My professor told me Chanel bags are all made in China but assembled in Europe?

[monogram]

This would bother me more than the 'made in XX' stamped on a bag. I would like to think that animal skins used in luxury items come from animals that were raised to feed people in first place. I particularly don't like the idea of raising animals only with the purpose of retrieving their skin ...

I have to whole heartedly agreed with you. As much as I love Chanel, I've been struggling with the reality of wearing leather handbags. At one point I thought of buying only tweed or fabric. I read that Hermes also raise their own gator farm to produce their bags? This thread makes me want to dispose of my entire Chanel collection

 

[Swanky]

Hi! Let's stay on topic please. tPF doesn't really allow the heated discussion of how skins are acquired.

 

[ThisVNchick]

Dior is headed by Bernard Arnault who is also Chairman for LVMH. Dior is publically traded in Euronext as CDI. I still do not think Dior is exempted from the same issues that plague LV. It is managed by the same person.

This.

I am not sure that any handbag manufacturers except for maybe smaller / hyper local / eco-conscious / newer designers who haven't yet scaled their businesses can claim to make their purses completely in-country

Especially Dior which is also publicly traded, has to answer to shareholders, run by the same managers who are extremely successful in running efficient fashion businesses, and is within its legal right to run its supply chain the same as Chanel, LVMH, etc and affix a "made in (whatever EU country)" label

Shop with your eyes wide open!

I think a part of this problem has to do with how popular the brand is. At one point, Chanel and Louis Vuitton were handmade bags, but as the brand grew in popularity, the company somehow had to compensate for this growing demand. This is not the case for Dior. Dior is really not that popular among the masses. Heck, I think Dior's beauty line receives more attention than it's actual couture line. If you jump over to the Dior subforum, there are probably only a handful of loyal followers that will stay and post about the brand. It seems like no one wants to buy a Dior because (1) the resell value is terrible and (2) Dior bags are not as iconic when compared to a Chanel flap bag.

I think, if something is not in high demand, there's no need to outsource, no need to cut corners to meet the demand and supply level, thus quality control is better kept. It's not hard to compare Dior's quality to Louis Vuitton's quality, even though they are owned by the same company. Dior is by far much better made than Louis Vuitton (and Chanel in my opinion). There are barely (if any) any threads about defective bags or parts. But if you head over to LV, there at least a couple posts a day about unmatched canvas, glue seeping out, or cracking handles. You can feel and see the quality difference in a Dior piece vs. other luxury brands. You can also feel it in your wallet when you purchase a Dior piece. Dior bags, although not popular among the masses, are surprisingly NOT cheap. In a sense, with a Dior bag, I feel like I am receiving a product worthy of its price tag. I may not be sporting the hottest bag among the population, but at least I know my bag will stand the test of time (durability-wise), which to me, is what I look for when I want to spend my hard earned money.

 

[baghagg]

I think a part of this problem has to do with how popular the brand is. At one point, Chanel and Louis Vuitton were handmade bags, but as the brand grew in popularity, the company somehow had to compensate for this growing demand. This is not the case for Dior. Dior is really not that popular among the masses. Heck, I think Dior's beauty line receives more attention than it's actual couture line. If you jump over to the Dior subforum, there are probably only a handful of loyal followers that will stay and post about the brand. It seems like no one wants to buy a Dior because (1) the resell value is terrible and (2) Dior bags are not as iconic when compared to a Chanel flap bag.

I think, if something is not in high demand, there's no need to outsource, no need to cut corners to meet the demand and supply level, thus quality control is better kept. It's not hard to compare Dior's quality to Louis Vuitton's quality, even though they are owned by the same company. Dior is by far much better made than Louis Vuitton (and Chanel in my opinion). There are barely (if any) any threads about defective bags or parts. But if you head over to LV, there at least a couple posts a day have unmatched canvas, glue seeping out, or cracking handles. You can feel and see the quality difference in a Dior piece vs. other luxury brands. You can also feel it in your wallet when you purchase a Dior piece. Dior bags, although not popular among the masses, are surprisingly NOT cheap. In a sense, with a Dior bag, I feel like I am receiving a product worthy of its price tag. I may be not sporting the hottest bag among the population, but at least I know my bag will stand the test of time (durability-wise), which to me, is what I look for when I want to spend my hard earned money.

Very well said

 

[ladysarah]

I went back and read this thread- amazing guys how rumours start! There is absolutely NO evidence (and very little likelihood) that CHANEL outsources to china or any other implausible location. Not that long ago, CHANEL bought up, several traditional struggling french ateliers to rescue the art and craftsmanship that they provided for their couture lines. So I have no idea what everyone is talking about and where "professor" got his intel from. CHANEL is still a traditional couture house and there are legal requirements for that, certain criteria to be met etc. having said that things like cosmetics and some of their lower priced lines are simply money spinners trading on the name.

 

[LVk8]

I don't claim to be a supply chain expert, all I know as a business consultant is that it doesn't surprise me one bit to hear that fashion professors are telling their classes that the supply chain in the mass handbag market is more Eastern than European. If you are trying to maximize economies of scale, reduce costs, improve margins maximize profits for shareholders....and it's perfectly legal in your company of operation to qualify for the "made in" label by only finishing the manufacturing process there, it makes business sense to reduce manufacturing costs by outsourcing production. For better or for worse that's the way the world works right now

I do not kid myself that my MIF LV was entirely made in France. In all likelihood....it's not. But I still think that goes for the vast majority of the luxury brands. I understand that all of us are paying for the brand (marketing!) as well as the bag

I really enjoy these discussions on TPF. This and the ones about Coach's business strategy changes are some of my favorites on the forum right now. I think it's interesting to learn more about the industry as well as to discuss fave purses ❤️

 

[Sweet Fire]

i don't claim to be a supply chain expert, all i know as a business consultant is that it doesn't surprise me one bit to hear that fashion professors are telling their classes that the supply chain in the mass handbag market is more eastern than european. If you are trying to maximize economies of scale, reduce costs, improve margins maximize profits for shareholders....and it's perfectly legal in your company of operation to qualify for the "made in" label by only finishing the manufacturing process there, it makes business sense to reduce manufacturing costs by outsourcing production. For better or for worse that's the way the world works right now

i do not kid myself that my mif lv was entirely made in france. In all likelihood....it's not. But i still think that goes for the vast majority of the luxury brands. I understand that all of us are paying for the brand (marketing!) as well as the bag

i really enjoy these discussions on tpf. This and the ones about coach's business strategy changes are some of my favorites on the forum right now. I think it's interesting to learn more about the industry as well as to discuss fave purses ❤️

e

 

[lovelvburberry]

I just got a response from Chanel:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the manufacturing of a Chanel Handbag.

The original materials of the handbag were jersey and lambskin. Today, the range extends to a variety of materials and leathers. Every bag has at least one inside pocket and is sold with an "identity card" which guarantees the authenticity of the item. The number is also engraved inside of the handbag.

Using a combination of advanced technology and traditional craftsmanship, the Chanel France and Italy factories produce handbags of superior design and construction. There are 180 steps involved in creating bags of the highest-quality materials and many components are crafted by hand.

Chanel Accessories are sold exclusively at CHANEL Boutiques and specialty department stores. We recommend that you visit our Store Locator at http://www.chanel.com to find the location nearest you.

Should you require additional information, please call 800.550.0005 to speak with a Chanel customer service representative. We appreciate your continued interest in Chanel.

Warm Regards

This reply is a whole lot of nothing in my opinion.

I did personally write an email to ask Chanel today. I got the same response as barbie444 got from Chanel, and the additional separate response from Chanel. I highlight and bold the message as following,

[FONT=Tahoma, Verdana]Thank you for taking the time to contact Chanel.

Chanel has always abided by the principle of sourcing raw materials, technology and craftsmanship from wherever they are reputed to be the best in the world (yarn or leather from Italy and France, cashmere from Scotland and watch-making skills in Switzerland), the prêt-a-porter and leather goods being made exclusively in Europe.

Chanel has thus selected Asian suppliers for the manufacture of small accessories or objects that require a skill, a technology or a special manual skill that cannot be found or can no longer be found in Europe. This is why Chanel professional brushes are manufactured in China, birthplace of calligraphy and possessor of a centuries-old reputation for knowledge of hair quality (the best in the world) and hand-assembly.

Whatever the geographical location of our partners, Chanel applies exactly the same selection criteria for quality, excellence and the respect of social rights. What is true for Europe is true for China or Japan. Should you require additional information, please call (800) 550-0005 to speak with a Chanel Customer Service Representative.

Thank you for your continued interest in Chanel.
[/FONT]

Warm Regards,

 

[barbie444]

I think the response they gave you was a lot more specific. The response they gave me so generic. I fee like they came on tpf read this thread and emailed you back.

I did personally write an email to ask Chanel today. I got the same response as barbie444 got from Chanel, and the additional separate response from Chanel. I highlight and bold the message as following,

[FONT=Tahoma, Verdana]Thank you for taking the time to contact Chanel.

Chanel has always abided by the principle of sourcing raw materials, technology and craftsmanship from wherever they are reputed to be the best in the world (yarn or leather from Italy and France, cashmere from Scotland and watch-making skills in Switzerland), the prêt-a-porter and leather goods being made exclusively in Europe.

Chanel has thus selected Asian suppliers for the manufacture of small accessories or objects that require a skill, a technology or a special manual skill that cannot be found or can no longer be found in Europe. This is why Chanel professional brushes are manufactured in China, birthplace of calligraphy and possessor of a centuries-old reputation for knowledge of hair quality (the best in the world) and hand-assembly.

Whatever the geographical location of our partners, Chanel applies exactly the same selection criteria for quality, excellence and the respect of social rights. What is true for Europe is true for China or Japan. Should you require additional information, please call (800) 550-0005 to speak with a Chanel Customer Service Representative.

Thank you for your continued interest in Chanel.
[/FONT]

Warm Regards,

 

[MASEML]

Wrt to Chanel's response to barbie444, it makes no sense in context to her question. How did the first para start off with a history lesson and end on how to tell if it's real. Amazing how they ended with a store locator.

 

[Sweet Fire]

Well it has been confirmed!

 

[lovelvburberry]

I think the response they gave you was a lot more specific. The response they gave me so generic. I fee like they came on tpf read this thread and emailed you back.

I asked them very specific questions such as where Chanel gets the raw materials, where the origins of the raw materials are, where Chanel processes the leather for the bags, where Chanel makes the Classic iconic classic flap bags and reissue bags, and etc. I got 3 separate emails. 2 emails are the exact same context as the response that you got in your email. Only the 3rd email is shown a little bit more information. I just hope that Chanel can give customers more straight and direct answers instead of using a marketing speech/statement.

 

[calflu]

This is the exactly same question I have! My post was one page before this.

Not try to offend anyone but it's just hard for me to believe Dior can be immune to this given they are part of LVMH and will also be benefiting from the LVMH sale of Hermes shares (Dior is among the biggest shareholder of LVMH holding)!

Dior is headed by Bernard Arnault who is also Chairman for LVMH. Dior is publically traded in Euronext as CDI. I still do not think Dior is exempted from the same issues that plague LV. It is managed by the same person.

 

[tutushopper]

This is the exactly same question I have! My post was one page before this.

Not try to offend anyone but it's just hard for me to believe Dior can be immune to this given they are part of LVMH and will also be benefiting from the LVMH sale of Hermes shares (Dior is among the biggest shareholder of LVMH holding)!

"The issue of LVMH’s large stake in Hermès remained unresolved until the announcement of the redistribution of shares on Sept. 3. LVMH will distribute its shares in the brand to its own shareholders.

LVMH’s largest shareholder, Dior, will then disperse its Hermès shares to its stockholders. This redistribution must be completed by Dec. 20, 2014.

After this is completed, Groupe Arnault will have an 8.5 percent control in Hermès. For the next five years, LVMH, Groupe Arnault and Dior have agreed to not acquire any more Hermès shares.

With this agreement signed by both parties, all of the former legal battles also end.

“The most important court may very well be the court of public opinion,” Mr. Igel said. “Legal battles which play out in public often end up having unintended consequences.

“It should not be lost on anyone that Hermès shares took a bit of a hit yesterday, falling more than 3 percent when word of the settlement got out,” he said. “That’s because the takeover, and the resulting bid premium that would have gone with it, just disappeared.”

Sounds like a lot of attorneys and judges made a lot of money, and now the companies have 5 years to figure out what they are doing.

In more direct response to your question, because Dior does have an "under the radar" kind of presence, they are able to not see the kind of pressure LV or Chanel have in the marketplace. Dior is able to retain more of their integrity because they are not seen as the "make it or break it" part of the group. Look at the name. LVMH. It's not LVDMH.

 

[Luv iz Louis]

This would bother me more than the 'made in XX' stamped on a bag. I would like to think that animal skins used in luxury items come from animals that were raised to feed people in first place. I particularly don't like the idea of raising animals only with the purpose of retrieving their skin ...

This hit a chord with me too - but I agree with the other posters that Dior is not so much on peoples radar as are LV & Chanel etc - so they have not been as affected (so far).

The only piece of Dior I have at the moment (besides their skin care which is amazing) - is a small patent wallet and it is gorgeous.

The staff at Dior are also amazing - they are the best !!