I went to a Louis Vuitton store today to return a Speedy 30 because it was "made in USA." I found out that ALMOST ALL the bags in that store were made in USA, in a factory near Los Angeles. They had a few bags made in France, some made in Spain, but most of the bags were put together in a factory in California. I like USA products, but I want my Vuitton bags made in Europe, because I like them with European perfection. The USA made bags looked OK but they lacked that ultra perfection that I wanted. The canvas feels a little different, the stitching isn't quite the same, and the folded thin leather inside the seams seems a little sloppy and uneven. Now, I have had Vuitton bags for years and these US bags lacked the awesomeness, no matter how much the salesperson tried to convince me "they were exactly the same." My eyes told me differently. I feel sad that the company is just making profits and lessening quality. Really fabulous leather workers are not found everywhere. It takes years to learn the craft. Sorry to say all this. Look at the label or tags or the leather imprint next time you shop LV.
LV and the quality
- Thread starter ellc
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I was told today that all the Monogram Speedys are made in the USA. Not the same quality as before, according to my eyes. I feel sad.
I'm not sure who told you that, but it isn't true. Plenty of mono speedies made in France and they are still made there daily. You have to have a good SA snd be patient if you are buying in the US and want a MIF speedy, but it can be done. If you live in Canada, Europe, or any other country than the US, your speedy will likely be made in France. Mon Mono bags are made in France generally. So, I'm not sure who gave you that info, but it was wrong. Sometimes SAs will tell US customers that the only speedies sold in the US were the ones made here, but it's simply because they are too lazy to find you a MIF bag. I guarantee you, if you go to France to buy your speedy, it's not made in the US.
I will say though that per my SA, there is a difference in quality between the two. I wait for MIF bags. I only buy made in the US if I literally can't get MIF for some reason. They do not pay the CA workers very well here in the US, and the heritage and loyalty is not there for the workers, hence the quality issues are higher percentage wise. The mono zippy I recently returned perled in less than a month. It was made in the US and I didn't notice it when I bought it. Never again. Now I check and wait.
But speedies are definitely still made daily in France.
c-m, In the past I have always said that I thought quality was the same. After receiving my Mon Mono Speedy (made in France BTW), I have to say that I can see the difference. My Mon Mono Speedy is perfect. Stitching, canvas alignment, everything. The quality and craftsmanship of this MIF Speedy is light years ahead of the Speedys (all made in USA) I saw in the boutique. Mind you, the Made in USA Speedys were fine...just not precisely perfect like the MIF one!
I recently purchased a Zippy Wallet and it was Made in USA. I will keep an eye on it for peeling. Where exactly did yours peel?
Hi! My SA is the one that warned me about the differences. They say it is marked now. My zippy peeled in two spots. On the bottom edge - at the curve by the bottom of the zipper, and on the top (about an inch long!) right by the zipper on one side. VERY disheartening.
I have to say that I have LV's made in France, USA, and Spain. I haven't noticed any difference whatsoever. My friend has a MIF Speedy, while mine were made in the USA. We can't find any difference at all in the workmanship, leather, canvas, or stitching. I have not
( knock on wood ) had any problems with any of my bags regardless of where they come from.
( knock on wood ) had any problems with any of my bags regardless of where they come from.
The sales associate categorically told me it was not possible to order a Speedy 30 Monogram from France. Impossible, she said. I will call the store again and see. Thanks. Also, I will not buy the US made ones, with all the bad reports and the unsatisfactory visuals of my own.
I don't think the items made in the USA are of lesser quality. I have read enough on here to know lemons are being sold everywhere, not just in the USA. I think quality has gone down in general, regardless of where the item is made. I have a wallet made in Spain and the hardware just doesn't look like it was manufactured from good quality materials. Before I even put anything in it, the button already had a huge scratch. It was a $720 wallet. I expected better.
I don't have a LV store in my state. Can I request that my bag be Made in France if i purchase online? I want to get the Artsy MM and would prefer it to be made in France.
European buyers will expect LV to have the same quality as before, and I am sure that they continue to get it. Maybe LV thinks we Americans don't know the difference, or care about small details. I do. I can see with my plain eye the difference in fabric, thread, stitching, and exactness, which is lacking. I hope LV gives up their US factory and start giving us European quality that we expect. (I mean, the prices have not gone down, just the quality.) My sales associate insists that she cannot order me a purse from France, that "she is not allowed to do that" in her store.
I couldn't agree with you more. I picked up a Neverfull ebene (a bag i've always wanted) and I had to check 3 bags b/c the stitching was off on some, the material cut unevenly and folded very sloppy. I chose one where the stitching was more even than the others but when i got home I noticed that the inside lining wasn't lined up properly. I purchased it because i didn't want to face a price increase and I was told all the neverfulls we will have here are made in the usa. I still love the bag but wonder what the quality control is like now. Are they that popular that they are ignoring flaws just to get as many bags as they can out?
I'll always love LV but I am more careful now. I will check to make sure the patterns are aligned and stitching is done evenly and that the canvas isn't scratched. I would think that paying $$$$$ for a bag, you would expect someone has already done these checks before it reaches the boutique.