My take: mdbm.uk bag has great style and is well constructed. However... doesn't even smell like leather, so I'm thinking vegan leather (vinyl). The hardware (buckles, zipper) are, I'm guessing, zinc alloy that has been coated with gold-colored plating. Still, this has a lovely appearance. Return address in LA is from Zhao Meng. Hmm. UK by way of China? Real bait-and-switch. Anyway, I do think the purchase is nice, but make sure to look for a discount code for it to be worth it.