YOUR PRADA BAG MIGHT BE MADE IN CHINA – JUST NOT HOW TIKTOK CLAIMS

I spoke with a fashion production expert on the origins of luxury brands manufacturing in the Far East.

A vintage Prada ad.

If your social media algorithm is anything like mine, you’ve likely noticed a deluge of videos from Chinese content creators in the past week or two who claim to make handbags for top-tier European brands – and promising to sell their goods directly to you for a fraction of the retail price.

Chatter in fashion’s corner of the internet went into overdrive as countless commenters claimed this divulging of information was retribution for the high tariffs recently imposed on China by the Trump administration. In reality, those making the videos are manufacturers of high-end fakes (or “dupes,” if we want to be generous). Some of these workshops have access to the same raw materials as select European luxury brands, but those putting the most intimate secrets of their methods on display are not affiliated with the labels they claim to be. That would simply be an irreparable (and costly) violation of their contracts.

That doesn’t mean production for fashion’s most revered names doesn’t happen in China. It does, and it has for decades, though with high levels of secrecy. Journalist Dana Thomas was among the first to openly discuss the matter when she published her book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster nearly twenty years ago. [Reader: This book is well worth your time and more relevant than ever.] Thomas recently wrote a post on this very topic, revealing just how sophisticated China’s factories have gotten and why “Made in Italy” does not necessarily signify quality or fair labor practices.

But I wanted to know more from someone who has had their boots on the ground for decades — someone who has been to those factories and understands the economics of getting goods made. I turned to my colleague Lisa Metcalfe, a production expert and veteran of brands from Calvin Klein to Victoria’s Secret at the height of their powers, who has spent years consulting for a range of other labels, both big and small. We discuss the early days of offshoring, what makes turning out quality product at scale so difficult, and the limitations any country has in becoming a manufacturing powerhouse.

[PS: Lisa has her own Substack where she also breaks down controversies in the industry. Check out her recent pieces on the Saks Global debacle!]