Does Chanel really make their items in France/Italy

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CrazyCool01

CrazyCool01

Member
May 17, 2015
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#1
Hi All,
Recently i have been seeing several videos on youtube where people indicate that Chanel shoes/Bags/accessories may not be fully made in France or Italy as stamped on the item but may be made elsewhere and assembled in France/Italy.
here is an interesting video i saw


this makes me think - do i love Chanel as a brand even though it is not made in France/Italy or does it matter!
What do you think !?
 
#3
Certain components of the final product are sourced from countries outside France/Italy, but the majority of the manufacturing process (assembly) takes place in Italy/France.

Luxury brands that use mother of pearl buttons on their Made-in-italy shirts source them from Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, or Australia. Hermes, LV source many of their cashmere from Hebei.

In another case, all luxury brands use a loophole by constructing the garment in France/Italy, but ship it to India for finishing like embroidery, so that it still qualifies the Made in France/Italy label, because construction & design occurred there.

So Chanel isn't necessarily lying, but they, along with the rest, are being shady in this regard.
 
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#4
cerulean blue said:
Certain components of the final product are sourced from countries outside France/Italy, but the majority of the manufacturing process (assembly) takes place in Italy/France.

Luxury brands that use mother of pearl buttons on their Made-in-italy shirts source them from Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, or Australia. Hermes, LV source many of their cashmere from Hebei.

In another case, all luxury brands use a loophole by constructing the garment in France/Italy, but ship it to India for finishing like embroidery, so that it still qualifies the Made in France/Italy label, because construction & design occurred there.

So Chanel isn't necessarily lying, but they, along with the rest, are being shady in this regard.
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Thanks for the reply! Just really makes me think - the places you have mentioned “Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia,” are the ones with poor infrastructure for industries and operate under bad working conditions.

really hope Chanel’s business doesnot support these shady factories.
 
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#5
I follow the same thought process as cerulean blue in this matter. I think certain components of a product are outsourced and are used to build and craft these items in France/Italy.

I wanted to share this video from Instagram as well since it gave me a direct look to Chanel ateliers! Such an interesting video. I encourage you to take a look at it, too!

 
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#6
I keep reading that Chanel bags are not made in Italy or France anymore (just look at the quality concerns) or maybe assembled in France, but all the parts come from elsewhere or vice versa.

Decades ago I read about Armani only sewing the buttons on their garments and labelling it Made in Italy.

This has been a concern for such a long time.
 
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#7
I really, really, really do not care.

I buy and wear Chanel first and foremost for the style of the item. Quality is an unflinching requirement and then brand cache is merely fun.

If Chanel manufactures products in other locations so be it. I have no need for the craftspeople to live under a certain flag. What I do care about is them paying the workers a fair, living wage (not necessary the “going rate” because in most countries that’s a pathetic subsistence level at best) and that quality stays at the highest levels.

It’s a luxury item. Deliver me a superior item and then everyone in the chain needs to be paid well. Buyers can afford to ensure that or, honestly, they can’t afford a luxury item with any integrity.
 
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#9
I never imagined for one second that a bag that says Made in France/Italy/USA is entirely made in that country with only parts from that country. We're in a global society and global marketplace; it'd be naive to assume a bag, or anything else, is 100% from one country. Chanel, like most other companies, likely sources items like buttons and zippers and linings from other places and assembles them in France. American companies can say 'made in the USA' even if the item is 100% from China, so long as the company is completely based in the USA. Lots of business loopholes exist... does it really matter though, as long as your product is quality and well-made?
 
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#10
Mekong is also the name of the gold colour, which also happens to be the colour of her sandals...so I wouldn't rush into any conclusions.

I really don't think Chanel would risk producing their items somewhere else. For 100% they do source components from different countries though, and I don't see a problem there.
 
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#11
Tbh i've always taken "made in france/italy/spain" with a pinch of salt; they definitely have an assembly chain and not everything is 100% made/produced/assembled in the aforementioned countries. I do however believe only their ready-to-wear and bags are really made in these countries; the costume jewelry, shoes and other accessories can well be assembled elsewhere lol. It's giving Ikea - designed in sweden made in china xD
 
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#13
jsmile said:
Fashion industry has always been a shade of gray.

Not only should we be aware that parts of luxury are made in countries like Cambodia with poor working conditions but the luxury fashion industry as a whole is very wasteful and harmful to the environment.

It really is based on the person what they can and can't accept.
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YES, THIS.
I think when they say it's "made in" certain countries, it's usually where it's assembled. And from my understanding (from my job) European countries tend to have very strict labor laws (OT, pension, benefits, etc.), whereas some labor markets (where a lot of the parts are actually made) have terrible, unethical labor practices where the labor is exploited. I understand there is a technicality of where the item is made versus assembled, but there is definitely a darker truth about its (un)ethical labor sourcing that we tend to not think about just because the item says it's MIF or MII.
 
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#14
Fixxi said:
YES, THIS.
I think when they say it's "made in" certain countries, it's usually where it's assembled. And from my understanding (from my job) European countries tend to have very strict labor laws (OT, pension, benefits, etc.), whereas some labor markets (where a lot of the parts are actually made) have terrible, unethical labor practices where the labor is exploited. I understand there is a technicality of where the item is made versus assembled, but there is definitely a darker truth about its (un)ethical labor sourcing that we tend to not think about just because the item says it's MIF or MII.
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Dont forget about the dyes, the scraps, the pollution, etc.
 
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#15
cerulean blue said:
Certain components of the final product are sourced from countries outside France/Italy, but the majority of the manufacturing process (assembly) takes place in Italy/France.

Luxury brands that use mother of pearl buttons on their Made-in-italy shirts source them from Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, or Australia. Hermes, LV source many of their cashmere from Hebei.

In another case, all luxury brands use a loophole by constructing the garment in France/Italy, but ship it to India for finishing like embroidery, so that it still qualifies the Made in France/Italy label, because construction & design occurred there.

So Chanel isn't necessarily lying, but they, along with the rest, are being shady in this regard.
Click to expand...

Do by chance have a source for any of this? Thank you!
 
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