Family owned luxury brands less exposed to made in China

When the senstiive subject of who is manufacturing in China or elsewhere actually and labelling made in France or Italy. Some brands are way more prone to this customer misleading labelling.

If Hermes Paris production sites are real and the investement of the family owned noble number one luxury brand are clear, some other consortiums owned brands such as Burberry, Gucci, Balenciaga…leave a lot of questions.

What Brands are Manufacturing in China?

More luxury fashion brands than you would think are manufacturing their products in China. Brands including Balenciaga, Burberry, Gucci, Prada, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, Armani, and Dolce & Gabbana are among them. The act by these brands, of manufacturing in China, does not match their luxurious brand image, since part of that luxury factor is the fact that the products are made in countries like Italy and France. 

Some of these brands have been up front about manufacturing in China, while some have denied this idea. The reason that many of these brands keep this information out of the spotlight, as mentioned prior, is because of “the enduring perception that items made in China and many other Eastern European countries are of lower quality than those produced in France and Italy,” says The Fashion Law.  These luxury fashion brands began by manufacturing their products in their true country of origin, but in recent years, they have switched manufacturing to China. Balenciaga, for example, is a brand that was originally made in one country (Italy), but is now being manufacturing in China.  According to The Fashion Law, “Fast forward to 2018, though, and things look a bit different. You need not look further than the tags that adorn some of Balenciaga’s products as of late. One of its buzziest products – the Triple S sneaker, which was initially produced in Italy – is now being made in China.” The Fashion Law also mentions that Balenciaga seems to be one of the few companies that is forthcoming about switching manufacturing to China. 

While Balenciaga seems to typically be forthcoming about this information, there have also been instances when they haven’t been so upfront. Gucci, Balenciaga, and Saint Laurent, who all share the parent company of Kering, were accused by Selima Optique, of using a bait and switch scheme. Selima Optique filed a suit against Kering, according to The Fashion Law, stating that Kering is “deliberately and falsely represent[ing] that their eyeglasses and sunglasses are ‘Made in Italy,’ when in truth, their products, or substantially all parts of their products, are made in China, and (at best) shipped to Italy for final assembly and packaging, and then exported.” Kering, however, denied this and stated that their “luxury products are indeed manufactured and distributed in compliance with all ‘Made In’ laws.” Either way, this situation could be harmful to these luxury fashion companies overall brand image.

There are also companies like Prada, who are not concerned with how manufacturing in China will affect their brand Image. The Fashion Law reports that Miuccia Prada announced years ago, “‘Made in Italy’? Who cares? You have to embrace the world if you want to live now.” In other words, it doesn’t matter where things are made anymore, including China. It is clear that Prada has abided by this since around 20% of Prada’s products are made in China.

While there are some benefits for these luxury fashion brands by manufacturing their products in China, there are also some drawbacks that come with it. Only time will tell how consumers feel about purchasing their Italian designer bag that has been made in China.