We can certainly understand your concern about your bag being made in China. China is synonymous with counterfeiting; 80% of the world’s counterfeit goods come from there. However, some luxury designer handbags are made in China.
“HELP! My Prada bag says ‘Made in China’. Is it fake?”
Not necessarily. The statement that “any designer bags made in China are fake” is false. If you see a luxury item on Yoogi’s Closet that says Made In China, rest assured that it is 100% authentic or your money back.
Are Luxury Bags and Shoes Made In China?
Designer handbags are usually synonymous with being made in Italy or France, but that’s not always the case. Labels like Prada, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton have built their reputations on goods made in France and Italy because of their history of manufacturing. Because of this, artisans in Italy and France are expensive.
Due to the need for inexpensive mass production, some luxury brands such as Givenchy, Burberry, Mulberry, Miu Miu, Phillip Lim, Mulberry, and Prada manufacture handbags and shoes in China. Many high-end brands outsource work outside of the confines of Italy and France to lower-cost centers like Romania, Turkey, and India too. According to an article published by Wall Street Journal in 2011, about 20 percent of Prada bags, clothes, and shoes are manufactured in China.
While the manufacturing location has changed, the price tag has not. Designer items made in lower-cost production countries still have skilled artisans and follow the same quality control standards as their Italy/France counterparts.
Many brands even break up their production: a piece might have raw materials from Italy that are manufactured in China, made with patterns from New York. Miuccia Prada told The Wall Street Journal, “Sooner or later, it will happen to everyone because [Chinese manufacturing] is so good.”
For further reading regarding this trend, take a look at this Wall Street Journal article regarding Prada’s decision to manufacture in China and The Fashion Law blog about luxury goods made in China.