Tag: handbags to buy

Again in Prato

Post author By Editor
Post date 26/11/2024

Another day another fashion accessory scandal hits the airwaves. Once again Prato finds itself at the center of suspect labor practices. This time Aljazeera uncovered more shoddy production in the Tuscany city. Major fashion brands employing contractors, sub-contractors and sub-sub-contractors engage in cat and mouse games in order to circumvent Italian Labor laws.

As luxury increased prices on one end, they sought out cheaper production on the other. Capitalism rewards those who exploit more efficiently Workers earning as little as 3 euros an hour work a twelve-hour day, sometimes six days a week manufacturing glamorous leather pieces that sell for as much as 3400 euros in high-end shops.

There is nothing wrong having a labeled expensive handbag. But the dilemma is the hidden or not hidden mechanics of the product coveted. An expensive leather handbag is a sought of trophy. However, what if the prize comes from an unscrupulous source? The most convenient human emotion to access is denial.

The brazenness of luxury brands and producers to almost flaunt their less than ethical ways is baffling. Supply chains are easily traceable in 2024. Everyone has a camera and a social media account with potential to post a brand damaging image.

A big leather factory with illegal sweatshop labor wouldn’t go unnoticed. Yet, why are the companies relaxed about sourcing products? Because executives know consumers will forget a scandal. Certainly the outrage will be hot and loud at the beginning, then back to normal.

While watching the investigative report, the saying “It is morally wrong to allow a sucker to keep his money” came to my mind. When a factory owner details the nebulous agreements then the manufacturing price of a handbag, the world of luxury accessory is a sucker’s desire. One item made with a third party inflated added cost of 84 euros in Italy, retails for 2800 euros in soft lite carpeted outlets around the world.

Now when I see a person with a designer handbag proudly walking down the street with an air of style superiority. I will have to hold back my snigger.

Tags ethical fashion, fashion ethics, fashion news, fashion report, forced labor, handbags, handbags in the news, handbags to buy, luxury brands, Menswear, prato italy, Womenswear

Fashion

More Zara Than Luxury

Post author By Editor
Post date 09/07/2024

Luxury industry has adopted the same appalling production model as their fast fashion counterparts. Today, Dior faces charges of exploitative production practices. As the lust for high end products grew the business model changed to satisfy consumer wants. Mass consumption means mass production. Luxury went from exclusive to inclusive. Many highly sort after brands morphed into glorified Zaras.

Big fashion companies are integrated entities with huge supply chains needing products to sell. Big profit margins at the expense of quality, the product will suffer from a bottom line decision. As many shoppers are learning, perhaps the pricey handbag may not be worth the extravagantly inflated price tag.

Almost on every corner in major cities there is a luxury brand. In London, seven Louis Vuitton stores are north of the Thames. Buyers fooled themselves into believing they had entitled admittance to a club, when in reality they had been conned. As the headlines from Italy continue to roll, shock is turning to outrage. A 56 euros bag selling at 2800 euros rankles. On social media, opinions range from disappointment to disgust. One Korean YouTube Blogger reported local customers are going to the Dior Store asking for their money back or returning bags purchased in the past few weeks.

The Saddle Bag HMMM!

Does anyone remember when the French House was giving away thousands of Saddle Bags in 2018 to online celebs? As influencers peddled luxury wares, none asked serious obvious questions concerning production techniques or quality. Brand chasers just take the gift, no questions asked. Watching video after video from “tastemakers” many have labeled accessories in their backgrounds while telling followers about being disillusioned with Dior. Life is cruel. Stylists loved posting big label overpriced bags on Instagram feeds. Why do brands burn excess unsold stock? Missed clues. Maybe what they were making was not as valuable as we were led to believe. As an editor I favoured small brands. The teams have a family feel with real knowledge of their products and production process.

When searching for validation by buying an expensive handbag, let the buyer beware.

Tags buy better, dior, dior bag, dior handbag, Fair Labor practices, Fashion, fashion news, handbags to buy, luxury fashion, luxury report, made in italy, ootd, Style, sweatshop labor

Fashion

How Much? The Dior Markup

Post author By Editor
Post date 05/07/2024

The expression “a sucker is born every minute” applies to luxury fashion these days. Paris label Dior knows the world wants to belong to the bourgeois club. Buying an expensive handbag is an arm reach into another social circle. Emotions of supreme consumption in boutiques satisfies those temporary upward mobility urges was not lost by the fashion’s profit driven machine.

The world’s largest opulent entity, LVMH, learned how to make the desirable more accessible by making it more scarce while producing cheaper products. A business model earning billions every year.

When the Italian authorities announced the seizure of a factory producing Dior bag in sweat shop conditions. Many laborers were illegal. Beds were in the factory enabling 24-hour production. According to reports the production site was sourced to produce handbags for the French brand. Certainly, raised eyebrows hit the ceiling after the announcement of the cost of producing one handbag, 57 euros. The more surprising news is the end price for the aspirational buyer, 2750 euros. That is a markup of nearly fifty times the production cost. In comparison, an Apple iPhone’s markup cost is double the manufactured price.

Admittedly, this author was not shocked by the news. During Pitti Uomo, a tannery colleague with a factory located in the same area of LVMH’s facilities told me there were many questionable production techniques involved in the company’s workings. This is not the first time Louis Vuitton has been hit by authorities concerning production. In 2010 UK Advertising Standards Authority banned two misleading ads concerning handmade bags when in reality they were machine made.

At the time of writing the seized factory is under control of the prosecutors.

The next time gazing in front of a Dior window with frivolous desires, remember the quote: “People don’t want the truth because they don’t want the illusions destroyed.”