Hi all! I'm a Louis Vuitton subforum regular, but I do love JC shoes. I'm actually asking this question on behalf of a friend, who has a gorgeous white anaconda bag she purchased from JC (for about $2k- was half off) in mid-2007. I don't know the name, but I'm sure if you showed me some pictures of it, I'd instantly recognize it. Turns out my friend's bag has had huge color transfer problems, that didn't even come out with cleaning- and she's only worn it a handful of times. For example, one Marc Jacobs pink top totally rubbed off on the skin and suede, and it has turned her bag into a light pink color in some spots! She was never told this would happen, and never received a care booklet or anything with the bag - unlike LV, where everyone gets at least some information on the bags. Is this typical? She went to the BH boutique and talked to the West Coast manager. He agreed that the bag should not have the color transfer problems - that it was probably defective. He said he'd speak with corporate about getting an exchange. He seemed pretty certain that my friend would get an exchange, but honestly, she just wants her money back - she's really irritated with JC, and even though she loves their shoes, she needs a bag to fill the void in her collection. So, bottom line: Have you gals had problems with your JC snakeskin bags? If you did, did you get an exchange, or your money back? Any suggestions on how to get the best result possible? Thank you so much in advance!
So sorry to hear your friend was having difficulties with her Anaconda bag. I am a Loyal Choo lover, and have just recently purchased my first Python bag (last month) but have not had any problems with color transfer. Mine is a multicolor python, so I doubt there will be any problems with color transfer. The bags come with a care card and the dust bag. I have not heard of any other problems with members bags as far as the exotic skins are concerned. I hope she is able to get a positive resolution with Jimmy Choo, as the bags are not cheap and I do hope she will give the bags another chance in the future. Sorry I wasn't more help
Hi article3, not replying directly to your question but: colour transfer onto light coloured skins is unfortunately quite common. Just the other day my friend told me about her car seats, not the driver's seat but the back seats where her kids usually sit. She had noticed that her jeans have transferred colour onto the seats just because she leans onto them when she buckles up her kids! What I'm trying to say is that it is not the python skin in itself that is the problem, the problem is the white colour AND the clothing that lets off dye. What does the care tag for the MJ top say?
TOTALLY off topic but WOW those bags take my breath EVERY time I see the photos! I cant get tired of those amazing snakies! lol Sorry for the thread hijack!
So sorry this happened to your friend. Color transfer of dye from clothing is fairly common. You would hope the dye is colorfast, but many times it is not, especially on vibrantly colored fabrics. The final step to proper dyeing is to do the final rinse with a good fixative. From what I see, this isn't always done (as a cost savings) and the excess non-reacted dye bleeds. Fibers are of 2 general types, protein (wools, hair, silk, fur, leather, skins) and cellulosic (cotton, rayon, tencel, linen). The dyes used to dye fabric are of a certain type that have affinity for the fiber. So you have to be especially careful for example, of a dyed cashmere sweater rubbing off on a suede bag. But the real problem happens when companies use combo dyes to save money (Rit is like that, a combo dye). These combo dyes will dye almost anything, but is more difficult to fix properly than using a matched dye. And the mordant can only do so much. Remember adding vinegar to the Easter egg dye? Vinegar, a mordant, set the dye, so it stuck to the eggshell. I would tell your friend to contact Marc Jacobs and get them to pay for cleaning. There is a company called LMB (lovinmybags ) that cleans bags. I have not used them, but lots of gals on the Balenciaga forum have experience with them.
I was a soft sculpture artist in another life. Did a lot of dyeing and experimentation...even used Koolaid, LOL. Now that is the most colorfast dye I've ever used! I can imagine the color of childrens' innards after drinking that stuff. There used to be a good product called Synthrapol for washing newly dyed fibers. It would gently wash the fiber and grab all of the extra dye. I used it to hand wash new non-colorfast clothes. It has been discontinued but something new is coming out to replace it. I would not use vinegar in the rinse as some do. One other tip for dye bleeding... Shout makes a product you throw in the wash that looks like a dryer sheet. It grabs the dye and prevents it from re-depositing on other items. Great for hubbies who do not completely understand the reason behind color sorting. I hope article3's friend gets the issue resolved. If she sends the bag to LMB to be cleaned, it would be a good idea to snip a piece of the shirt too (from the seam allowance or hem) and send it along.
ITA, Jburgh, I would contact MJ, not JC, in this case. I hate it when clothes let off excess dye, especially kids clothes. I wish I could find a product like the one you mentioned that Shout makes. It probably isn't available here.
Thanks for all your input, gals! She never thought about asking MJ, so I'll definitely pass that along to her - and the suggestion re: LMB is fantastic. THANK YOU!
