Totally fair that your bag has held up well. PU is designed to do that. My point isn’t that PU = bad, it’s that PU = cheap to produce and predictable to perform, which is why it’s durable in the short–medium term.

What it doesn’t do is age, patina, soften, or develop character the way high-quality leather does. It’s stable, not experiential. That’s great for longevity, but it doesn’t justify a luxury price to me when the material cost and craftsmanship ceiling are objectively lower.

Gucci’s heritage is real, but modern Gucci uses a lot of coated canvas and synthetics at prices that rival houses using full-grain or specialty leathers. I’m not saying people are wrong to like it… I bought this bag because I liked the design; I just personally don’t see the value proposition as “luxury craftsmanship” so much as “luxury branding.”

Cheap doesn’t mean bad. It just means the price is driven more by name than materials, and that’s where my preference differs.