Such a great video! I speak to people from China, they go to work just like you and me. I’m surprised at some people get outraged by goods being made in China all the while watching our video and commenting on an iPhone😂😂.
Hi Winnie.. here’s the difference no tec companies manufacture cell phones in USA. the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max 256GB, is NOT made in China .. China has dominated production.. so the choices left are slim to none. So it begs the ? If I had a choice would I would buy a bag made in China? No. Because I have a zillion other choices. It is not a free enterprise in China it’s forced labor..
@@DREAMCATCHER33316 Hi!! Yes, but we buy many things every single day that we have no idea if indeed it is made in China or not. Do you see what I’m saying? I’m neither for or against buying goods made in a certain place, I just think it would curl our hair to know many of the things we use all day long or maybe components of those things, are made in China. I love my heating and cooling in my house and that’s what my husband sells. 1/3 of all the HVAC equipment is now made in China. I’m definitely not giving it up. Lol
Preach, most microchips are made in China, my Ford dealership has the truck but not the computer components it's a fun conversation unless your living off commission
As someone who has been in the fashion industry for many years, and been to many country’s and factory’s I can tell you for a fact there is good and bad quality, materials and working conditions in every country. In China a manufacturer that is producing high quality luxury items it going to do just that. There are factory’s in China that are nicer than some in Italy, America, Europe etc. I think you explained this well. Bottom line is if you buy a 25$ bag you’ll prob get $25 worth of quality and materials, if you buy a $5000 bag you should expect quality and excellent craftsmanship regardless of where it’s made. Many lux brands make most parts of their items in China and assemble them in other places. China also has their own luxury brand (like how America has Coach) and they’re excellent quality.
I think there is an important piece of the puzzle missing. Do we know if the Chinese workers that assemble bags in Italy are paid the same wage as other (Italian) workers? Do they work under the same conditions? Are they unionized? We do know that in the 1860’s, Chinese workers were brought to the U.S. to work on the Transcontinental Railroad. These workers were paid less and lived in sub-standard housing (tents) versus the American workers. This was profit driven. If the fashion houses are increasing profits by using Chinese workers and the wage/benefits do not equal those of Italian workers, that would lead me to believe that profit is the motivating factor and I would have a difficult time supporting that. It would have nothing to do with the ethnicity of the individual constructing the bag.
Agreed. I would love to know about this. Here in Texas, we pretend the immigrants crossing our border are not doing so because of the companies here who will gladly hire them at lower wages and not pay them benefits or overtime. We blame the immigrants for crossing illegally when it's just as much (if not moreso) the US companies to blame for supporting them coming in the first place. Most of the janitorial staffing in any major mall or commercial building is likely here illegally, and I know of cases where a company representatives actually helped people obtain social security numbers and documentation. (If you ran background on the SS numbers--which very few companies do--you found they were linked to people who had died or were living in other states.) Its modern-day exploitation with a dose of racism added. I can't imagine the Chinese workers in Italy, for example, are not similarly exploited. Great food for thought--especially given the insane price increases the luxury goods houses have enacted during the last 3-4 years. If that money was going to workers, it would be one thing. If all I'm doing is lining oligarch's pockets, I need to rethink my luxury purchases.
Yesss! I deal with this illegal issue all the time at work (medical practice in FL). At the end of the day the exploitive American companies are looking to get off on the cheap.
This is a brilliant video and so was Connor’s. I think it’s hilarious especially when Hermes lovers still believe the little old man sits there making their bag uninterrupted… have you seen it? You believe this rubbish? Honestly it’s so romanticised these sorts of conversations need to be had to stop the elitism happening in luxury and many other parts of the market.
Dale.. I think the deal breaker is it’s a communist country .. I will not support that. I buy nothing from China unless there is no other choice ie: iPhone So I perceive their goods as Bad. Ps if you opened your new Fendi baguette & the tag sewn in said Made in China.. & you paid Thousands & waited months knowing it was forced labor that created it I believe your jaw would drop. I buy hermes not because of an old man sitting on a bench.. I buy hermes because my bag will outlive me & 2 more generations & a Chinese quality bag will be a Goodwill in no time. Quality & craftsmanship.. I don’t care who makes my bag. I do want someone who wasn’t forced
I’ve known this since COVID… one reason it hit Italy so bad was workers from Wuhan were going to Italy to work … and then luxury houses wonder why items are duplicated in China … You explained this extremely well.
A couple of things. If the company isn’t transparent about their manufacturing then that’s an issue. If they are labeling it “made in Italy” and it’s made in China then yeah, I don’t like being lied to. If I’m spending 25,000 on a bag (I never have and never will) for a bag “made in Italy” it better be made there! Second I totally agree with what you said as well!🙃😆
When I was in Florence, Italy, I went into a leather store. The Italian proprietor tried to induce me to buy by telling me that he, an Italian, made the items in his shop. “Not some Chinese like many stores.” It was not said in a kind or even neutral way. Yeah. Racism definitely plays a part.
I had a similar experience in Venice, Italy a few years ago. The Italian shopkeeper said these handbags are made in Italy and not made by Chinese or in China.
@@deniseann3012 yes, I remember walking past a store in Venice and there was a sign in the window that said "none of the items in this store were made in China".
So true and well spoken. It's something I have known for years. Some countries have been making items for centuries and have the expertise! It's about time people understand that!!
Hi! Swedish person here! We have the same association with things made in China as you have it seems. We like Made in Sweden, though most things aren’t made here anymore. I’m guessing most luxury bags are made in China at least a part of the process. The EU labour laws ARE better than elsewhere.
I asked someone what's the difference between contemporary brands verses luxury brands, the thought was becasue contemporary brands are made in China and lux brands European. I personally love contemporary brands and I get excited if it's made in the USA. I would love a US made louie.
Wow. I am altering my opinion 180 about " made in China". This could be one of your most important videos! Way to starting changing the world, Autumn! Thank you.
Totally forgot I did that video! I love this Autumn, you’re fantastic at critical thinking and always look at both sides of the coin. I must admit that I’m swept up in the European fairytale and chose to believe it’s some little old craftsman making the bag start to finish! On the other hand; I’d want my electronics to be from china vs Europe!
My only concern is that the actual bag is made from the skin it states . I live in the UK , we slaughter cows pigs sheep rabbits for food & skins but the thought of carrying or eating any other animal revolts me , China as we all know eat and kill anything with a face , so that’s where my fear comes in that underhand practices may take place and skins are swapped with dog cat donkey etc , on the other hand my Chinese friends are horrified we kill and eat cows , I think it’s cultural to an extent and if we are all honest one animal shouldn’t favour over another 😢but again I think that’s up to the country you are brought up in . I always buy Chinese and Japanese electronics Watches and Chinese vegetables to feed my bunnies , and find the Chinese so accommodating and their manners impeccable. I’ve went off on a tangent sorry Autumn Great video as always xx
Hi Autumn. I’m glad that you brought this topic up. My sister has a friend who was a lux brandy shoe designer. He lived in Milan and hand picked all his leathers and exotics in Italy. At first, all his designer shoes were completely manufactured and some handmade in Italy. But the costs to manufacture them there kept going up and up. So to lower costs, he still used the Italian leathers but then found a shoe manufacturer in Brazil to actually make his shoes. Unfortunately, for many reasons, his company went belly up. I think that’s why these design houses use Chinese workers. It must save them money. As for me personally, I do believe that the lux designer brands are having significant trouble with quality lately, especially with handbags. I wouldn’t mind knowing that someone from China made my new Gucci or Prada in Italy if that person was highly skilled and trained in the Italian manufacturing of leather goods. What I do have a problem with of products made in China, besides poor working conditions, is the Chinese government. In no way do I ever want to support or contribute to a communist government that has working concentration camps. As for the Chinese people themselves, especially the poor working class, my heart goes out to them.
Ok, nothing wrong with hard working people anywhere, but… I do not go and spend $5000+ on an Italian or French branded company to be made in China. Could I be misled into understanding that maybe 1 of 3 parts was done somewhere else, yes. Is their a Chinese Designer House that has designed something that I have gone and said, “ I must have that!” No, it is usually a knock off of some other House.
So when I go to a restaurant that is Thai as a half thai person that lived in Thailand I ask the waitstaff where the cooks from, why because a flavor profile is not exactly the same when taught especially thai food. So some food I will order from a non native cook and some not, i sort of think that's how some people feel about leather working. I am not one of those people I feel leather work is a skill and it sort of matters what the material is more.
Thank you for such a thought provoking video Autumn. I have often challenged my own ideas about this topic. I live in Canada, and Canadians generally have the same opinion about buying Canadian made items or products. Although, not much nowadays is made in Canada. Another thought that this video brought to mind is the topic of counterfeit designer handbags. I can imagine that some of the artisans that go to Italy to learn how to make these designer handbags from the design houses then go on to make their own mirror quality counterfeit designer bags.
Excellent point. I’m from Canada as well. And what do you think of buying mirror quality luxury bags? That could be another very interesting topic for sure!
With the high demand for certain designer bags, I am not surprise that parts are made in other countries. It helps the companies meet their bottom line. $$$
"It doesn't matter if it's made in Italy, USA or China"... But the LV or Gucci or Prada tag says 'Made in France' so I'd expect 100% of the bag to be made in France. And clearly they aren't since the canvas, hardware components, maybe even some leathers, and the tools to make the bags are all manufactured in China. This is why I don't buy designer brands and if I really love a style, I just buy a replica or a dupe. Its no different than the original since they both are "manufactured" in China right? IDC where it came from as long as it's good quality and if leather artisans in Italy have to go through rigorous training to make a certain bag then clearly China is not using children for labor because their motor skills are physically incapable of comparing to a seasoned artisan, as many major fashion houses claim they use to make their products. And if they're importing people from other countries than what's the difference between the geographic location that they physically made the bag? That's actually worse if you think about it because they're taken away from their families and home just to fit a legal standard for advertising a product as 'Made in X Fancy Country'. I don't understand how anyone can argue that luxury brands are ethical at all anymore, or at least they're certainly not "more ethical" than their Chinese factory counterparts.
We definitely romanticise goods… silks from China, brushes from Japan, leathers from Spain, cars from Germany etc. and we are willing to pay more as we like to think a small team of skilled artisans have meticulously worked on each item, having honed their craft for the past 30 years. There’s no denying that China is known for not paying employees well and poor working conditions but sadly, that can be said for many Western countries these days. Regardless of where a product is made, people who are pushed to work faster, or for longer, will make mistakes. Maybe labels should read “Designed in France. Assembled in (*insert country) with 72% local product by a workforce comprising 36% Eastern Europeans, 42% Chinese nationals, 14% Italians, 8% other nationalities. “
Fantastic topic to continue the conversation. Culture ebs and flows due to societal pressure, colonialism, economics, genocide, immigration. So many of us can point to instances in our own lives where we had to assimilate and code switch in order to gain opportunity. For me, as a handbag 👜 addiction, I want quality and craftsmanship. This made me think of a backpack that was made for me 20 years ago by a shoe repair shop by ✋️ no machine. It is the one object I will never part with because of the person who I watched for days (after coming from work) craft that 🎒 (even the thread). Things can be replaced, not people or living things.
I heard about that about 15y ago. China knew it had a bad reputation and started their manufacturing abroad. And then the story on that stopped. Wonder why.
A long time ago (over 20 years ago…yes, I’m vintage) I used to work for an American company which made chemical products at different in-house facilities in different countries of the world (including USA, Australia, Philippines, China, and Japan, amongst others). Products were made at these differ locations as worker pay was not the only factor influencing price (there was shipping raw materials, shipping finished products, import taxes etc). Using the same formula, theoretically the result should be the same regardless of location. In reality, the raw materials could come from different sources or sit at different temperatures, the equipment could be different, the workers had different levels of experience and training, the water and atmosphere was different in each site, worker laws varied (eg, rest breaks, holiday leave), management quality, and there were also different mindsets to how closely to stay within the quality thresholds. The finished products had discernible differences depending on their site of manufacture. The local markets had different expectations of the end product also.🎉
Excellent points Autumn. I admit that I have one LV bag that is made in USA and I do feel sorry for it. It’s absolutely and completely irrational, yet in my head (scary place that it is) o have a hierarchy of where I like my bags to be made, and ideally the country of origin for the brand will always top that list.
This is so true. Chanel is mass produced, people are ignorant to the fact they are made the same way and in the same kind of factories as the ones in China. You make a lot of interesting points
I've also seen video footage that states in Italy, it's also not uncommon as one would think to hire an African immigrants to work on some sectors of manufacturing, and the Italians often underpay them...the conditions are sometimes subpar. It is very true about Italy having a Chinese community who are working in manufacturing, and even owning fashion brands with Italian names that end up being sold in America. For example, if you see a handbag company with an Italian name that you're not familiar with yet it's a decent to well-made bag that retails under $800, there's a chance it's from an Chinese-owned fashion brand in Italy. Same thing with apparel items. I've even been told south Korean busineses have fashion-related manufacturing in Italy where non-Italians are the labor force.
Very eyeopening, Autumn. Thank you so much for breaking this down and for questioning the reasoning behind looking down on products made in China or any other country that people don’t associate with quality and pride of craftsmanship. I’m going to check out Connor’s video, too. Awesome!
I agree with you. Like you, I’ve thought extensively about this. As you know there are artisans selling their own handbags that they make themselves. I’m an Artist, (I paint in oil mostly) and have met some of these people during exhibitions and conventions. It might be an interesting idea, to gather some of these people whom I’m certain there are plenty of in the USA and show their wares? I personally would absolutely love to watch that video. Just a suggestion. Thank you for the links and interesting articles. Yes as I may have told you, my dad used to sell handbags wholesale growing up so I know a lot about this and yes, when the item is finished in the country that it’s in. They have the right to put the country that it’s made 10:49 in on the label of the item, regardless, of where it started to be made. and I think that may have been true back in the 70s when my dad used to sell them? But I wouldn’t remember because I was only 10 years old. Anyways I love your videos and the content and I enjoy watching them. Keep them coming, I look forward to your next video.
EXCELLENT topic, excellent video.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 TFS! As long as the product is well made with great quality materials, I've never had a problem with WHERE it was made or WHO made it.
For me, as an African American women who grew up on the east side of Detroit, when I bought my luxury bag from LV I thought it extra special to get one from France. One reason is because it is a French fashion house, and the other reason was because if I never get to go to France, I can still feel like I have a little peace of it with my bag made in France. Now if they didn't have one in from France I still would have purchased it, but it was just a little extra special to have that price of France, in my eyes. I am finishing up my 3 Rd degree ( Masters), and I plan on traveling afterwards because I haven't traveled much of anywhere. I will be able to, but who knows if I will ever go to France, so I can romanticize through my little made in France bag.
I think the main association is with the concept of using child labor and sweatshops. However I feel like if any of these luxury brands got caught doing that there would be backlash, so I don’t see them using those kinds of factories. I have seen comments though that the reason why the ultra luxury brands are so much better than the contemporary designer brands like Kate Spade, etc is the LV and Hermes are made by artisans and the Kate Spade etc brands are mass produced in factories in China. One point someone made for those against things made in China was “where do you think the phone or computer or tablet you are using is made. Makes sense.
Great video, all manufacturing pretty much involves some element from China - country of origin stamps is indeed a big topic and it is completely unrealistic to think a bag with say ‘made in Italy’ is 100% Italian, they just don’t manufacture all the component parts. Of course bag manufacturers will need to adhere to regulations in the country they are selling the bags and not mislead. I believe in the UK to claim it is ‘made in the uk’; “you will need to demonstrate that there is either a ‘substantial transformation’ and/or that at least 50% of the manufacturing of / value added to such products is completed in the UK” - and of course for imports you have to have the origin. Italy / France will have some similar EU regulations. So it leaves a bit of room for adding in parts from say China or elsewhere. Anyway, great video thanks for bringing it up and raising awareness.
Interesting topic! I can honestly say that I’ve never once thought about the race of the person or people making my handbag, nor do I care much about where any of my bags where “made” as along as the quality is what I’m expecting to get when I spend a fair amount of money for a product (which so far I haven’t found any correlation between “made in” location and quality issues). I do think it’s not cool to label something as “made in” if a majority of that product isn’t actually made or put together in that place, but this practice can probably be said about almost all products across all markets today, so why would anyone be under the impression that these luxury products are any different? I personally don’t care all that much about what is labeled on my bags, but I would if I were to hear that a brand is in fact using something that could be considered a sweat shop or anything like that.
I have known for a while that "made in " wasn't meaningful as it can just mean that finishing or assembly steps happened in the stated country. But there is still that cache, a kind of mental bias. But you are so right, it is the specifications of the brand that define the quality of the materials and construction, plus the quality assurance on the end product. If bag quality is going down blame the brand for cutting corners not the site of manufacture. The problem for China is that they have a general reputation for producing cheap crappy products which taints the perception of the high quality product they can also produce.
Such an interesting topic ! Where my luxury item is made is honestly the furthest thing from my mind (I think I only know where my Noe was made). I loved the point you made about contributing to the world economy and supporting businesses globally ! Great video ☺️☺️
This is a great video. Thank you for doing this. It’s all smoke and mirrors. They are businesses. It’s all about money and the lower the cost of labor the higher the profit.
I have a friend who is Taiwanese and lived in China for many years. He owned a factory there. I get the impression that for themselves, the Chinese can make high quality items. But unfortunately, for the American market, we usually shop for cheap, and that’s what we get.! When I bought my first Dooney bag in 1975, they were made in New England. There is no doubt that those bags are quite a step up from the usual we see today.
Thank you for this video. I posted the article you mention on fb a while back. A real eye opener. After reading it, I don’t even give the country of origin where handbags are made a second thought. Also, I’ve also read that there are poor working conditions in every country, including in European countries. And great working conditions in some of the Chinese factories. There are also very experienced artisans in China and Chinese artisans in Italy, as the article states. I think it comes down to elitism, and yes, racism. It’s ironic because you really don’t know where all the components are made and assembled, regardless of what the tag says in the bag. Excellent video.
Haven’t there been real quality issues with LV and Chanel etc lately. Seems RUclips is filled by videos of lovers of these brands complaining the prices keep going up but quality is going down. Could this be why??
Hello Autumn! Love your channel and the way in which you explain everything. One can tell that you’re a teacher, lol. Anyway, I recommend the movie “BIUTIFUL” with Javier Bardem. It’s a Spanish film but you can watch it with subtitles. It actually addresses this subject, Chinese labor in Europe.
First off, thanks for all of the information, this was such an informative and interesting video! I had no idea the loopholes and practices that are going on. Definitely eye opening. Although when you get down to it, what I think people really want at luxury price points are bags and other goods that are as close to perfect as possible and in theory if you get it from the brands home country the level of supervision is there to ensure that level of quality. Now at this point I think we’ve all debunked that theory but I’m sure that’s part of the origin of it.
This is really such a poignant video. In this day and age especially, we have to let go of the illusion (or rather delusion) of the quaint leather makers painstakingly making our bags. That is no longer the case for majority of our bags especially luxury designer bags. My mom (who’s from Pakistan) would regale the days where she knew tailors and fabric makers and would know how a garment is made or a bag is made cause such shops existed, a society then existed that could sustain such methods. That isn’t the case today and we need to let it go. This video has changed my thinking with regards to “made in Italy” “made in Spain” etc; bags. I think though we still need to care for materials, whether it was ethnically sourced, sewn right , designed and constructed wonderfully etc those considerations count still regardless who or where it’s made. Great video and thanks for the link to the article!
Interesting topic. I never really understood why some people care so much where their LV bags were made. I care about buying a quality product, not the country on the label.
Thank you for the information. You know I think if I have means to purchase a luxe bag, I would hope my money would support a family regardless of where they reside. People of color are moving around the globe for reasons like hunger, war and turmoil within their country. So if they land in a place, where they can earn a living for their family I'm okay. If you get chance, listen to this song, "Are My Hands Clean" from Sweet Honey in the Rock. It makes the journey of consumerism really plain. As always thanks for your research.
What a great topic, very thought provoking, especially the part about supporting humans no matter what part of the world they work in, and the hidden(or maybe Not so hidden) racism behind the reasons some people care about Where a product is made.....Thank you Autumn for this important topic, and as always I thoroughly enjoy your discussions as they are succinct and so well expressed. 👍👍👍
I think that I sent you this article from The New Yorker last year when I was researching the luxury industry. In the paragraph that you read you skipped over the point that the label "Made in Italy" carries significant weight for the consumer. It denotes authenticity. Consumers are paying extra for the care and craftsmanship they perceive are associated with the luxury brands. It is disconcerting to find out that even the luxury brands are finding ways to cut costs and outsource their production to manufacturers who may not treat their employees well or maintain excellent standards of craftsmanship while at the same time continuing to use the valuable label "Made in Italy".
This is such a great video with tons of information and very thought provoking. Thanks for bringing these implicit beliefs (and bias) to the forefront. Always good to challenge our magical thinking and unquestioned beliefs.
I agree with everything you said, and thank you for shining a light on this. But don't sweat on it, Chinese people feel the same way. In fact a lot of them will make an effort to buy things that are made outside of China. This goes for bags, cosmetics, food and believe or not, cat litters. Cuz the quality is just not as good, and Chinese manufacturers are known for cutting corners. There's a funny story behind this, there was a period of time where Chinese factories would sell slightly defected bags/clothes/shoes that were rejected in the quality control, behind close doors of course, at a cheap price, not dirt cheap, but a lot cheaper than market cap (I believe Burberry suffered the most from this). So basically you can get first hand authentic luxury bags for 1/10 of the price and this went on for quiet a while before the brands actually decided to do something. So yes, it is like a slap in the face when They knew they can get basically the same thing off black market for a lot less.
You are a hypocrite. I’m Chinese and I don’t slightly feel the same way. All you saying is you can turn a blind eye to the racism, elitism, dishonesty the luxury industries are practicing because those poor luxury brands are suffering from fishy Chinese factories that cut corners and producing low quality goods. Then why do they still use Chinese workers and factories? Are they masochists? They even ship them to Italy and make them “made in Italy” for god’s sake. I highly doubt they would pay Chinese workers the same as Italian because if so, they wouldn’t have to use Chinese workers in the first place. Their act is disgusting and hypocritical. Wanting the sweet profit margins but don’t want the Chinese mass production reputation taint their luxurious, exclusive brand name. They will gladly exploit the global south as long as they are not exposed. Compared to some Chinese manufacturers selling real fakes, those European luxury industries are the real culprit. I’m glad many Chinese people are waking up and supporting local businesses.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻That was a very interesting information, Autumn. Thank you. I do agree with Connor. I expect my brand names to be made in exactly where they originated first. That’s why I like vintage pieces and their quality and their true original place of birth. I know that designers are trying to cut corners by hiring cheap labor and even cheaper quality products. Everyone wants to be rich faster. I also know other countries that don’t want their products to be made in China (I won’t name them).
I am an Italian immigrant, and I have never known Italians to be prejudiced. What is known about Italian manufacturers is the high standards they have always had about perfection and high quality. 😊 I know the perfection of leather jackets has gone downhill, and have heard they are now made by immigrants because some of the factories have been purchased by the Chinese, and they bring in people from China to work in their factories! Who knows if the same thing happens in France and or in Spain!!!
Very interesting topic, as I don’t know a lot about how luxury companies outsource goods. I’m curious if the Chinese factories moved into Italy with the plan to undercut Italian production and do Italian people view these factories as taking jobs from Italian or local workers, especially if the Chinese bought the factories and the workers. Love you in that color green. ❤
From my conversation a few years back with a friendly shopkeeper who ran a high-end leather and silk accessories shop in Bellagio (on Lake Como) and who was also a former handbag designer for an Italian luxury brand, that answer would be "yes".
Where are the best fakes made? I think China. If they can make fakes that fool some of the best Fashion houses, I do not mind if pieces of my bag are manufactured there as well.
I haven't ever been swayed by the manufacturing location of the item unless it was a small business and I knew it was being sewn together by the person standing in front of me. That's always impressive, to meet a skilled artisan. But I tend to be more interested in the materials than the country of origin. Leather always beats pu or canvas for me. Should that be the case? Hard to say!
There is no ethical consumerism. I'm happy that you touched on the racism. Additionally you should talk about the companies perpetuating the romantic aspect to consumers.
Yes I was fooled by many videos that say all these luxury brands are hand crafted by artists and artisans who do all the work by hand etc. Boy have I been fooled lol
I am Brazilian and in Brazil there is also a misconception that things made in China are of poor quality, even if most things are made in China, like apple products for example. I know that is not true, because I have coach bags that were made in China and are better quality than my Louis Vuitton bags that are all “made in France”, so from a quality standpoint I think that is racist, however, from a work conditions view I still don’t love to know that a product is made in China, I am not saying it’s made in sweatshops or anything, but taking Brazil as an example, we have loads of labor related laws, but still the minimum wage there is less than 200 dollars a month for 45 hours work weeks, and that’s what most people make, some people will be working from 8 to 20 and have no money to have lunch. The reason why those factories are hiring people from Syria, Senegal, etc is not out of the goodness of their hearts, but because they would hire whomever they can pay the least to, and that is still messed up imo. I believe when things are made in USA or Europe there is a much higher chance the person who made it is being paid a decent wage and have reasonable work hours, unfortunately.
As an old boomer I remember being a kid and buying “Made in China junk” in Woolworths. You could buy it for pennies. This was in the 1950s. My guess is that’s when junk was connected to China. People don’t have a clue. The iPad I’m using right now was made in China. How many people buy Apple products? I laugh at people who “only buy American”. Really? Better do some research on the zipper your product might have. Bet it comes from China or some other country. Companies need to keep costs down to make a profit. Do they truly want to have it Made in Italy or France or Spain etc? By doing so it would be unaffordable. We are a world wide economy for a reason. The snobbery of those buying $35,000+ purses is breathtaking. People need to get a grip.
For 30+y ive eschewed anything made in china. It's more and more difficult to not buy MIC "goods" but i have a price point. In the 90s it was less than $10 now it's less than $40. My problem is less quality and human rights. How can something for $10 be?? The company makes a huge profit but the worker works for pennies. Doesn't sit well with me. And yeah, the quality is terrible (buttons are loose, stitches aren't straight), but the US importers have 0 quality control. And that is criminal to me. How dare they import bad quality to Ann Taylor, Macy's, etc.
Once I bought from DVF website. 25y ago I could only afford what was on sale. I was so excited when it came and then utterly disappointed and disgusted. I saw it was made in China. I have to say, lovely quality, but I won't buy from a "luxury" website again. And now many luxury brands have outlet- like stores. Sure, a Burberry coat is a steal for $700, but too $$ for a MIC coat. When they get paid a decent wage maybe I'll change my mind.
I agree. Why does the ethnicity/nationality of the artisan or the location where an item was created even matter ? I know a lot of Italians who aren’t skilled and lazy. I know some Italians who are hard working as well. You shouldn’t trust something is high quality just because something is made in Italy. That’s just silly.
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Sadly these so called sweatshops are filled with illegal immigrants of Chinese descent.. large fashion houses disavow any connections. They actually export / smuggle these goods “ made in Italy “ back to China.
When we visit Florence I went to the market that sells cheaper versions of Italian brands. Man..I should have known it's a tourist trap, it does say made in Italy but I got less of what I paid for. Crooked stitching, sloppy printing and the cheapest hardware. I got caught up in the moment that I don't have time to check it thoroughly. My MKs are waaaay better built. I guess you gotta go to a reputable brand bec not all made in Italy are quality.
you will always find something negative about any company if u look hard enough. i don't mind as long as the quality or guarantee is there. bargainhuntingblonde did a video on Chanel shoes she bought that had a stamp made in china. how that passed quality control I don't know lol
Ok, let's these designer bags show us their manufacturers in France by videos and ateliers addrresses in France or Italy or even Spain, because there's a little city in Spain that used to make bags for designer labels for decades before they were all transferred to China years ago and got backfired. I.wear designer bags for 35 years... I know what what what's going in on...
Good thoughts! Have you considered looking at bags handmade from Etsy? I bought a bag from VirsaBags and expecting it to be delivered this week. Looks like it will be high quality. Love your channel!
I think if I like the bag I will buy use it but I want to know where it’s made made in India with Italian leather etc I think I feel duped after hearing this but in the end if the quality is there that’s the important thing
The reason is simple. Because China is known for selling cheap crap like you get in temu and Shein ect. China is also known for fakes and dodgey electrical goods. Then they wonder why they got a bad reputation. However I have found out on a TV programme that a lot of major luxury brands have their goods made in China and that is a fact. Cheap costs to make and shipping ect but the quality and materials used are what you expect from a luxury brand. Chinese can make things you know not just food. They have The Workforce,The factories to make things faster and the shipping costs ect which saves money.
I love made in China products, I love Shein, I love genuine leather bags from China that exactly mimic luxury brand's. The quality is really good! you will say, China done child exploitation blablabla but the luxury brands had done the same thing, the only difference is the price😂
For me it's more about the cost of the good. Why should I pay premium prices for product that's not incurring premium costs to create that good. The cost of labor is much lower in China. And I also just feel like it's deceitful if 98% of the products made in China but then stamped made an italy. Also their regulations in terms of pollution and all kinds of other things are just horrid. The cost to make something in the US or other countries are so high because we actually have to adhere to so many regulations including pay and labor laws and osha and environmental.So yeah no I don't want to pay a premium price when that good is being made somewhere for rock bottom dirt cheap.
I believe it is important to keep artisans in your own country. It is enriching to get items made by another culture, but if your country no longer produce same goods because they are imported, it means the art of making it is getting lost. A lot of kids who are finishing high schools go into trade, they want to be able to have skills, and work in USA using their skills. USA started to have high technology and sales and nothing in between, it is really sad. There is always a balance. I would buy local products, because I want to have local people offering goods and skills locally. It does not need to be imported. But I really don't care where the goods are made, China, Indonesia, Europe, Vietnam or Cambodia etc. A lot of Americans want good price, and good price comes with cheap labor. Who is racist in such situation? It is easy to point fingers and state you are racist because you don't want to buy Chinese made goods, and some go to extreme to avoid it, but again, it is a balance.
China has a long and venerable tradition of glorious and luxurious workmanship. Visit any art gallery with an Oriental Collection to confirm this. People get uptight because, I think, of the sweat shop factory conditions which do happen in modern manufacturing in China. The problem with the outrage is that it is not just in China that sweat shops exist. We have plenty of them in the west, in countries like Australia and the USA. And in Europe as well, notwithstanding the EUs very stringent worker protection rules. The crooks work hard to get around them and sometimes they succeed. It is not okay, but it is not fair to vilify China as a country and the goods manufactured there. Good factories co-exist with sweat shops. We have the same situation. I do regret aspects of globalisation. Up until around 1980, Australia's goods were manufactured locally and I understand it was the same in the USA, You had Fifth Avenue. We had Hardware Lane. Hardware Lane is all cafes these days. Chanel has its boutique there which is a nice link. I agree about all humans needing work, but I wish some things were local, especially clothes, probably because I feel a closer link with them than i do with washing machines, microwave ovens or mobile telephones. Racism probably does play a part in the way people think. However, if the immigrants working in Italy are immigrants and, therefore, either Italian citizens or looking to become Italian citizens, then they are still entitled to be included in the Made in Italy label IMHO. Thank you for the video! It is a very interesting one. (Apologies for the overly long comment!)
New subscriber. Found your channel from Dayle. Thank you for speaking on this issue. Definitely agree it's romanticism and racism. Reminds me of people in the US in awe when they hear a European accent vs an accent from places like India, China, Thailand. At the end of the day, most of these "luxury" items are mass made just like items I'll find at the local department store but maybe with a bit better quality and materials, and with a luxury brand name on it.
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Such a great video! I speak to people from China, they go to work just like you and me. I’m surprised at some people get outraged by goods being made in China all the while watching our video and commenting on an iPhone😂😂.
Hi Winnie.. here’s the difference no tec companies manufacture cell phones in USA. the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max 256GB, is NOT made in China .. China has dominated production.. so the choices left are slim to none. So it begs the ? If I had a choice would I would buy a bag made in China? No. Because I have a zillion other choices. It is not a free enterprise in China it’s forced labor..
@@DREAMCATCHER33316 Hi!! Yes, but we buy many things every single day that we have no idea if indeed it is made in China or not. Do you see what I’m saying? I’m neither for or against buying goods made in a certain place, I just think it would curl our hair to know many of the things we use all day long or maybe components of those things, are made in China. I love my heating and cooling in my house and that’s what my husband sells. 1/3 of all the HVAC equipment is now made in China. I’m definitely not giving it up. Lol
😂👏🏽
Preach, most microchips are made in China, my Ford dealership has the truck but not the computer components it's a fun conversation unless your living off commission
The irony
As someone who has been in the fashion industry for many years, and been to many country’s and factory’s I can tell you for a fact there is good and bad quality, materials and working conditions in every country. In China a
manufacturer that is producing high quality
luxury items it going to do just that. There are factory’s in China that are nicer than some in Italy, America, Europe etc. I think you explained this well. Bottom line is if you buy a 25$ bag you’ll prob get $25 worth of quality and materials, if you buy a $5000 bag you should expect quality and excellent craftsmanship regardless of where it’s made. Many lux brands make most parts of their items in China and assemble them in other places. China also has their own luxury brand (like how America has Coach) and they’re excellent quality.
I think there is an important piece of the puzzle missing. Do we know if the Chinese workers that assemble bags in Italy are paid the same wage as other (Italian) workers? Do they work under the same conditions? Are they unionized? We do know that in the 1860’s, Chinese workers were brought to the U.S. to work on the Transcontinental Railroad. These workers were paid less and lived in sub-standard housing (tents) versus the American workers. This was profit driven. If the fashion houses are increasing profits by using Chinese workers and the wage/benefits do not equal those of Italian workers, that would lead me to believe that profit is the motivating factor and I would have a difficult time supporting that. It would have nothing to do with the ethnicity of the individual constructing the bag.
Agreed. I would love to know about this. Here in Texas, we pretend the immigrants crossing our border are not doing so because of the companies here who will gladly hire them at lower wages and not pay them benefits or overtime. We blame the immigrants for crossing illegally when it's just as much (if not moreso) the US companies to blame for supporting them coming in the first place. Most of the janitorial staffing in any major mall or commercial building is likely here illegally, and I know of cases where a company representatives actually helped people obtain social security numbers and documentation. (If you ran background on the SS numbers--which very few companies do--you found they were linked to people who had died or were living in other states.) Its modern-day exploitation with a dose of racism added. I can't imagine the Chinese workers in Italy, for example, are not similarly exploited. Great food for thought--especially given the insane price increases the luxury goods houses have enacted during the last 3-4 years. If that money was going to workers, it would be one thing. If all I'm doing is lining oligarch's pockets, I need to rethink my luxury purchases.
Yesss! I deal with this illegal issue all the time at work (medical practice in FL). At the end of the day the exploitive American companies are looking to get off on the cheap.
This is a brilliant video and so was Connor’s. I think it’s hilarious especially when Hermes lovers still believe the little old man sits there making their bag uninterrupted… have you seen it? You believe this rubbish? Honestly it’s so romanticised these sorts of conversations need to be had to stop the elitism happening in luxury and many other parts of the market.
Dale.. I think the deal breaker is it’s a communist country .. I will not support that. I buy nothing from China unless there is no other choice ie: iPhone So I perceive their goods as Bad. Ps if you opened your new Fendi baguette & the tag sewn in said Made in China.. & you paid Thousands & waited months knowing it was forced labor that created it I believe your jaw would drop. I buy hermes not because of an old man sitting on a bench.. I buy hermes because my bag will outlive me & 2 more generations & a Chinese quality bag will be a Goodwill in no time. Quality & craftsmanship.. I don’t care who makes my bag. I do want someone who wasn’t forced
Here she goes again on her Hermes hate train 🥱🥱
@@THECLOSETbyConnor hahaha. Hermes hate train. Love it.
I’ve known this since COVID… one reason it hit Italy so bad was workers from Wuhan were going to Italy to work … and then luxury houses wonder why items are duplicated in China … You explained this extremely well.
A couple of things. If the company isn’t transparent about their manufacturing then that’s an issue. If they are labeling it “made in Italy” and it’s made in China then yeah, I don’t like being lied to. If I’m spending 25,000 on a bag (I never have and never will) for a bag “made in Italy” it better be made there!
Second I totally agree with what you said as well!🙃😆
This. It needs to be made where it says. Geez.
When I was in Florence, Italy, I went into a leather store. The Italian proprietor tried to induce me to buy by telling me that he, an Italian, made the items in his shop. “Not some Chinese like many stores.” It was not said in a kind or even neutral way. Yeah. Racism definitely plays a part.
I had a similar experience in Venice, Italy a few years ago. The Italian shopkeeper said these handbags are made in Italy and not made by Chinese or in China.
@@deniseann3012 yes, I remember walking past a store in Venice and there was a sign in the window that said "none of the items in this store were made in China".
So true and well spoken. It's something I have known for years. Some countries have been making items for centuries and have the expertise! It's about time people understand that!!
I don't doubt their expertise. I just wish they worked in safer conditions and saner hours.
Hi! Swedish person here! We have the same association with things made in China as you have it seems. We like Made in Sweden, though most things aren’t made here anymore. I’m guessing most luxury bags are made in China at least a part of the process.
The EU labour laws ARE better than elsewhere.
I asked someone what's the difference between contemporary brands verses luxury brands, the thought was becasue contemporary brands are made in China and lux brands European. I personally love contemporary brands and I get excited if it's made in the USA. I would love a US made louie.
Wow. I am altering my opinion 180 about " made in China". This could be one of your most important videos! Way to starting changing the world, Autumn! Thank you.
Totally forgot I did that video! I love this Autumn, you’re fantastic at critical thinking and always look at both sides of the coin. I must admit that I’m swept up in the European fairytale and chose to believe it’s some little old craftsman making the bag start to finish! On the other hand; I’d want my electronics to be from china vs Europe!
My only concern is that the actual bag is made from the skin it states . I live in the UK , we slaughter cows pigs sheep rabbits for food & skins but the thought of carrying or eating any other animal revolts me , China as we all know eat and kill anything with a face , so that’s where my fear comes in that underhand practices may take place and skins are swapped with dog cat donkey etc , on the other hand my Chinese friends are horrified we kill and eat cows , I think it’s cultural to an extent and if we are all honest one animal shouldn’t favour over another 😢but again I think that’s up to the country you are brought up in . I always buy Chinese and Japanese electronics Watches and Chinese vegetables to feed my bunnies , and find the Chinese so accommodating and their manners impeccable. I’ve went off on a tangent sorry Autumn Great video as always xx
Hi Autumn. I’m glad that you brought this topic up. My sister has a friend who was a lux brandy shoe designer. He lived in Milan and hand picked all his leathers and exotics in Italy. At first, all his designer shoes were completely manufactured and some handmade in Italy. But the costs to manufacture them there kept going up and up. So to lower costs, he still used the Italian leathers but then found a shoe manufacturer in Brazil to actually make his shoes. Unfortunately, for many reasons, his company went belly up. I think that’s why these design houses use Chinese workers. It must save them money. As for me personally, I do believe that the lux designer brands are having significant trouble with quality lately, especially with handbags. I wouldn’t mind knowing that someone from China made my new Gucci or Prada in Italy if that person was highly skilled and trained in the Italian manufacturing of leather goods. What I do have a problem with of products made in China, besides poor working conditions, is the Chinese government. In no way do I ever want to support or contribute to a communist government that has working concentration camps. As for the Chinese people themselves, especially the poor working class, my heart goes out to them.
I noticed the French stick to their own brands, not necessarily the luxury ones, but they buy everything French.
Ok, nothing wrong with hard working people anywhere, but… I do not go and spend $5000+ on an Italian or French branded company to be made in China. Could I be misled into understanding that maybe 1 of 3 parts was done somewhere else, yes. Is their a Chinese Designer House that has designed something that I have gone and said, “ I must have that!” No, it is usually a knock off of some other House.
So when I go to a restaurant that is Thai as a half thai person that lived in Thailand I ask the waitstaff where the cooks from, why because a flavor profile is not exactly the same when taught especially thai food. So some food I will order from a non native cook and some not, i sort of think that's how some people feel about leather working. I am not one of those people I feel leather work is a skill and it sort of matters what the material is more.
Right
What an intelligent, well spoken guide you are. Thank you for this video. You’ve got a new fan!
interesting topic...thx for keeping us thinking
Thank you for such a thought provoking video Autumn. I have often challenged my own ideas about this topic. I live in Canada, and Canadians generally have the same opinion about buying Canadian made items or products. Although, not much nowadays is made in Canada. Another thought that this video brought to mind is the topic of counterfeit designer handbags. I can imagine that some of the artisans that go to Italy to learn how to make these designer handbags from the design houses then go on to make their own mirror quality counterfeit designer bags.
Canadian boots and shoes are great for cold weather, same as parkas. I love winter items made in Canada.
Excellent point. I’m from Canada as well. And what do you think of buying mirror quality luxury bags? That could be another very interesting topic for sure!
With the high demand for certain designer bags, I am not surprise that parts are made in other countries. It helps the companies meet their bottom line. $$$
"It doesn't matter if it's made in Italy, USA or China"... But the LV or Gucci or Prada tag says 'Made in France' so I'd expect 100% of the bag to be made in France. And clearly they aren't since the canvas, hardware components, maybe even some leathers, and the tools to make the bags are all manufactured in China. This is why I don't buy designer brands and if I really love a style, I just buy a replica or a dupe. Its no different than the original since they both are "manufactured" in China right? IDC where it came from as long as it's good quality and if leather artisans in Italy have to go through rigorous training to make a certain bag then clearly China is not using children for labor because their motor skills are physically incapable of comparing to a seasoned artisan, as many major fashion houses claim they use to make their products.
And if they're importing people from other countries than what's the difference between the geographic location that they physically made the bag? That's actually worse if you think about it because they're taken away from their families and home just to fit a legal standard for advertising a product as 'Made in X Fancy Country'. I don't understand how anyone can argue that luxury brands are ethical at all anymore, or at least they're certainly not "more ethical" than their Chinese factory counterparts.
We definitely romanticise goods… silks from China, brushes from Japan, leathers from Spain, cars from Germany etc. and we are willing to pay more as we like to think a small team of skilled artisans have meticulously worked on each item, having honed their craft for the past 30 years. There’s no denying that China is known for not paying employees well and poor working conditions but sadly, that can be said for many Western countries these days. Regardless of where a product is made, people who are pushed to work faster, or for longer, will make mistakes. Maybe labels should read “Designed in France. Assembled in (*insert country) with 72% local product by a workforce comprising 36% Eastern Europeans, 42% Chinese nationals, 14% Italians, 8% other nationalities. “
Fantastic topic to continue the conversation. Culture ebs and flows due to societal pressure, colonialism, economics, genocide, immigration. So many of us can point to instances in our own lives where we had to assimilate and code switch in order to gain opportunity. For me, as a handbag 👜 addiction, I want quality and craftsmanship. This made me think of a backpack that was made for me 20 years ago by a shoe repair shop by ✋️ no machine. It is the one object I will never part with because of the person who I watched for days (after coming from work) craft that 🎒 (even the thread). Things can be replaced, not people or living things.
Another great video Autumn! This is so interesting. Thanks is for sharing. 🤗
Thank you for addressing the racism in this issue
I said this many, many months ago in your comments that Chinese workers were being employed in Italy to make handbags!
I heard about that about 15y ago. China knew it had a bad reputation and started their manufacturing abroad.
And then the story on that stopped. Wonder why.
This is true. It's been in the news that Dior is using a sweatshop in Italy to make bags.
insightful and thought provoking thanks for sharing
I ever bought a Burberry bucket bag in the Burberry store after I bought it I really regret that it's made in china.
A long time ago (over 20 years ago…yes, I’m vintage) I used to work for an American company which made chemical products at different in-house facilities in different countries of the world (including USA, Australia, Philippines, China, and Japan, amongst others). Products were made at these differ locations as worker pay was not the only factor influencing price (there was shipping raw materials, shipping finished products, import taxes etc). Using the same formula, theoretically the result should be the same regardless of location. In reality, the raw materials could come from different sources or sit at different temperatures, the equipment could be different, the workers had different levels of experience and training, the water and atmosphere was different in each site, worker laws varied (eg, rest breaks, holiday leave), management quality, and there were also different mindsets to how closely to stay within the quality thresholds. The finished products had discernible differences depending on their site of manufacture. The local markets had different expectations of the end product also.🎉
That’s truly fascinating! Thank you for sharing.
Excellent points Autumn. I admit that I have one LV bag that is made in USA and I do feel sorry for it. It’s absolutely and completely irrational, yet in my head (scary place that it is) o have a hierarchy of where I like my bags to be made, and ideally the country of origin for the brand will always top that list.
I do see a benefit to an item being made in the country of origin...as long as it actually is. ;)
Great video! Thanks for sharing! 😊
Great content ! Thanks for sharing
This is so true. Chanel is mass produced, people are ignorant to the fact they are made the same way and in the same kind of factories as the ones in China. You make a lot of interesting points
Happy Valentine's Day Autumn, Paul, Barron & Roxy ❤
This is a great video. I did learn a lot and it certainly makes me think about my own misconceptions and biases. Thank you.
Brilliant video as always and your green top really suits you, love from England xxx
I've also seen video footage that states in Italy, it's also not uncommon as one would think to hire an African immigrants to work on some sectors of manufacturing, and the Italians often underpay them...the conditions are sometimes subpar. It is very true about Italy having a Chinese community who are working in manufacturing, and even owning fashion brands with Italian names that end up being sold in America. For example, if you see a handbag company with an Italian name that you're not familiar with yet it's a decent to well-made bag that retails under $800, there's a chance it's from an Chinese-owned fashion brand in Italy. Same thing with apparel items. I've even been told south Korean busineses have fashion-related manufacturing in Italy where non-Italians are the labor force.
Very eye opening & interesting topics …
Very eyeopening, Autumn. Thank you so much for breaking this down and for questioning the reasoning behind looking down on products made in China or any other country that people don’t associate with quality and pride of craftsmanship. I’m going to check out Connor’s video, too. Awesome!
Thank you for tackling this topic. You have echoed my thoughts. 🙌
I agree with you. Like you, I’ve thought extensively about this. As you know there are artisans selling their own handbags that they make themselves. I’m an Artist, (I paint in oil mostly) and have met some of these people during exhibitions and conventions. It might be an interesting idea, to gather some of these people whom I’m certain there are plenty of in the USA and show their wares? I personally would absolutely love to watch that video. Just a suggestion. Thank you for the links and interesting articles. Yes as I may have told you, my dad used to sell handbags wholesale growing up so I know a lot about this and yes, when the item is finished in the country that it’s in. They have the right to put the country that it’s made 10:49 in on the label of the item, regardless, of where it started to be made. and I think that may have been true back in the 70s when my dad used to sell them? But I wouldn’t remember because I was only 10 years old. Anyways I love your videos and the content and I enjoy watching them. Keep them coming, I look forward to your next video.
Nevermind the handbags, what glasses are you wearing? I love those frames, they look great on you!
EXCELLENT topic, excellent video.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 TFS!
As long as the product is well made with great quality materials,
I've never had a problem with WHERE it was made or WHO made it.
Great video,very informative and insightful 👏
For me, as an African American women who grew up on the east side of Detroit, when I bought my luxury bag from LV I thought it extra special to get one from France. One reason is because it is a French fashion house, and the other reason was because if I never get to go to France, I can still feel like I have a little peace of it with my bag made in France. Now if they didn't have one in from France I still would have purchased it, but it was just a little extra special to have that price of France, in my eyes. I am finishing up my 3 Rd degree ( Masters), and I plan on traveling afterwards because I haven't traveled much of anywhere. I will be able to, but who knows if I will ever go to France, so I can romanticize through my little made in France bag.
My cousin who is in the advertising industry had told me years ago she'd been to Chinese factories that create the "made in italy" tags 😅
Wow such a great perspective. Great Video!
I think the main association is with the concept of using child labor and sweatshops. However I feel like if any of these luxury brands got caught doing that there would be backlash, so I don’t see them using those kinds of factories. I have seen comments though that the reason why the ultra luxury brands are so much better than the contemporary designer brands like Kate Spade, etc is the LV and Hermes are made by artisans and the Kate Spade etc brands are mass produced in factories in China. One point someone made for those against things made in China was “where do you think the phone or computer or tablet you are using is made. Makes sense.
Great insight!
Great video, all manufacturing pretty much involves some element from China - country of origin stamps is indeed a big topic and it is completely unrealistic to think a bag with say ‘made in Italy’ is 100% Italian, they just don’t manufacture all the component parts. Of course bag manufacturers will need to adhere to regulations in the country they are selling the bags and not mislead. I believe in the UK to claim it is ‘made in the uk’; “you will need to demonstrate that there is either a ‘substantial transformation’ and/or that at least 50% of the manufacturing of / value added to such products is completed in the UK” - and of course for imports you have to have the origin. Italy / France will have some similar EU regulations. So it leaves a bit of room for adding in parts from say China or elsewhere. Anyway, great video thanks for bringing it up and raising awareness.
Interesting topic! I can honestly say that I’ve never once thought about the race of the person or people making my handbag, nor do I care much about where any of my bags where “made” as along as the quality is what I’m expecting to get when I spend a fair amount of money for a product (which so far I haven’t found any correlation between “made in” location and quality issues). I do think it’s not cool to label something as “made in” if a majority of that product isn’t actually made or put together in that place, but this practice can probably be said about almost all products across all markets today, so why would anyone be under the impression that these luxury products are any different? I personally don’t care all that much about what is labeled on my bags, but I would if I were to hear that a brand is in fact using something that could be considered a sweat shop or anything like that.
I have known for a while that "made in " wasn't meaningful as it can just mean that finishing or assembly steps happened in the stated country. But there is still that cache, a kind of mental bias. But you are so right, it is the specifications of the brand that define the quality of the materials and construction, plus the quality assurance on the end product. If bag quality is going down blame the brand for cutting corners not the site of manufacture. The problem for China is that they have a general reputation for producing cheap crappy products which taints the perception of the high quality product they can also produce.
Such an interesting topic ! Where my luxury item is made is honestly the furthest thing from my mind (I think I only know where my Noe was made). I loved the point you made about contributing to the world economy and supporting businesses globally ! Great video ☺️☺️
This is a great video. Thank you for doing this. It’s all smoke and mirrors. They are businesses. It’s all about money and the lower the cost of labor the higher the profit.
I have a friend who is Taiwanese and lived in China for many years. He owned a factory there. I get the impression that for themselves, the Chinese can make high quality items. But unfortunately, for the American market, we usually shop for cheap, and that’s what we get.!
When I bought my first Dooney bag in 1975, they were made in New England. There is no doubt that those bags are quite a step up from the usual we see today.
Thank you for this video. I posted the article you mention on fb a while back. A real eye opener. After reading it, I don’t even give the country of origin where handbags are made a second thought. Also, I’ve also read that there are poor working conditions in every country, including in European countries. And great working conditions in some of the Chinese factories. There are also very experienced artisans in China and Chinese artisans in Italy, as the article states. I think it comes down to elitism, and yes, racism. It’s ironic because you really don’t know where all the components are made and assembled, regardless of what the tag says in the bag. Excellent video.
Haven’t there been real quality issues with LV and Chanel etc lately. Seems RUclips is filled by videos of lovers of these brands complaining the prices keep going up but quality is going down. Could this be why??
Hello Autumn! Love your channel and the way in which you explain everything. One can tell that you’re a teacher, lol. Anyway, I recommend the movie “BIUTIFUL” with Javier Bardem. It’s a Spanish film but you can watch it with subtitles. It actually addresses this subject, Chinese labor in Europe.
Yes, she’s so thoughtful and resourceful, I love it! I would love my son to have Autumn as a teacher 😊
First off, thanks for all of the information, this was such an informative and interesting video! I had no idea the loopholes and practices that are going on. Definitely eye opening. Although when you get down to it, what I think people really want at luxury price points are bags and other goods that are as close to perfect as possible and in theory if you get it from the brands home country the level of supervision is there to ensure that level of quality. Now at this point I think we’ve all debunked that theory but I’m sure that’s part of the origin of it.
This is really such a poignant video. In this day and age especially, we have to let go of the illusion (or rather delusion) of the quaint leather makers painstakingly making our bags. That is no longer the case for majority of our bags especially luxury designer bags. My mom (who’s from Pakistan) would regale the days where she knew tailors and fabric makers and would know how a garment is made or a bag is made cause such shops existed, a society then existed that could sustain such methods. That isn’t the case today and we need to let it go. This video has changed my thinking with regards to “made in Italy” “made in Spain” etc; bags. I think though we still need to care for materials, whether it was ethnically sourced, sewn right , designed and constructed wonderfully etc those considerations count still regardless who or where it’s made. Great video and thanks for the link to the article!
Great video. The more I learn the more I end up feeling like luxury as a whole is actually just a house of cards, or smoke and mirrors or whatever
Interesting topic. I never really understood why some people care so much where their LV bags were made. I care about buying a quality product, not the country on the label.
Thank you for the information. You know I think if I have means to purchase a luxe bag, I would hope my money would support a family regardless of where they reside. People of color are moving around the globe for reasons like hunger, war and turmoil within their country. So if they land in a place, where they can earn a living for their family I'm okay. If you get chance, listen to this song, "Are My Hands Clean" from Sweet Honey in the Rock. It makes the journey of consumerism really plain. As always thanks for your research.
What a great topic, very thought provoking, especially the part about supporting humans no matter what part of the world they work in, and the hidden(or maybe Not so hidden) racism behind the reasons some people care about Where a product is made.....Thank you Autumn for this important topic, and as always I thoroughly enjoy your discussions as they are succinct and so well expressed. 👍👍👍
I think that I sent you this article from The New Yorker last year when I was researching the luxury industry. In the paragraph that you read you skipped over the point that the label "Made in Italy" carries significant weight for the consumer. It denotes authenticity. Consumers are paying extra for the care and craftsmanship they perceive are associated with the luxury brands. It is disconcerting to find out that even the luxury brands are finding ways to cut costs and outsource their production to manufacturers who may not treat their employees well or maintain excellent standards of craftsmanship while at the same time continuing to use the valuable label "Made in Italy".
This is such a great video with tons of information and very thought provoking. Thanks for bringing these implicit beliefs (and bias) to the forefront. Always good to challenge our magical thinking and unquestioned beliefs.
I agree with everything you said, and thank you for shining a light on this. But don't sweat on it, Chinese people feel the same way. In fact a lot of them will make an effort to buy things that are made outside of China. This goes for bags, cosmetics, food and believe or not, cat litters. Cuz the quality is just not as good, and Chinese manufacturers are known for cutting corners. There's a funny story behind this, there was a period of time where Chinese factories would sell slightly defected bags/clothes/shoes that were rejected in the quality control, behind close doors of course, at a cheap price, not dirt cheap, but a lot cheaper than market cap (I believe Burberry suffered the most from this). So basically you can get first hand authentic luxury bags for 1/10 of the price and this went on for quiet a while before the brands actually decided to do something. So yes, it is like a slap in the face when They knew they can get basically the same thing off black market for a lot less.
You are a hypocrite. I’m Chinese and I don’t slightly feel the same way. All you saying is you can turn a blind eye to the racism, elitism, dishonesty the luxury industries are practicing because those poor luxury brands are suffering from fishy Chinese factories that cut corners and producing low quality goods. Then why do they still use Chinese workers and factories? Are they masochists? They even ship them to Italy and make them “made in Italy” for god’s sake. I highly doubt they would pay Chinese workers the same as Italian because if so, they wouldn’t have to use Chinese workers in the first place. Their act is disgusting and hypocritical. Wanting the sweet profit margins but don’t want the Chinese mass production reputation taint their luxurious, exclusive brand name. They will gladly exploit the global south as long as they are not exposed. Compared to some Chinese manufacturers selling real fakes, those European luxury industries are the real culprit. I’m glad many Chinese people are waking up and supporting local businesses.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻That was a very interesting information, Autumn. Thank you. I do agree with Connor. I expect my brand names to be made in exactly where they originated first. That’s why I like vintage pieces and their quality and their true original place of birth. I know that designers are trying to cut corners by hiring cheap labor and even cheaper quality products. Everyone wants to be rich faster. I also know other countries that don’t want their products to be made in China (I won’t name them).
I am an Italian immigrant, and I have never known Italians to be prejudiced. What is known about Italian manufacturers is the high standards they have always had about perfection and high quality. 😊 I know the perfection of leather jackets has gone downhill, and have heard they are now made by immigrants because some of the factories have been purchased by the Chinese, and they bring in people from China to work in their factories! Who knows if the same thing happens in France and or in Spain!!!
Very interesting topic, as I don’t know a lot about how luxury companies outsource goods. I’m curious if the Chinese factories moved into Italy with the plan to undercut Italian production and do Italian people view these factories as taking jobs from Italian or local workers, especially if the Chinese bought the factories and the workers.
Love you in that color green. ❤
From my conversation a few years back with a friendly shopkeeper who ran a high-end leather and silk accessories shop in Bellagio (on Lake Como) and who was also a former handbag designer for an Italian luxury brand, that answer would be "yes".
Where are the best fakes made? I think China. If they can make fakes that fool some of the best Fashion houses, I do not mind if pieces of my bag are manufactured there as well.
I haven't ever been swayed by the manufacturing location of the item unless it was a small business and I knew it was being sewn together by the person standing in front of me. That's always impressive, to meet a skilled artisan. But I tend to be more interested in the materials than the country of origin. Leather always beats pu or canvas for me. Should that be the case? Hard to say!
In the 1990s Chanel.bags and shoes were made in Italy not in Frace. Now its all made in China
There is no ethical consumerism. I'm happy that you touched on the racism.
Additionally you should talk about the companies perpetuating the romantic aspect to consumers.
Yes I was fooled by many videos that say all these luxury brands are hand crafted by artists and artisans who do all the work by hand etc. Boy have I been fooled lol
I am Brazilian and in Brazil there is also a misconception that things made in China are of poor quality, even if most things are made in China, like apple products for example.
I know that is not true, because I have coach bags that were made in China and are better quality than my Louis Vuitton bags that are all “made in France”, so from a quality standpoint I think that is racist, however, from a work conditions view I still don’t love to know that a product is made in China, I am not saying it’s made in sweatshops or anything, but taking Brazil as an example, we have loads of labor related laws, but still the minimum wage there is less than 200 dollars a month for 45 hours work weeks, and that’s what most people make, some people will be working from 8 to 20 and have no money to have lunch.
The reason why those factories are hiring people from Syria, Senegal, etc is not out of the goodness of their hearts, but because they would hire whomever they can pay the least to, and that is still messed up imo.
I believe when things are made in USA or Europe there is a much higher chance the person who made it is being paid a decent wage and have reasonable work hours, unfortunately.
good evening autumn🦋🖤🦋
As an old boomer I remember being a kid and buying “Made in China junk” in Woolworths. You could buy it for pennies. This was in the 1950s. My guess is that’s when junk was connected to China. People don’t have a clue. The iPad I’m using right now was made in China. How many people buy Apple products? I laugh at people who “only buy American”. Really? Better do some research on the zipper your product might have. Bet it comes from China or some other country. Companies need to keep costs down to make a profit. Do they truly want to have it Made in Italy or France or Spain etc? By doing so it would be unaffordable. We are a world wide economy for a reason. The snobbery of those buying $35,000+ purses is breathtaking. People need to get a grip.
The book, Counterfeit, addresses this.
For 30+y ive eschewed anything made in china. It's more and more difficult to not buy MIC "goods" but i have a price point. In the 90s it was less than $10 now it's less than $40. My problem is less quality and human rights. How can something for $10 be?? The company makes a huge profit but the worker works for pennies. Doesn't sit well with me.
And yeah, the quality is terrible (buttons are loose, stitches aren't straight), but the US importers have 0 quality control. And that is criminal to me. How dare they import bad quality to Ann Taylor, Macy's, etc.
Once I bought from DVF website. 25y ago I could only afford what was on sale. I was so excited when it came and then utterly disappointed and disgusted. I saw it was made in China. I have to say, lovely quality, but I won't buy from a "luxury" website again.
And now many luxury brands have outlet- like stores. Sure, a Burberry coat is a steal for $700, but too $$ for a MIC coat. When they get paid a decent wage maybe I'll change my mind.
I agree. Why does the ethnicity/nationality of the artisan or the location where an item was created even matter ? I know a lot of Italians who aren’t skilled and lazy. I know some Italians who are hard working as well. You shouldn’t trust something is high quality just because something is made in Italy. That’s just silly.
I bought two bags one from Italy and one from China and both were made with expensive leather.
I phones are made in China.😀😀
Autumn I don't understand why I can't see comments or get notification of new posts. I miss so many and have to search on my own. I'm not sure why.
Not seeing comments would be because my channel is set so I have to approve all comments before they go live. That's because I know some students watch my channel so I give myself a chance to weed out some of the truly awful comments I sometimes receive. They don't need to see those.
For new post notifications you have to click the bell on one of the videos. It's next to the subscribe button. If you already have but still aren't getting notifications I don't know what to do. Thank you for trying, though. I appreciate that you're enjoying the channel. :)
i shared a video recently about sweat shops in italy😅 everyone is trying to maximize profit
Did I miss that one? Post the link here please and I'll add it to my description box.
@@AutumnBeckman ruclips.net/video/W2PeSR6RLgM/видео.html
Thank you. I added it to the description box.
@@AutumnBeckman great video❤️
Sadly these so called sweatshops are filled with illegal immigrants of Chinese descent.. large fashion houses disavow any connections. They actually export / smuggle these goods “ made in Italy “ back to China.
When we visit Florence I went to the market that sells cheaper versions of Italian brands. Man..I should have known it's a tourist trap, it does say made in Italy but I got less of what I paid for. Crooked stitching, sloppy printing and the cheapest hardware. I got caught up in the moment that I don't have time to check it thoroughly. My MKs are waaaay better built. I guess you gotta go to a reputable brand bec not all made in Italy are quality.
you will always find something negative about any company if u look hard enough. i don't mind as long as the quality or guarantee is there.
bargainhuntingblonde did a video on Chanel shoes she bought that had a stamp made in china. how that passed quality control I don't know lol
When you buy Made in Italy or France, you hope that it was made under hood working conditions.
Ok, let's these designer bags show us their manufacturers in France by videos and ateliers addrresses in France or Italy or even Spain, because there's a little city in Spain that used to make bags for designer labels for decades before they were all transferred to China years ago and got backfired. I.wear designer bags for 35 years... I know what what what's going in on...
Good thoughts! Have you considered looking at bags handmade from Etsy? I bought a bag from VirsaBags and expecting it to be delivered this week. Looks like it will be high quality. Love your channel!
I think if I like the bag I will buy use it but I want to know where it’s made made in India with Italian leather etc I think I feel duped after hearing this but in the end if the quality is there that’s the important thing
The reason is simple.
Because China is known for selling cheap crap like you get in temu and Shein ect.
China is also known for fakes and dodgey electrical goods.
Then they wonder why they got a bad reputation.
However I have found out on a TV programme that a lot of major luxury brands have their goods made in China and that is a fact.
Cheap costs to make and shipping ect but the quality and materials used are what you expect from a luxury brand.
Chinese can make things you know not just food.
They have The Workforce,The factories to make things faster and the shipping costs ect which saves money.
Comparing made in Texas to made in China is to compare a Lexus to a Yugo.
I love made in China products, I love Shein, I love genuine leather bags from China that exactly mimic luxury brand's. The quality is really good! you will say, China done child exploitation blablabla but the luxury brands had done the same thing, the only difference is the price😂
For me it's more about the cost of the good. Why should I pay premium prices for product that's not incurring premium costs to create that good. The cost of labor is much lower in China. And I also just feel like it's deceitful if 98% of the products made in China but then stamped made an italy. Also their regulations in terms of pollution and all kinds of other things are just horrid. The cost to make something in the US or other countries are so high because we actually have to adhere to so many regulations including pay and labor laws and osha and environmental.So yeah no I don't want to pay a premium price when that good is being made somewhere for rock bottom dirt cheap.
Riveting info!!
I believe it is important to keep artisans in your own country. It is enriching to get items made by another culture, but if your country no longer produce same goods because they are imported, it means the art of making it is getting lost. A lot of kids who are finishing high schools go into trade, they want to be able to have skills, and work in USA using their skills. USA started to have high technology and sales and nothing in between, it is really sad. There is always a balance. I would buy local products, because I want to have local people offering goods and skills locally. It does not need to be imported. But I really don't care where the goods are made, China, Indonesia, Europe, Vietnam or Cambodia etc. A lot of Americans want good price, and good price comes with cheap labor. Who is racist in such situation? It is easy to point fingers and state you are racist because you don't want to buy Chinese made goods, and some go to extreme to avoid it, but again, it is a balance.
Bally too the box made in Italy but the sneakers made in china .
China has a long and venerable tradition of glorious and luxurious workmanship. Visit any art gallery with an Oriental Collection to confirm this. People get uptight because, I think, of the sweat shop factory conditions which do happen in modern manufacturing in China. The problem with the outrage is that it is not just in China that sweat shops exist. We have plenty of them in the west, in countries like Australia and the USA. And in Europe as well, notwithstanding the EUs very stringent worker protection rules. The crooks work hard to get around them and sometimes they succeed. It is not okay, but it is not fair to vilify China as a country and the goods manufactured there. Good factories co-exist with sweat shops. We have the same situation. I do regret aspects of globalisation. Up until around 1980, Australia's goods were manufactured locally and I understand it was the same in the USA, You had Fifth Avenue. We had Hardware Lane. Hardware Lane is all cafes these days. Chanel has its boutique there which is a nice link. I agree about all humans needing work, but I wish some things were local, especially clothes, probably because I feel a closer link with them than i do with washing machines, microwave ovens or mobile telephones. Racism probably does play a part in the way people think. However, if the immigrants working in Italy are immigrants and, therefore, either Italian citizens or looking to become Italian citizens, then they are still entitled to be included in the Made in Italy label IMHO. Thank you for the video! It is a very interesting one. (Apologies for the overly long comment!)
New subscriber. Found your channel from Dayle. Thank you for speaking on this issue. Definitely agree it's romanticism and racism. Reminds me of people in the US in awe when they hear a European accent vs an accent from places like India, China, Thailand. At the end of the day, most of these "luxury" items are mass made just like items I'll find at the local department store but maybe with a bit better quality and materials, and with a luxury brand name on it.
Yes we also think that way . I'm in Canada 🇨🇦