Does That "Made In" Wherever Label Really Matter?

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Complex Original

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Here's an interesting question for you: Do you actually care where your jawnz are made? Really? Do you? The Business of Fashion has a short essay about the topic that says consumers really do care about the origin of their goods even though a lot of big name luxury brands are afraid to label where their pieces actually come from. Apparently, in the EU, "made in" labels are not required and even in places around the world where they are, they're quite easy to circumvent or smudge.

BOF took things deeper too, looking at brands that offer full disclosure about where their goods are from—Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga to be specifc—and others that offer different levels of information on their items. For instance, Burberry claims different countries of origin for its Burberry Prorsum line and simply labels its lower line as "imported."

There are still others that offer vague or no information whatsoever about their product's heritage. But if you picked up a pair of Balenciaga Arenas you'd been after for months, would the country of origin dissuade you if it weren't made in Italy? What if they were from China? Or Romania even? Raf Simons makes a lot of his pieces in Romania and a lot of Rick Owens leathers are made in Moldova. Have you even heard of Moldova? Does that obscure country matter as much as the name Rick himself has fostered that connects to quality and style? On the lower end of the spectrum, when it comes to H&M and Zara, those "made in" labels tell you what you already know, while designer brands may bring to light the fact that Moldova makes good leathers. For these big luxury brands, I don't think too many people who are buying them care or even pay attention to the labels of a garment's origins. Listen, if you truly have the disposable income, that the thing could fall apart after two wears and you'd just buy another because, as we are all well aware by this point, it's really nothing to do a stunt.

[Photo via eBay]

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