I remember meeting a person whose job for the past 30 years was in a fashion supplier. At some point they sent her to China, where she lived for 10 years, where she managed the supply of silk items to “made in Italy” and “made in France” items for luxury fashion brands (she named some to me, but also told me that virtually everyone does-it). She told me that literally every brand did this - they sent items to Italy and France with unopened eyelets and some minor adjustments to make, so they could make the adjustments in Europe and claim their “made in” on the label. People have been buying and paying for scandalous lies unknowingly for ages!
Hmmm, this is a complex topic, especially nowadays when it seems that all the brands are in a race to the bottom in terms of quality-price rapport, workers' rights and environmental responsibility. It's been something of an open secret for a while that luxury brands are using many of the same factories as mall brands and passing off work mainly done in India as "made in Italy" or "made in France" if the pieces were merely finished there. So for me it comes down to price-quality rapport - the only reason I'd ever consider a luxury brand for anything. I bought a gorgeous Valentino silk-wool blend sweater on the consignment market that was worth every penny in terms of the superb materials, workmanship and finishing. I've also seen a lot of quite shockingly poor quality garments for sale, both new and used, from labels that used to be known for their timelessness and quality. Perhaps it's a good thing that we're learning about these issues - so that we can bring a healthy scepticism to the shopping experience and perhaps give our wallets and the planet a bit of a break 🙂
It is indeed very complex. You describe this "race to the bottom" very well, it's really such a shame and pity ! Yes, I completely agree about the quality, and it should be the primary focus. I've been looking much more towards middle-range brands for bags lately ☺ There has been a general growing interest in vintage purchasing the past years, I think it's at least partly due to the fact you mention, that a lot of luxury brands do not offer the same quality they used to... I feel that it's particularly terrible for clothes, a lot of famous middle-price brands have decreased their quality a lot - while increasing their prices... Brands where I used to buy 100% silk dresses for 150 euros 15 years ago are now selling the same ones in viscose for 300 😩 It's exhausting and frustrating, always having to look for new affordable brands with quality, where their clothes work for you, only to start again a few years later when they decreased quality and increased prices 😞
Thank you for this video, Delphine! This really made me want to share some of my thoughts as well. ☺️ It's heartbreaking, yet so important to understand what happens behind the shiny curtains of those huge brands. And well, it's also a bit unpleasant because it makes us, who may have consumed and admired these brands, feel ashamed. I wish that we'd manage to fix our understanding of luxury. Luxury is a privilege, and there is no such a privilege than abusing others. But a bunch of ashamed consumers that might even change their consuming habits will never be enough really tackle the whole problem. Thus, I'm gladly welcoming the new corporate sustainability due diligence directive here in EU. I hope it opens the path towards effective regulation and a better world. 💚 I've pretty much lost my interest in luxury that is basically just linked to a brand. Luxury, ofcourse, is an idea, but it should also be a material fact. Isn't it true luxury to pay a little bit higher price for something because it is expectionally carefully and responsibly created! 💚 Have a nice week! 🌞 -Saana
Hi Saana ! I completely understand what you mean 😩 But I have to disagree about the fact that a bunch of consumers won't be enough to tackle the problem, I want to keep hope ☺ And I feel that some of the news we saw, like the price decrease of YSL, and generally the awareness rising about the whole situation, are direct consequences of the actions from unhappy consumers. Because ultimately if we, consumers, stop buying then these brands disappear. They need us more than we need them ! Let's hope that the directive might be helpful, I am often a bit pessimistic about these as I have a feeling that a lot of big brands find ways to go around these directives... 😩 But I hope I am wrong this time. Have a nice week too, Delph
Guten Morgen Delphine, das sind ja gute Nachrichten (Preise fallen), auf der anderen Seite denke ich auch wieder keine gute Nachrichten. Wenn die Leute sparen müssen, dann merkt es wahrscheinlich zuerst das Luxus Segment. Es sind die Auswirkungen der mometan verheerenden Politik, dass die Wirtschaft allmählich am Boden liegt 😮😢 und es ist erst der Anfang. Ich hoffe dass die Menschen aufwachen 🙏 und aufstehen, um sich zu wehren. Aber abgesehen davon, ist es natürlich eine Sauerei, wenn Luxusmarken Ausbeutung betreiben. Sorry, jetzt ist es gleich ein politisches Statement geworden 🤷♀️ Das passt alles zu dem shit Wetter heute. Was ist denn das für ein Sommer! ❄️☔️ brrrr... Trotzdem schönen Tag 🤗
Hallo Elena, ja, tell me about the weather 😭 Es ist tatsächlich so, dass wir alle mehr für tägliche Sachen zahlen müssen, und es weniger Geld für Spaß übrig bleibt. Ich finde es deswegen noch mehr nervig, dass die Luxus-marken in dieser schwierigen Zeit die Preise noch mehr und mehr erhöht haben ! Und gleichzeitig die Qualität und die Arbeitskonditionen verschlechtern haben... Aber jetzt ist es langsam vorbei, Karma kommt 😅
