make a mistake. So it’s rather impressive how clean every bag’s edging is.
Also each of Valextra’s bag is made by one artisan, which is indicated by their gold foil stamp serial code. So even though it’s not handstiched, it’s also not mass produced on an assemebly line.
So yes, Valextra is no Hermes, but at least it’s not a Chanel. And their prices have stayed fairly stable since they’re a rather obscure brand. Their most expensive, signature bag the Iside is about $4500, which yes is a lot but it’s not say the $10k+ of a Chanel flap. And because they’re relatively obscure, you can find their bags on the secondhand market for a good price (I saw my exact bag go for almost half the price on Japanese eBay 🥴). But that also means their resale value isn’t like Hermes or Chanel.
See my video above for a brief review of my Valextra Collection.
Anyway, onto the items I’ve purchased. The Mochi Pouch bag is a relatively new addition (within the last couple of years I think), and I fell in love with it because it’s one of the few bags from Valextra that is not structured. It’s amazing that they could make a coated leather bag that’s soft and malleable like mochi. Sure it doesn’t have the smoosh factor of uncoated leather, but considering how structured all their other bags are, the Mochi Pouch is a real standout. The bag can be converted from a handheld bag to a crossbody with the addition of a longer strap that just snaps in. Unfortunately, that means the strap isn’t adjustable so if you’re on the tall side, you might find the crossbody length to be too short. But I’m 5’4” and find that the length hits just right.
The inside is line with black canvas so it can be a bit of a black hole in there. But it also can fit quite a bit!
See my video above where I show all the things that can fit inside the Mochi Pouch (all the essentials + a water bottle). And as I mentioned in the video, the Valextra Mochi Pouch measures about 9”H x 5”W x 4”D (with the depth being a bit variable since it can extend beyond the 4” base when full—the sides balloon out so to speak). The strap drop is 21” for the crossbody length. And the bag weighs 11.4 oz empty.
Honestly, I used this bag 35+ times and it’s fast becoming one of my most used bags (by next year it’ll be in the top for sure). I think part of it is the fun light lavender color, which is the only one of it’s kind in my closet. I also love the capacity, light weight, and durability. If I ever see a secondhand one out there in a different color, or maybe one on sale, I’m pretty sure I’ll snatch it up. It’s just one of those bags I’d love to get multiples of.
As for the glasses case (my gray one on sale here), it’s what I originally went in the store for. I’ve been looking for something that I could hang on the outside of a purse or wear around my neck. So yes, $410 for a glasses case is quite steep. But considering that I’m using it everyday, it’s turned out to be a good purchase. I have yet to find one in this style that has the clip on the case so that I can attach it to bags. Plus the two glasses case and mochi pouch together look really cute!