Elite Style Handbag / Shoulder bag is made of Italian vegetable tanned leather. It is not vegan leather, it is a hide that has been processed by hand with natural and plant-based extracts, not mass-produced in factories. Vegetable tanned leather is tanned using tannins from plants (tree bark). This is one of the oldest methods of leather tanning. Due to the careful tanning process and the natural tannins, vegetable tanned leather develops a rich and beautiful patina, and actually gets better with time and use. It doesn't crack or dry out and thus has a very long lifespan. It has an earthy and natural tone and smell.