Posted on 04/18/2025 4:03:33 AM PDT by EBH
Amid the tariff war, China floods social media with videos revealing the truth about designer products.
China has let ALL the cats out of the luxury bag. With social media capturing global attention amid the tariff war between China and the US, the contender in the red corner has unleashed a flurry of short video jabs that have essentially exposed the entire luxury goods industry.
You may have seen a few (or many) already, and if not, you likely will soon. International platforms like Instagram, Threads, X, and LinkedIn are currently flooded with content creators and factory representatives detailing exactly how designer products are made. As many have suspected, most are manufactured in China. Once a stigmatized label, the “Made in China” stamp is now, in a way, a badge of authenticity.
Many of these videos reveal that a bag from a luxury brand is largely produced by Chinese workers in China, then shipped to, say, France or Italy, for final embellishments. This process “earns” the product its “Made in France” or “Made in Italy” tag, which mainstream consumers perceive as “luxurious.”
If you’re in the industry, this is likely old news. However, China’s timing is impeccable, broadcasting this fact to the mainstream during a painful tariff war and global recession. “Is your Birkin bag even costlier now? Can’t afford it anymore? Just buy one from the original manufacturer in China.”
While many of these videos are clearly factories marketing their own products—while still OEMs for notable labels—they’re part of China’s broader, subtle agenda to destigmatize its consumer industries for a global audience. To further this, China now offers a 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit policy for many countries, including the United States and several in Europe. Add point-of-purchase rebates and easy-to-join shopping tours, and, well… you might as well buy a luxury suitcase in China to carry all those white-label luxury goodies you’ll snag there.
China’s 240-hour Visa-Free Transit Policy
https://www.visaforchina.cn/SYD3_EN/tongzhigonggao/329041139338448896.html
theclassybratt
tariffs2025
5d
Well, China fights dirty y’all. Did you know 80% of all designer purses are actually made in China? I can’t believe they just destroyed the luxury brand market. Trump, what did you do? 🤦♀️😆I’m talking Chanel, Hermes Birkin, everything!!! They are offering 9 day passes for people to visit China and shop duty-free with just a small tax in some of these videos. 😭😭😭 The good news is I just found out my knock off bags bought in China, including the LV are the real thing w/out the label
On a side note, as a very old retail salesperson...we all knew this all along. Unless you are buying handmade goods at a craft fair, it most likely came from China.
“ I can’t believe they just destroyed the luxury brand market.”
However shall I deal with my grief?
L
This is hysterical. China taking the EU luxury goods down with them. Everybody knew this but convinced themselves it wasn’t true. The only thing they did in Italy or France was sew the label on.
Ping. Interesting in light of the other thread.
Well for those that can afford to jet set over to China for 10 day shopping tour vs. the 55K Hermes bag sold here...it is a brilliant tactic for these manufacturers to move their goods
My thing is we all knew this. We all knew these things were made in sweatshops in China.
When I did a night shift in St Laurent, a high end fashion shop, the stuff they had were $1,000 shoes, and a $4,000 blazer jacket, and $10,000 puffy down coat. The quality of the product was not any better than what you might find at Target or a mid priced clothing store in the mall.
I figured the only reason they buy this stuff was for the staus of being able to say they could afford the prices.
The best knockoffs are made in Korea. Better quality than the “real” ones made in China.
And then they claimed it was made in France!!
That just might be worth sueing these big brands over. False labeling and advertising.
Very, very true. If you know how to shop for quality garments etc. no one realizes it isn’t a lux brand.
The only one’s flashing logo’s on stuff have been the new rich. I am seeing many videos come up on social media right now teaching folks how to express...get this...quiet luxury. LOL
It’ll sure make Trump’s negotiations that much easier. Trump: your luxury goods just took a huge hit. Signing a deal with us and banning Chinese made goods from being exported to the US your industry will have a chance to get its credibility back. Right now China’s selling Chinese crap with your name on it.
China’s attempt to expose Western luxury brands as dependent on Chinese manufacturing humiliates France and Italy (and possibly others)—nations that treat their luxury sectors as national treasures—and risks provoking EU protectionism, stricter labeling laws, and a broader push to reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains.
Meanwhile, consumers won’t applaud the transparency—they’ll feel duped. The status of luxury goods collapses when buyers realize their $8,000 bag was made in the same factory as cheap knockoffs. Instead of boosting China’s image, it will likely deepen distrust of both the brands and China itself.
A shallow attempt at cleverness by China—at the cost of diplomatic goodwill and brand prestige.
If China hoped to win over European trading partners as a wedge against the U.S., this was a spectacular misstep. It only reinforces their reputation as deceitful and untrustworthy—which, of course, they are.
I have never understood the appeal of designer bags (or designer anything for that matter). I prefer to buy things that are well made and last. I have a no name leather purse made in the US that is going on 20 years that looks brand new.
This will likely damage European luxury brands. There is no way IMO, this leads to Chinese made “luxury” goods have anywhere near the cache of French and Italian luxury goods.
This is likely to piss the Europeans off quite a bit.
I don’t know if the consumer will feel duped? Many of these consumers already knew it was made in a Chinese sweatshop, they just ignored it.
Back in the nineties, I was sitting next to a person in the Atlanta airport. I noticed his bright shiny Rolex was ticking the seconds off one by one.
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