Chinese TikTok Users Expose Luxury Brands’ Alleged Usage Of Cheap Manufacturers
When it comes to the tariff war between the U.S. and China, the latter is winning after taking to TikTok to shed light on the alleged truth behind how some luxury brands are manufactured.
Some Chinese manufacturers have claimed that several popular high-end companies rely on their low cost and in turn, hike up the prices of their items to consumers. The revelation came after Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for all countries, except China — whose tariff rate increased from 84 percent to 125 percent.
Chinese president Xi Jinping responded to Trump by imposing 125 percent tariffs on the United States, and enforcing their own export restrictions. The allegations and subsequent reactions began to circulate on TikTok. Reportedly over 80 percent of luxury bags are made in China despite companies labeling the goods as being made in France and Italy.
As predicted, there has been discourse over the validity of such claims. Fashion Historian Cora Harrington tweeted, “The thing about videos saying a knockoff product is exactly the same as a more expensive product is that most people don’t know what they’re looking for, which makes them incredibly easy to scam. Hermes bags are a good example of this.”
Someone else claimed that his Instagram account was “suspended without any warning” after Hermès allegedly filed a complaint. Some believed the brand was protecting its trademark while others feel they were either concealing the truth or elsewhere, there was a concern about promoting counterfeit products.
Newsweek reported that Hermès does not manufacture its bags in China, but rather the brand houses workshops in various parts of France.
“Hermès bags are crafted exclusively in our ateliers in France by highly trained artisans. We do not outsource production of our leather goods to China or any other country. Any claims suggesting otherwise are categorically false and may be the result of counterfeit misinformation,” the brand said in a statement.
Bloomberg reported that manufacturers are also exposing brands including Lululemon and Nike and giving customers the chance to buy them at a fraction of the cost.
