What designers do you think is going downhill in quality?

Brndwhyn

O.G.
Jun 2, 2013
541
200
Let me first start off by saying that I LOVE LV and this is the only brand that I am carrying at the moment as I have sold most of my non-LV bags. I have been hearing a lot on this forum that the quality of LV has gone down over the years. I have only been collecting LV for a little over 2 years and I don't have that comparative knowledge to dispute otherwise. But I think I could make a good argument that the quality of most things designer has gone down and they have been staying afloat because of the reputation of their name.

I know this is the LV forum but compared to the quality of LV over the last 10 years, what other designer handbags do you feel have either maintained their quality or increased it over the past 10 years?
 
I think the quality of many brands have gone downhill over the years. People complain in other forums so I know it's not just LV. Personally, Coach started declining when they started making bags in China. All my vintage Coach bags - bought in the early 90's- that were made in NYC still look great and the brass is NOT dull or peeling. I still love LV though in spite of lesser quality and love buying both new and vintage. :smile:
 
I have always read about quality issues not just in LV but in other brands too...sometimes, if you worry too much about the quality you wont have time to enjoy your bag. Any bag, regardless of what brand it is, is bound to wear and tear. Some looks good even after a couple of years because people who are into bags tend to rotate their purses. I have 2 seven year old LV bags, one looks battered and the other looks like new. But im betting if i start to use the other bag frequently it will catch up with the other. I notice though that the canvas is still intact. Only the leather parts have flaws. Yes, expensive bags should have good quality but they are not immune to wear and tear especially if used frequently. You can ask lots of people here what brand is better and they will have different answere on what is best for them. True, there are a lot of complaints about lv, but there are also a lot who still loves it. Its all the same with different brands. Just buy whatever you like and enjoy it!
 
There is no doubt there are in fact quality issues with LV as well as other designers. The catch is that not everyone with the same bag has the same problem. With exception of the DE Neverfull which seems to be a bag I have seen with many issues.

I have learned with LV canvas bags the price them per quality and style. So your lower priced bags like the Neverfull or the Delightful have a thinner canvas which I think has a lot to do with the interior. Then other higher priced bags like the Artsy, Estrela or Metis have thicker canvas, soft with a rich color and interior microfiber. Then you can go higher to the Pallas or Evora and you get a little more substantial there because there is more leather.

I know issues on the bags vary widely per bag but like I said one problem does not happen to all. I mean I have a wallet I have had for two years and that thing has been use but it still looks in tip top shape. Others have peeling issues with the same wallet. These bags are not going to last forever as I have heard they have way back when and even those bags have heavy wear when I see some vintage bags. Unfortunately I do believe that when someone post a quality issue it is not all the time the bag and some times it is the bag but some times it is what we do to the bag. Rubbing against an abrasive surface and expecting the the bag to withstand that because we paid 2000 bucks for it is crazy. Cracking canvas on the Artsy which has been told it's due to deodorant does not count as a quality issue. When placed on your shoulder the bag is all up in your pit - come on. Again what we do to the bags.

Just because I buy a 200 thousand dollar car does not mean it won't scratch or dent. Not saying you need to baby your bags but I do think the better you take care of then the less some of the problems will occur. I have a wide range of bags which are in excellent condition with no problems but that is because I am very anal about my things whether it cost 5 bucks or 2000.

We need to be aware of how much we are willing to spend for something that will probably not last us forever. And may or may not with hold its glory as the first day we purchased it. We want perfection including myself for this amount of money but reality is NOTHING is perfect.

Go ahead jump all over me on this one!


Be Blessed MoNikki
 
i know issues on the bags vary widely per bag but like i said one problem does not happen to all. I mean i have a wallet i have had for two years and that thing has been use but it still looks in tip top shape. Others have peeling issues with the same wallet. These bags are not going to last forever as i have heard they have way back when and even those bags have heavy wear when i see some vintage bags. Unfortunately i do believe that when someone post a quality issue it is not all the time the bag and some times it is the bag but some times it is what we do to the bag. Rubbing against an abrasive surface and expecting the the bag to withstand that because we paid 2000 bucks for it is crazy. Cracking canvas on the artsy which has been told it's due to deodorant does not count as a quality issue. When placed on your shoulder the bag is all up in your pit - come on. Again what we do to the bags.

Just because i buy a 200 thousand dollar car does not mean it won't scratch or dent.
Not saying you need to baby your bags but i do think the better you take care of then the less some of the problems will occur. I have a wide range of bags which are in excellent condition with no problems but that is because i am very anal about my things whether it cost 5 bucks or 2000.

We need to be aware of how much we are willing to spend for something that will probably not last us forever. And may or may not with hold its glory as the first day we purchased it. We want perfection including myself for this amount of money but reality is nothing is perfect.

Go ahead jump all over me on this one!


Be blessed monikki

+1!!
 
There is no doubt there are in fact quality issues with LV as well as other designers. The catch is that not everyone with the same bag has the same problem. With exception of the DE Neverfull which seems to be a bag I have seen with many issues.

I have learned with LV canvas bags the price them per quality and style. So your lower priced bags like the Neverfull or the Delightful have a thinner canvas which I think has a lot to do with the interior. Then other higher priced bags like the Artsy, Estrela or Metis have thicker canvas, soft with a rich color and interior microfiber. Then you can go higher to the Pallas or Evora and you get a little more substantial there because there is more leather.

I know issues on the bags vary widely per bag but like I said one problem does not happen to all. I mean I have a wallet I have had for two years and that thing has been use but it still looks in tip top shape. Others have peeling issues with the same wallet. These bags are not going to last forever as I have heard they have way back when and even those bags have heavy wear when I see some vintage bags. Unfortunately I do believe that when someone post a quality issue it is not all the time the bag and some times it is the bag but some times it is what we do to the bag. Rubbing against an abrasive surface and expecting the the bag to withstand that because we paid 2000 bucks for it is crazy. Cracking canvas on the Artsy which has been told it's due to deodorant does not count as a quality issue. When placed on your shoulder the bag is all up in your pit - come on. Again what we do to the bags.

Just because I buy a 200 thousand dollar car does not mean it won't scratch or dent. Not saying you need to baby your bags but I do think the better you take care of then the less some of the problems will occur. I have a wide range of bags which are in excellent condition with no problems but that is because I am very anal about my things whether it cost 5 bucks or 2000.

We need to be aware of how much we are willing to spend for something that will probably not last us forever. And may or may not with hold its glory as the first day we purchased it. We want perfection including myself for this amount of money but reality is NOTHING is perfect.

Go ahead jump all over me on this one!


Be Blessed MoNikki

+2. I agree with you.
 
+3 I agree

+4

I have been buying Chanel, LV, Prada and Ferragamo for over twenty years and yes the quality is not as it was. Not even close. Except Ferragamo. I feel the quality is still very much there. When I look at the glazing on Ferragamo products it is impeccable! Sometimes, they even texturize the glaze to match the leather. Even one of my LV SAs was marveling at how well finished some of my Ferragamo things were. She admitted that she too has purchased a few Ferragamo items recently.

I do think the RTW has held up for the most part, but the accessories, they have cut back in quality.
I don't worry about it, the world changes and I don't live in the past. I buy what I love.:biggrin:
 
I'm more of a contemporary brands gal...

My vote goes to Rebecca Minkoff... same price... however,

1. metal zippers replaced by plastic zippers (internal)
2. leather tassels often unfinished on one side
3. leather trim no longer present on internal pockets
4. thinner leather
5. pealing leather/dye

If one is reducing quality, prices should reflect as such. Furthermore, I am disappointed that there has been a shift in this brand away from the classics (e.g., MAM) to versions of the Givenchy Antigona and other inspired designs... Miss the high quality classics.
 
+4



I have been buying Chanel, LV, Prada and Ferragamo for over twenty years and yes the quality is not as it was. Not even close. Except Ferragamo. I feel the quality is still very much there. When I look at the glazing on Ferragamo products it is impeccable! Sometimes, they even texturize the glaze to match the leather. Even one of my LV SAs was marveling at how well finished some of my Ferragamo things were. She admitted that she too has purchased a few Ferragamo items recently.



I do think the RTW has held up for the most part, but the accessories, they have cut back in quality.

I don't worry about it, the world changes and I don't live in the past. I buy what I love.:biggrin:


I don't have ferragamo bags but their shoes hold up very well. I'm nuts about shoe quality and I will buy ferragamo over chanel any day. Coach has gone downhill. Used to pay $200 for a leather bag and it wore great, now their leather and design are expensive and unsatisfying.
 
I have Coach bags that I purchased in the late 80's and early 90's they were made in the USA and they are still in really good shape and the leather is amazing. Once the bags were made in China I saw a decline in the quality. I agree that bags are bought to be used and enjoyed - having said that they need to be able to stand up to some wear and not fall apart.

I have bought a number of bags including the following brands LV, Balenciaga, Rebecca Minkoff, Chloe, Coach and Prada. More recently I have been buying leather bags made by Italian leather craftsman. The quality of the leather is amazing and the workmanship is incredible for around $400 to $600 I get a bespoke bag not mass produced made especially for me. I have been supporting these smaller Italian Atelier's for the past 5 to 7 years and have some gorgeous bags that have held up really well.

Recently I have bought a couple of bags from Massaccesi Handbags love the designs, amazing leather and the quality of the hardware and workmanship is some of the best I have seen.
My philosophy on buying bags is that I want something that is stylish, well madem reasonably priced and is going to hold up with use and not look as though it is falling apart after a couple of years wear. These bags have definitely met all my expectations.

Anyone interested in seeing them this link has the bag styles, sizes, along with standard and bespoke leather options for the Massaccesi fall/winter 2014 collection:

http://issuu.com/massaccesi_handbags...esi_collection

They are also getting their website up and running. The owner is a second generation handbag leather craftsman but only recently started his own line. Previously he produced bags for other top handbag lines.
 
+4

I have been buying Chanel, LV, Prada and Ferragamo for over twenty years and yes the quality is not as it was. Not even close. Except Ferragamo. I feel the quality is still very much there. When I look at the glazing on Ferragamo products it is impeccable! Sometimes, they even texturize the glaze to match the leather. Even one of my LV SAs was marveling at how well finished some of my Ferragamo things were. She admitted that she too has purchased a few Ferragamo items recently.

I do think the RTW has held up for the most part, but the accessories, they have cut back in quality.
I don't worry about it, the world changes and I don't live in the past. I buy what I love.:biggrin:

+5
I agree. Ferragamo was the only higher end designer bags I purchased until I started buying LV. I feel that their quality is holding strong but I know that it can decline too. I also think that it is unreasonable to expect handbags to last forever. If LV and other brands are going to continually raise prices and lower quality the least that they can do is improve customer service because it's declining also to me. While I love my Ferragamo bags I love the history and culture that surrounds LV, that makes owning LV just a little more fun IMO.
 
I was in Winners and Marshall's recently and both had quite a few Coach bags - they didn't look any better than an average no-name brand. My first two designer bags were Coach and that was only five years ago and there is a huge difference in the quality even over that amount of time. I don't think I'd ever buy another Coach unless its at a steep discount.
 
+4

I have been buying Chanel, LV, Prada and Ferragamo for over twenty years and yes the quality is not as it was. Not even close. Except Ferragamo. I feel the quality is still very much there. When I look at the glazing on Ferragamo products it is impeccable! Sometimes, they even texturize the glaze to match the leather. Even one of my LV SAs was marveling at how well finished some of my Ferragamo things were. She admitted that she too has purchased a few Ferragamo items recently.

I do think the RTW has held up for the most part, but the accessories, they have cut back in quality.
I don't worry about it, the world changes and I don't live in the past. I buy what I love.:biggrin:

My little Ferragamo Abby, $900, is easily the highest quality bag I own. There's just something about the stitching, leather, and feel and sensibility of this bag that is off the charts. Not to mention the clasp. I have been thinking it's just me and my odd perceptions, so your mention of Ferragamo's quality is very affirming. I do agree!
 
From my experience, the brands that are going downhill in quality are:
1. LV
2. Chanel
3. Prada (the worst offender)

Brands that keep their quality are:
1. Ferragamo
2. Fendi
3. Tod's
4. Aigner Munich
5. Max Mara

I don't know about Dior but I bought a vintage Boston bag from this brand and it's practically still in good, near perfect, condition. Based on my research this bag was made in late 70-ies and early 80-ies. The interior lining is leather, also the corners and the handles, but oh my, there's really nothing wrong with the bag. Now I wish all the brands could keep their quality like this vintage Dior that I have.