Chanel’s Rise & STALL: Defects, Difficulties & Deflection (formerly the 19 tote saga thread)

[Jayne1]

Are you in the US? Regardless, there is no repair shop in Paris. The bags are assembled in Italy.
If you’re in the US, ask them why they’re not sending it to be checked in for repair in New Jersey then sent to their contracted US repair shop. I’d love to hear their answer.

I’m quite certain there are others on this thread that know exactly where their bags go for repair in the US.

I can tell you that Chanel knows that I’ve known for years where the bags go so they don’t bother trying to sell me on the Paris lie.

Without giving the name, as I still don’t know if they have an NDA, does anyone else want to confirm or dispute my information?

Edited for autocorrect mistake.

I'm in Toronto - My SA told me years ago that the bags were sent a block away to a rather good leather repair shop that I had used on my own. Point is, the bags and shoes do not go to Paris.

ETA - I told everyone this a decade or so ago and no one believed me. lol

 

[papertiger]

I'm in Toronto - My SA told me years ago that the bags were sent a block away to a rather good leather repair shop that I had used on my own. Point is, the bags and shoes do not go to Paris.

It's the same with most lux retailers. Chanel is not a leather goods and accessories specialist, they are a fashion brand. They have ateliers (as do Valentino etc) expert tailors that can alter RTW usually exceptionally well. Even if it's sent to Paris, a bag will only be examined there, C probably have to send it off somewhere else again, that's why it prob takes so long. If they can cut out some of the smaller jobs to do locally it must help logistically.

Hermes and Gucci are leather specialists and have enormous resources for leather goods, it's easier for them to send back to their own workshops and factories. Even Gucci have their shoes resoled locally.

 

[Swanky]

People have said for a long time that some items are repaired in the US, this isn't news on tPF. There was a place in NY (I think?) that it was common knowledge to be used.
Maybe some pieces go to Paris, maybe not. I wouldn't care as long as a talented repairperson was used, and honestly we won't know the truth IMO unless a rep from Chanel confirms it here. JMO.
There's a Dallas repair place I've used, everyone in Dallas uses them and I'd send my Chanel there for sure.

 

[annam]

I'm in Toronto - My SA told me years ago that the bags were sent a block away to a rather good leather repair shop that I had used on my own. Point is, the bags and shoes do not go to Paris.

ETA - I told everyone this a decade or so ago and no one believed me. lol

Can you share the name of shop? I have been looking at getting my bag relined. This would be super helpful!

 

[sjunky13]

Leather surgeons is where Chanel outsourced repairs for the past 20 years. They used to hide that info like 15 years ago. I know they work with local leather repair depending on location.

 

[gail13]

People have said for a long time that some items are repaired in the US, this isn't news on tPF.

There are alot of new buyers in this Forum. Many of the older SA's from Chanel have been replaced with newer ones who are not thoroughly trained. I think any of us who know the collections, the nuances of Chanel can attest to that-we many times know more than the SA's do and they admit it. The SA's have and do tell us things are sent to Chanel Paris for repair, probably because it is what they are told. It might not mean anything to you, but many of us would prefer to know the truth. All these little non truths, add up to one big one. Smoke and mirrors, and it gets old. Chanel or otherwise, we want to know #luxetruth.

I don't think any of us care if it's repaired in US, so why not tell us that? The point of this whole thread is lack of transparency on materials and processes.

 

[Swanky]

I’ve never had a bag repaired, but have read different posts through the years about Chanel using local places, it wasn’t a secret is all I’m saying. Im also saying that if Chanel is saying some items will be repaired in France, they might actually be

The truth is fabulous, I have no issues with it!

 

[lalame]

I have to imagine it’s both. Hermes does repairs in house locally for some things and sends purses to Europe for repairs of other things.

 

[Bagatha Christie]

It’s been referenced before by @papertiger and @880 and now I can’t find their messages but this shadiness about materials is very noticeable in exotic leathers. Selling alligator or cayman even as crocodile is absolutely shameless fraud as they are different animals.

Of course Chanel has now stopped selling exotics for ‘environmental’ reasons but given this is the same company which tells people they should only expect their leather bags to last a season or only wear RTW a few times as it is ‘fashion’ we can extrapolate from that how seriously they take sustainability.

Exotics are meant to represent the highest level of combining leathercraft, design and materials which combined with the higher cost of farming carnivores means they command the biggest prices. Given they command such big money and have historical prestige I think it’s interesting to wonder why Chanel has decided to stop. I was wondering whether it might be because of the croc farming cruelty controversies but that doesn’t seem to have hit Hermes. Also if they are planning to continue expanding primarily in mainland China there’s far less animal rights regulations to worry about. So I’ve got to think it comes down to the COGS again. Pure speculation on my part but I think they didn’t want to pay the craftspeople who know how to sew exotics even with a hefty markup when they can machine sew leather for less and still put prices up.

Also, I’m not anti-animal products by any means (I actually love snakeskin and vintage fur), but it does make me wonder what sort of life these calves had if their hides are only going for $30 top end.

 

[ntntgo]

Leather surgeons is where Chanel outsourced repairs for the past 20 years. They used to hide that info like 15 years ago. I know they work with local leather repair depending on location.

Yes. If you take a bag in for repair it gets checked in through NJ to see if it’s something minor but then most go to Leather Surgeons if it’s not something their RTW seamstresses can’t sew. Like if it’s a fabric bag.

I wasn’t going to throw their name out there, regardless that most long time Chanel clients know this, because I don’t know what their current NDA situation is.

I bypass Chanel all together. My bags go directly to LS. Not just Chanel & not just bags. I trust Gerry Gallagher and his sons far more than I trust anyone with all of my leather goods.

Now that Artbag has moved from NYC after 90 years, to So FL, I’m going to test drive them with one of my Kellys. Plus they did agree to take apart @TraceySH Chanel. Although they said they can tell by just looking at any “leather good” whether it’s bonded leather or not leather at all or what grade of leather it is.

Anyway, now that Leather Surgeons name has been put out there by someone else, I’m glad because they do amazing work and they’ve got 6 bags of mine right now. They know more about Chanel’s bags than Chanel. I’ll leave it at that.

 

[zaraha]

Yes. If you take a bag in for repair it gets checked in through NJ to see if it’s something minor but then most go to Leather Surgeons if it’s not something their RTW seamstresses can’t sew. Like if it’s a fabric bag.

I wasn’t going to throw their name out there, regardless that most long time Chanel clients know this, because I don’t know what their current NDA situation is.

I bypass Chanel all together. My bags go directly to LS. Not just Chanel & not just bags. I trust Gerry Gallagher and his sons far more than I trust anyone with all of my leather goods.

Now that Artbag has moved from NYC after 90 years, to So FL, I’m going to test drive them with one of my Kellys. Plus they did agree to take apart @TraceySH Chanel. Although they said they can tell by just looking at any “leather good” whether it’s bonded leather or not leather at all or what grade of leather it is.

Anyway, now that Leather Surgeons name has been put out there by someone else, I’m glad because they do amazing work and they’ve got 6 bags of mine right now. They know more about Chanel’s bags than Chanel. I’ll leave it at that.

I’m so excited to see @TraceySH Chanel bag’s autopsy report thank you ladies for doing this for us! we really appreciate it! I would assume similar leather being used for 22 bags too.

 

[Liberté]

It’s been referenced before by @papertiger and @880 and now I can’t find their messages but this shadiness about materials is very noticeable in exotic leathers. Selling alligator or cayman even as crocodile is absolutely shameless fraud as they are different animals.

Of course Chanel has now stopped selling exotics for ‘environmental’ reasons but given this is the same company which tells people they should only expect their leather bags to last a season or only wear RTW a few times as it is ‘fashion’ we can extrapolate from that how seriously they take sustainability.

Exotics are meant to represent the highest level of combining leathercraft, design and materials which combined with the higher cost of farming carnivores means they command the biggest prices. Given they command such big money and have historical prestige I think it’s interesting to wonder why Chanel has decided to stop. I was wondering whether it might be because of the croc farming cruelty controversies but that doesn’t seem to have hit Hermes. Also if they are planning to continue expanding primarily in mainland China there’s far less animal rights regulations to worry about. So I’ve got to think it comes down to the COGS again. Pure speculation on my part but I think they didn’t want to pay the craftspeople who know how to sew exotics even with a hefty markup when they can machine sew leather for less and still put prices up.

Also, I’m not anti-animal products by any means (I actually love snakeskin and vintage fur), but it does make me wonder what sort of life these calves had if their hides are only going for $30 top end.

Please someone else chime in, but I believe this was a major reason why they stopped exotics:

"While competitors were busy snapping up farms and tanneries, the French luxury house failed to secure its exotics supply chain, giving it diminished access to top quality materials"

BoF

There is for sure a market for Chanel exotics, even in rtw or hc, but exotics had apparently become expensive to source (LVMH and hermes have in house farms) and for some skins very labor intensive (like stingray) and it could be good publicity. I'm also guessing maybe volume is low for these items, it seems easier to be offered an exotic Birkin according to some sources here.

 

[TPFer2015]

I just had my 19 repaired, and I got my bag back in two weeks, it was sent to the London atelier which can do minor repairs. Apparently anything major (need new hardware, etc) will be sent to Paris. FYIP

 

[katlina]

Yet here you are. You clicked on, read through it, and then decided to comment.

You refuse to accept the empirical data of a decent amount of users based on what “Chanel says”. Does Chanel send you a paycheck to defend them? Chanel defenders are ALMOST as bad as Hermes defenders.

I haven’t read through any of those pages. But you seem to go out of your way to keep insisting that we should be bothered. Does it bother you so much that some people simply don’t care whether you are right or not? I enjoy my bags regardless of what some hobby investigators think Chanel is doing with our money or the products. I don’t care. Seems to bother you. You seem to believe that everyone needs to freak out and stop buying Chanel. I choose not to participate in this weird hobby detective thing. I love my bags I love my products I don’t care about the rest.

 

[katlina]

Lol. Consider it public service. If it irritates you, move on.

You consider your contribution a public service? Wowsa! Good luck with everything