Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Burberry bounces check and resurrects old icons
Burberry, the fashion house famous for its trench coats, has raided its 150-year-old archives for new icons it can use on its booming accessories lines other than its trademark check - which in the UK has been adopted by football fans and chavs.
Its signature equestrian knight logo, the D-rings that turned its raincoats into regulation combat wear for First World War officers and even Thomas Burberry's signature are all being made into stars for this autumn's collections of handbags, shoes, belts and womens wear.
The "multi-icon" collection, intended to mark the company's 150th anniversary, will be seen as an attempt to stretch the brand beyond the classic Burberry check, which has received a mauling from the hands of co- medians and fashion critics alike after being taken up as the uniform of the football terrace.
The new lines will be the first to hit the shops under the aegis of Burberry's new chief executive, Angela Ahrendts, who took up her post on 1 July after a six-month induction. The former Liz Claiborne number two is seeking ways to benefit from Burberry's wide reach, which makes it as popular among the high priestesses of fashion as among tourists picking up a British souvenir.
Labels: burberry, burberry accessories, burberry handbags
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Could Designer Handbag Sales Limits Hurt Luxury ETF?
That means you're out of luck if you were planning to run out this afternoon and buy a dozen Louis Vuitton bags. But really, the limits aren't because people just can't have enough luxury bags, reports Eric Wilson of the New York Times. The real reason is our falling dollar.
Because the dollar has slid in value relative to currencies such as the euro and pound, many foreign buyers are treating the United States as one giant outlet mall. They can get handbags here for (relatively) dirt-cheap, then re-sell them in Asia and Europe at a premium. Companies such as Prada and Gucci want to discourage that, as they've been trying to reach customers in those other countries by opening new shops.
How will this affect the Claymore/Robb Report Global Luxury ETF (ROB)? After the dismal holiday sales report issued today, might retailers want to take their sales where they can get them?
Among the holdings in the fund are LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (5.7%), Hermes (2.81%), Coach (COH, 2.5%), Burberry (BRBY; 0.97%) and Macy's (SKS, 0.60%).
Labels: authentic gucci handbags, authentic hermes handbags, authentic prada handbag, brands boutique, burberry, discount luxury, louis vuitton handbags, luxury handbags and accessories, luxury vintage
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Made in China: Designer handbag fashion totally misunderstood
CONTAINERS READY FOR SHIPMENT from the port of Shenzhen.
Photo taken from an article written by Michael Christopher Brown.
Wow! What’s all this garble about “everything” made in China being counterfeit or fake? Do people understand the design and manufacturing process? Or, are they just determined to squabble about one of the manufacturing industry’s greatest resources?
True, there’s been a lot of media about children’s toys being manufactured poorly. Shame on China for the mess they’ve created. They’ll fix the problem, or they’ll lose business. We all learn from our mistakes, right? Or, at least the smart folks learn. And, let’s face it, China is no dummy!
China has been manufacturing most of the clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories stocked in all the major department stores throughout the world for many, many years. And, this is not going to fade or go away. China offers low-cost labor for low-end to high-end designer handbags, clothing and just about anything around the house.
Most people don’t understand the truth about the Made in China label. China has been producing most of the Designer Merchandise sold in the USA for very long time. Why? Because the price to manufacture in China keeps prices as low as possible for consumers. People complain about the high price tags on designer handbags, clothing, shoes, and accessories. If the same item made in China was made in the USA or Europe the prices would be doubled or tripled.
If the Hermes Birkin bag was assembled by hand in China instead of France, the price would not be $7,000.00 each. If Italian leather was sent to China for the assembly of Prada handbags, the prices would not be $3,000.00 each. Please put things into perspective.
Burberry’s new management decided to use China for some of its assembled manufacturing needs and people went crazy. The thought of using a designer handbag made in China is misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misguided. The product made in China consists of the same quality of fabric as if it were made in the USA, France, England or Italy. The only difference is the designer item was assembled in China, or any other country offering a cheaper assembly manufacturing process.
Most of the high-end Designers buy fabrics, leathers, and materials from the USA or Europe, pay a premium price for the high-quality fabrication, and then negotiate manufacturing in China. The materials and specifications are sent to China and made. Representatives from each of the Design Houses travel to China or other manufacturing countries to supervise the process. The finished products are shipped to the USA and other parts of the world for sale. It’s a process kept sweet and as simple as possible. It creates jobs and produces a global economy.
Most consumers don’t know the designer manufacturing process or understand the details. They see a Made in China label and assume it’s a counterfeit item or fake. In reality, it’s not. It’s a moderately priced item made in a country which has been stereo-typed. And, we can’t blame the consumer because most of the junk, counterfeit and fake merchandise bearing the trademarks of others are made in China. Hopefully, the USA Customs Department working closely with the fashion industry will help end importing counterfeit goods.
There are many countries available the fashion designers use to outsource labor. The high-end leather designer handbags with high-ticket price tags are made in the USA, Italy, London and France. The lower cost designer products are made elsewhere. Most designers offer collections every season which provide both high-end and lower priced products. For example, Ralph Lauren has five price and fabrication determined collections: RL Classics, Collection, Black Label, Blue Label and Lauren. Plus, many of the designers produce a separate collection for outlet stores and discount stores like Marshalls, TJ Max, Target, Walmart, etc.
Some of the countries are more commonly used than others, and nonetheless they are countries with capabilities and low-cost labor. Some of these countries include, and are not limited to China, Turkey, Mexico, Romania, India and Portugal.
Fashion designers who make designer handbags, designer wallets, designer scarves, designer clothing, hats, shoes, etc. use these countries because they can sell their products at affordable prices. Some of the fashion designers include, and are not limited to Coach, Burberry, Liz Claiborne, Robert Rodriquez, Max Studio, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Dooney & Bourke, Juicy Couture, Donna Karan, Anne Klein, Brighton, and many, many others.
Just because an item is Made in China, it does not constitute fake or counterfeit. Let’s get this straight and communicated clearly. The reason the item was made in China is because at that point in time, the designer’s manufacturing team decided it was the best business decision to make for a cost-effective distribution of its product and collection.
The next time you see a Made in China label on a designer handbag or accessory, and you purchased it from a reputable source, thank your lucky stars for the bargain price you paid. If you have any doubt, take the item to the designer’s boutique for authentication and peace of mind. Don’t assume just because it’s Made in China it’s a fake. Do you know what “to assume” does? It makes an ass out of u and me! So, please don’t ASS U ME.
About the Author:
Anna Miller is the President of i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. She owns and operates the internet website http://www.efashionhouse.com/. EfashionHouse.com was named Best of the Web by People StyleWatch Magazine and recently, About.com recognized eFashionHouse.com as the top of three sources for authentic Chanel at below retail prices. Anna is considered an Internet Pioneer and Ecommerce Entrepreneur. Anna has been buying and reselling authentic designer fashion accessories online since the early 1990’s. The Corporation’s vision and mission is “to offer authentic designer handbags, purses and accessories below the cost of retail.”
You can visit the i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. fashion blogs at the following locations:
Labels: authentic designer handbags, burberry, coach, juicy couture, max studio, michael kors, ralph lauren, robert rodriquez
