Once upon a time, luxury consumption used to be reserved for wealthy clients who had acquired refined taste and style over time. This taste often came from an imbibed culture either through their origin or through their knowledge or what the French would call “connaissance” meaning know-how in English. Knowledge meant not only the ability to distinguish well crafted products but also the ‘eye’ to recognise their origin. In this world, a good quality pair of shoes was expected to be from Italy, haute couture was expected to be from France and the perfect men’s suit would normally originate in England.

 

Then advanced technology came along and brought with it sophisticated design and manufacturing techniques that could match the artisanal output of 'made-by-hand', although the approaches remained different. Also the attraction of lower cost of labour in places like China, North Africa, East Europe and South America led to the outsourcing of production. At the same time, new brands came along from far flung places to take advantage of globalization and to meet the demands of the ever expanding consumer market. Therefore today we can easily find good quality shoes from India, cashmere from China, leather goods from Spain, haute couture from Belgium and haute jewellery from Russia. Some of the brands that produce these goods are steadily acquiring a solid consumer base and attaining international success.

 

Does this mean that consumers don’t care about the “Made in" factor anymore? We will love to know your opinion.

 

 

 

"In our own experience, those who seek true luxury, do seem to care a lot about the "Made in" factor. This is the reality within the segment of luxury handbags made in exotic skins. In this instance, the "Made in" factor does influence a consumer's choices. Our brand caters to a small and highly sophisticated segment of the population. And the fact that our handbags are hand-made in Argentina, a country that is known for the superlative quality of its leather and the skilled craftsmanship that has been passed-on for generations (starting with the European artisans who settled there in the early 20th century), seem to matter."

Natalie Mont Marcela Calvet Bags & Bagages 4th September 2008

 

"It is true that the "made in" factor is part of a product’s identity. However at this perod of globalisation, the origin of a product is no longer a predominant parameter. For luxury products, quality must be uncompromised and therefore must be the number one priority."

Pascal 5th September 2008

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