I Put 450,000 Miles on a von Holzhausen Leatherette Bag. This is What it Looks Like

I’d never heard of von Holzhausen until I bought a leatherette bag in 2021. As the pandemic’s restrictions started to lift my travel schedule began to pick up again. I won’t call myself a road warrior, but I do travel a lot and depend on a good luggage system; I don’t check a bag, so I need luggage that will carry everything and still fit in the overhead bin. 

I was looking for a new tote to hold a coat, a pair of shoes, some camera equipment and still nest my handbag to meet Delta’s boarding requirements. After seeing the von Holzhausen tote in the Atlanta airport, I looked at the brand’s site and discovered that all products are leatherette, the Technik line made from a mix of plastics and plant-based materials. I hesitated; would it fall apart? Would it be able to withstand all I demand of a tote? Could it keep up with me? 

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But I took a chance and placed an order for the Large Shopper, which was $445. An expensive bag, I had high hopes for it. Leather alternatives are widely used for car interiors including upholstery, door panels and dashboards, from Toyota to Mercedes-Benz to Lincoln and Chevrolet. This would be a good test to see if it could stand up to what I’d put it through. 

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And then I learned something that made the purchase feel like kismet: the brand’s founder, Vicki von Holzhausen, is a former car designer. 

Just, wow. 

That little detail blew my mind. A car designer. A woman. A mom of two boys—she’s married to Tesla chief of interiors Franz von Holzhausen. Accessories made from the same materials as many car interiors. And, accessories built with an eye for style, which doesn’t always make the transition from automotive materials to fashion accessories. 

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Turns out, Vicki, a graduate of the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, CA, worked in the design departments at Mercedes-Benz, Audi and General Motors (which is where she met her husband). Working with leathers and more sustainable leather alternatives, she decided she wanted to pivot and develop her own line of materials that could replace leather. The result is the company that bares her name, as seen here on the authentication stamp on my own bag.

I will confess: I do love my leather goods, too. I only wear leather dress shoes and heels. I can’t (yet) stomach the idea of wearing a leatherette jacket. And most of my favorite handbags are leather. But my von Holzhausen leatherette bag is changing my mind. It’s as good, and in many ways, better, than leather.

In fact, since I bought my von Holzhausen leatherette bag I’ve replaced my Away roll-aboard bag twice (I’m ever grateful for its lifetime warranty, which is truly being put to the test). Another surprising detail? The resilience of the microsuede lining of the Large Shopper is impressive. It should look much, much more worn than this.

I fly 150,000 miles a year, sometimes more, and the routine goes like this: Clothes, shoes and toiletries go in my Away bag. Camera, tripod, travel necessities—masks, hand sanitizer and Liquid IV—and a coat if I need one, sometimes an extra pair of shoes, go in my von Holzhausen tote. My handbag has to hold my laptop, sunglasses, crossbody bag, cosmetic case and assorted cords and plugs and still nest in my von Holzhausen. 

My tote and handbag ride on top of the Away bag. I walk about 3 miles on a typical travel day, getting through security and to my gate, changing planes and then to my hotel or event. The tier of bags roll along with me the entire way. I can’t risk it not functioning properly. 

This bag really surprised me with its resiliency. Shortly after I got it, I took it with me on a test drive and photo shoot. We pulled off the road into a gravel parking lot to take photos and without thinking, I tossed my von Holzhausen on the ground beside me. I took my photos and when we were ready to leave, I picked up my bag and gasped in horror. The gravel had left white dents in the bottom panel and along the sides. Oh, well, there goes $445, I thought. I tossed the bag into the back seat thinking this was good lesson in the resiliency of vegan leather. 

And it sure was. When returned from our drive I retrieved my leatherette bag from the back seat and it was completely fine. The dents had healed and any dust on the bottom of the bag had rubbed off on the car’s carpeted floor. It looked brand new. I was not only relieved, I was thrilled. I knew this bag had passed the “me” test.

I love the color, the shape and the size. I love that its soft panels are flexible so I can overstuff it. I love that it has a magnetic closure so things don’t spill out when it’s sitting on the floor.

I do wish, however, that its shoulder straps were wider; the bag has a pair of thin leatherette cords that run through the ends of the bag and are knotted to keep them in place. However, I wish the straps were wider (the smaller Shopper bag has wide straps). I pack a lot in this tote and with full weight, the straps are too thin to be comfortable to carry, so I almost never carry it by itself. 

And were I designing it, I’d add some structure to the front and back panels so it’s not quite as slouchy. I think a bit more strength would make it easier to find things buried on the bottom. And last, there is one interior zip pocket and two open pockets; I wish there were more, or these were larger. But I’m not complaining; I really like the openness of the tote, which allows me to overstuff it with anything I need. 

Since I bought my Technik Large Shopper leatherette bag, von Holzhausen has moved on to creating materials from 100% plant based materials. Vicki von Holzhausen first took on the challenge of replacing leather with plastics and plant materials, but then realized that it’s not enough; its possible to use 100% plant materials, and that’s her mission. The main ingredient in her new products is bamboo, which not only is strong and resilient, but grows quickly. If you’ve ever had bamboo in your yard, you know. 

And, she’s back at it with automotive design. von Holzhausen provides materials to car makers and will custom fit the interior of Tesla models, so now you can have a red or tan interior in your Cybertruck. von Holzhausen also makes laptop and tablet covers, furniture and other home goods, ballet flats and fashion accessories. 

As for me, I’m happy with my von Holzhausen tote. Once I have my travel system in place I want it to stay there. But I’m always shopping, so if there’s a new leatherette bag that catches my eye and can do the job, I might give it a try—and see if it can go the distance of my von Holzhausen.