LOL! you are definantly out of the loop when it comes to India and China, they are currently the two most up and coming countries in the world! I visited India recently and parts of the country are comparable to London, Paris and NewYork. The economy is booming and luxury goods are becoming a part of everyday life for Inida's elite. If LV produces goods in India do you think it will be in some road-side sweatshop? I very much doubt it. It will bring much needed jobs to the country as far as I'm concerned and I have no doubt in my mind that the quality will be as good as anywhere else in the world. The workers may be paid less but then the cost of living in India is much less to, I'm sure the workers will be paid fairly and quality control will have the same standards as anywhere else.
LV made in India?
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LOL! you are definantly out of the loop when it comes to India and China, they are currently the two most up and coming countries in the world! I visited India recently and parts of the country are comparable to London, Paris and NewYork. The economy is booming and luxury goods are becoming a part of everyday life for Inida's elite. If LV produces goods in India do you think it will be in some road-side sweatshop? I very much doubt it. It will bring much needed jobs to the country as far as I'm concerned and I have no doubt in my mind that the quality will be as good as anywhere else in the world. The workers may be paid less but then the cost of living in India is much less to, I'm sure the workers will be paid fairly and quality control will have the same standards as anywhere else.
Bravo - if you read through the threads this is what I've been saying all along, not to mention the very real mipact this would have for many Indian families.
This thread has made me very sad and disappointed. For people to say "I'll never buy another one," "They'll be sorry," - implying it's the end of the company as they knew it somehow, and, "that's it for me," etc., even to the point on another thread of lamenting the fact that their dustags (of all things} might have been made in India, how sad this is?
For most that are making these comments, they are basing them on generalizations, sterotypes, and a lack of any personal knowledge of the country.
I am deeply saddened. While I understand wanting a french made bag in preference over one from another country (including Spain or the US) - that's a preference, and a preference is fine. I love French made bags too - it adds to the fun since it's a French company.
To imply all the people in the french factory might lose their jobs borders on ridiculous. Louis Vuitton is not going to close its factories in France, the U.S., Spain or anywhere else.
Why no uproar about the U.S. or Spain factories?
I am saddened if there is anyone from India on our forum, and embarrassed at the tone some of these posts have taken and the bashing of a people.
It is one thing to say you will look for a made in France bag because that's what you love best. Some of these posts though - wow.
I always laugh when I see posts that start with "I don't mean to sound snobbish," or "I don't mean to sound racist," and then go on to show that's exactly what the post is saying, as if the preliminary introduction of the post disclaims responsibility for the remainder.
You can pick any bag you would like, choose not to buy one from India - if they even end up making them there which is uncertain at present, but please be aware of other nationalities on the board. I've seen India, Japan, China, all bashed on this thread and it's very sad to me.
Actually...McDonalds doesn't taste the same everywhere in the world. Canadian french fries taste very different different than American french fries (probably the oil used or something)...and the fries again tasted different when I was in the UK (so did my Big Mac). Sorry...I am a huge french fry lover!
ooh, yes! the fries in manila tastes difference and are 1/2 the size of US ones. I've tasted mcdonald's and kfc in amsterdam, US, manila, macau and hongkong and was surprised at how slightly different the taste is!
LOL...I'm glad I'm not the only one (I thought I was weird in noticing a difference in taste)!
But back to topic....IF quality control can be kept to the EXACT same standards as the US, France, Spain, Italy, Germany factories than there isn't that big of a problem....AND if wages are comparable to what is expected in THAT country.
I think the problem so many people have is that it is a FRENCH designer and people expect a Made in France item because of that. Think of all the shocked posts we get from newbies saying "Is my LV fake? It says Made in USA", etc.
I agree that many people buy LV for the quality & craftmanship & history of the company....but at the same time some people "new" to the world of luxury designer goods may also be buying into the notion of owning items made in France & Italy because those are the countries typically associated with major fashion houses....and so the idea may have become that luxury goods = made in France/Italy. I'm not tyring to stereotype anything with this statement...it probably comes from my own experiences (which I've since gotten over after realizing how so many designers make things in different areas of the world).
I go back to my VW story....I was truly shocked when I saw Mexico because I was expecting a German-made automobile. I got over it really quickly when my car didn't fall apart after it's first road trip....hence the quality was the same as the fully-made German car (only my engine was German made...the rest of the car i.e. the body, was made in Mexico).
Here's another car example: Some people prefer foreign made vehicles (i.e. Toyota, Honda, etc.) over US made vehicles....and I know that many of these Japanese car makers are now making their vehicles in the US (Toyota has a plant in IN)....is your car now not a foreign made, Toyota car? It still is...and if the quality is the same as it was when it was made in Japan then everything should be OK.
Sorry to go from purses to cars again....but I was just trying to find something to compare it to.
If this does happen....I think I will kind of sit back and wait for any fallout...i.e. wait and see if anyone has quality control issues. If there is....then I WILL request only France, US, Spain items.
I agree with this as we have experienced the result of outsourcing on the job market here too as many Australian companies have moved offshore and workers have lost their jobs....I do believe in working rights and will these workers have fair working conditions e.g. actual meal breaks that are deducted from their working time -- not added onto their working hours, reasonable hours, reasonable expectations in them reaching production quotas, being paid a living wage etc. One of my major concerns if LV do decide to start production in India that it may open the workers up to being viewed as disposable and commodities if certain criteria is not reached. Maybe I am placing high expectations on LV but FAIR working conditions for all should not be up for negotiation just because they have outsourced their production to India. What is the best option for contacting LV to see if/when this will occur???
While you're contacting them, please inquire as to whether the working conditions in France, Spain, Germany and the U.S. are "fair." Perhaps this should be researched.
It is (unfortunately) naive also in this day and age to think in any way that large companies view their workers as anything other than disposable commodities. We are not talking about a little family owned company here. Workers are commodities and entirely disposable at most companies. I doubt (as much as I love their bags) that LV is any different.
Clearly, money is a bottom line factor or we wouldn't have had 3 price increases in 2006. For any worker at any of the factories, I'm sure - should they leave, they will be replaced forthwith. It's not like top management knows all the names of their kids and is deeply concerned about them on a personal level. These are factories.
While they may be nice, well-lit and treat their workers fairly, they are still factories with piece workers working. These are not artists sitting at a bench and lovingly putting an LV bag together for us. These people are coming in to do their jobs, just like the rest of us, and I honestly doubt that most of their life fulfillment comes from their work (at any of the factories, including in France).
I imagine for most of these workers, their wages are not enough to buy the bags they make, even with a discount. They are probably standing a great deal, lifting, pushing, pulling, working with machines, sewing, glewing, not a cushy job by any means. May be paid an hourly wage with bonuses depending upon skill and amount of pieces produced - just like a mill. Even in the U.S. (as far as highly skilled workers) I doubt you have college educated people working on the line or putting these bags together. Same goes for the rest of the factories. Probably a lot of people with possibly high school degrees, GEDs, maybe no degree at all. Why not lament the quality coming from them?
At whatever country, France, Italy, Spain, U.S., Germany, factories do not attract upper middle class, college-educated workers (generally) and the wages are liveable, at best and if that.
I think sometimes we have a very romantic notion due to the history of the company.
^^all the made in india vs made in france/italy reminds me of something that happened to me many years ago.
For my wedding, I received a wedding dress as a gift from a friend. It was from Europe, expensive and made of Belgian lace. So my (then) then fiance having a "European is better" mentality said "We have to get Italian shoes to go with this". So we searched high and low and found a beautiful pair of italian pumps. I wore them for my wedding.
The next time I wanted to wear these shoes I took them out of the box and put them on. When I took them off parts of the inside lining and the insole came out - sticking to my foot!
My husband wore his Indian made shoes he purchased to wear with his tux for many years (he looked for Italian shoes for so many days that he ran out of time and had to buy himself a cheaper Indian pair a couple days before the wedding!).
What I'm trying to say is that "Made in India" does not necessarily always mean a low quality product nor does "Made in Italy" always mean a good quality item. It always depends on the manufacturer and their standards.
For my wedding, I received a wedding dress as a gift from a friend. It was from Europe, expensive and made of Belgian lace. So my (then) then fiance having a "European is better" mentality said "We have to get Italian shoes to go with this". So we searched high and low and found a beautiful pair of italian pumps. I wore them for my wedding.
The next time I wanted to wear these shoes I took them out of the box and put them on. When I took them off parts of the inside lining and the insole came out - sticking to my foot!
My husband wore his Indian made shoes he purchased to wear with his tux for many years (he looked for Italian shoes for so many days that he ran out of time and had to buy himself a cheaper Indian pair a couple days before the wedding!).
What I'm trying to say is that "Made in India" does not necessarily always mean a low quality product nor does "Made in Italy" always mean a good quality item. It always depends on the manufacturer and their standards.
I have no issues in regards to quality but will LV adopt a socially responsible approach to employees in India and that it is not just based upon the lowest cost and a race to the bottom?
I think it's going to damage the label ...that's just my humble opinion.
In my opinion it's the wrong approach to manufactur in Asia for the supply of the Asian market. I have got an indian co-worker and asked her for her opinion on this topic. She said she and most of her friends and relatives would most probably stop buying LV if they were made in India. The great appeal that LV has got for many asians is that it is manufactured in Europe and therefore reflects craftmanship and tradition for them even if it's just an image they believe in. And now matter if you call it prejudice or not: The label "Made in India" does for the majority of people not reflect the same kind of quality as "Made in France" and therefor it will do damage to the value of the Brand Louis Vuitton.
In my opinion it's the wrong approach to manufactur in Asia for the supply of the Asian market. I have got an indian co-worker and asked her for her opinion on this topic. She said she and most of her friends and relatives would most probably stop buying LV if they were made in India. The great appeal that LV has got for many asians is that it is manufactured in Europe and therefore reflects craftmanship and tradition for them even if it's just an image they believe in. And now matter if you call it prejudice or not: The label "Made in India" does for the majority of people not reflect the same kind of quality as "Made in France" and therefor it will do damage to the value of the Brand Louis Vuitton.
Quality won't be an issue for me if LV decides to manufacture bags there. I am sure they have taken all measures to hire the best workers and what have you. Where I have an issue is is that I hate to spend this much on bags and the workers just get so much. Even if the wages the workers get is what is fair to what they should get in the country, the fact is that when taken into context with how much LV gains when each of us buy a bag, all the workers get are pennies. And LV keeps on having price increases 3 times a year! You'd think they lower the price because they save so much on the workers' wages.
Stephanie.
For myself, I justified the price knowing the manufacturing costs are pretty high. That will not be the case if the bags are made in India. I'm not saying the quality will be any different from know. I'm sure it will still be the same.
So many big companies are outsourcing more and more and it's not only the employees in the cheap labor countries I worry about. It is hurting every country that can't compete with the lower wages because of significantly higher cost of living.
So many big companies are outsourcing more and more and it's not only the employees in the cheap labor countries I worry about. It is hurting every country that can't compete with the lower wages because of significantly higher cost of living.
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