Hi clever leather workers!

I'd like to ask a question on how to make a stiff leather corner neatly. It's a turned construction so I really doubt I'll have much success, to be honest.

I've been asked by my client to work with saffiano leather. Essentially, it's a chrome tan with a coating on it. Feels kinda plasticy and stiff, it's really not my first choice for this style of bag. Personally, I don't like saffiano leather, it doesn't feel like real leather to me. It feels cheap and nasty and plastic. No smell of leather either, which is what I love most about leather working.

I have tried skiving it really thin, I've cut into the curves to make it fit into the corners better, pretty much anything I can think of and it still looks rubbish. Even my stitching just won't cooperate and look nice and even. 

Essentially, I want the corners to look like the brown pouch pictures. This is a gorgeous chrome tanned German leather that I picked up from the trade expo as a sample hide. I had a few small bits left from a bag I made so I though I'd use them to experiment with. how to clean saffiano leather

I also have a hide of it in a beautiful wine colour and I'm trying to talk them around to letting me use that instead of their leather, as I doubt I'm going to get a nice finished product and I'm way too fussy to do a half measure.

Does anyone have any tips on how I could make the Saffiano work? I've attached some pics of my sample pieces for your info. 

Thanks so much!