Skip to content
CHANBV

Materials

The Art ofMaterials.

Explore the textures and materials behind our bag collections.

Layered swatches of tan, cream and brown leather beside a brass-studded bag in warm window light

Four materials, four characters.

Each material below is described on its own terms. Which one a style uses is set out on its product page.

Close-up of smooth chocolate brown PU leather with a fine even grain and a stitched seam

PU Leather

Close-up of tan-brown cowhide leather showing natural pores, fine creases and tonal variation

Genuine Cowhide Leather

Close-up of camel split cowhide leather with a finished face and an exposed fibrous cut edge

Split Cowhide Leather

Close-up of glossy espresso brown PVC with a fine crosshatch emboss and crisp highlights

PVC

Look closer.

Engineered consistency

A synthetic leather made by coating a fabric base with polyurethane. The surface is manufactured, so grain, colour and finish can be specified and repeated across a run.

Read the full details
Close-up of smooth chocolate brown PU leather with a fine even grain and a stitched seam

Move over the texture to magnify. On touch screens, tap or drag. Illustrative texture imagery.

What each material is.

Close-up of smooth chocolate brown PU leather with a fine even grain and a stitched seam

Engineered consistency

PU Leather

A synthetic leather made by coating a fabric base with polyurethane. The surface is manufactured, so grain, colour and finish can be specified and repeated across a run.

  • Polyurethane coating on a fabric backing
  • Grain pattern is embossed, so it stays consistent from piece to piece
  • Offered in a wide range of colours and finishes
  • Synthetic: not made from animal hide
See styles in PU Leather
Close-up of tan-brown cowhide leather showing natural pores, fine creases and tonal variation

Natural hide, natural grain

Genuine Cowhide Leather

Leather made from cattle hide. The surface carries the natural pores and fine variations of the hide, so no two pieces look exactly alike.

  • Made from real cattle hide
  • Natural grain and tonal variation are part of the material
  • Surface appearance depends on the grade and finish chosen
  • Feel and weight vary with the tannage and thickness
See styles in Genuine Cowhide Leather
Close-up of camel split cowhide leather with a finished face and an exposed fibrous cut edge

The lower layer of the hide

Split Cowhide Leather

A cowhide is separated into layers. Split leather comes from the lower layer, away from the outer surface, and is usually finished with a coating or embossed grain to give it a finished face.

  • Cut from the fibrous lower layer of the hide
  • Often coated or embossed to create an even surface
  • Can also be left with a napped, suede-like face
  • A different grade from top-grain and full-grain cowhide
See styles in Split Cowhide Leather
Close-up of glossy espresso brown PVC with a fine crosshatch emboss and crisp highlights

Smooth, uniform surface

PVC

A plastic material, polyvinyl chloride, formed into a flexible sheet and usually laminated to a fabric backing. Finishes range from smooth and glossy to embossed textures.

  • Fully synthetic, plastic-based material
  • Surface finish is manufactured, from glossy to matte or embossed
  • Colour and texture are consistent across a run
  • Clearly different from leather and from PU leather
See styles in PVC

Styles by material.

Only styles with a confirmed material are listed under it. We do not guess a material from a photograph.

PU Leather

6 confirmed

Genuine Cowhide Leather

2 confirmed

Split Cowhide Leather

3 confirmed

PVC

1 confirmed

Material to be confirmed

5 styles

These styles are in the catalogue and their material is shared on request. Open a style to enquire, and our team will confirm the material for you.

Find Your Next Favorite Style.

Tell us the style and the material you have in mind. Our team will reply on WhatsApp.

Chat on WhatsAppBrowse all collections