In the wake of the ‘revelations’ on TikTok that many bags of high-end labels are supposedly made in China, implicated brands have, curiously, not responded

If you are active on social media, you would know that especially viral these past two weeks are those reels that purport to expose the production source of some of the world’s most coveted luxury bags: China. Although primarily target at American consumers, as the damaging Trump tariffs are expected to hit them hard, the videos have spread across the world and viewed by many, delighted and shocked in equal measure. The surge of the videos are mostly on TikTok. They show Chinese manufacturers “spilling the tea” in comprehensible English as the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) for numerous luxury bags. One of them—a chap who has gone viral—even claimed that “more than 80% of luxury products are made in China.”

There are many similar videos posted on TikTok, just as there are many, as a result, by Americans who are shocked to learn the supposed truths and have vouched to go to China right away to do their shopping, without considering that the prices that the Chinese manufacturers hawked online, if true, are likely wholesale prices. Hilariously, many of these reaction videos are soundtracked by Chuanzi’s (川子) rock anthem Destiny of this Life (今生缘). The Chinese origins of these bags have thrilled many Netizens stateside. Many are astounded that manufacturers on the mainland are able to produce the stated quality that is not inferior to those identical styles that are supposed to be made in Europe. One TikToker even cheekily said, while carrying a Louis Vuitton bag, “You mean that my fake bag is actually real?”

“You mean that my fake bag is actually real?”

Curiously, despite the potential reputational dent to the luxury brands mentioned in these videos, the owners—luxury conglomerates—have yet to publicly issue statements to debunk the supposed “reality”, a favourite term among the Chinese manufacturers now. We are not here to dispute any claims made by those TikTok videos as the supply chain of the manufacture of basically everything in fashion, not just luxury bags, is fascinatingly complex. But it is rather odd that despite a social-media phenomenon that is covered by even the mainstream press (that have hitherto unable to confirm the veracity of those TikTok claims), many of the big luxury names mentioned in the videos have not publicly asserted their truths.

So far Lululemon has issued a statement to explicitly disassociate themselves from the identified factories on TikTok that supposedly make their products. But Lululemon is not a luxury label (interestingly, they did not deny that their products—or some of them—are made in China). Brands that will likely be hurt by the TikTok disclosures, which is getting bolder by the day, have largely remained quiet while the world watches with intense fascination. It is hard not to speculate that the silence is simply the brands’ way of not amplifying the claims. And also to reduce the risk of lending more visibility (or credibility?) to the allegations in the hope that the intense chatter will, in time, die down.

Perhaps the brands’ audible hush on the matter suggests that they are unaffected by the TikTok claims, firmly believing that their true customers know the truth. Some bags such as those by Hermés hold the ‘Origine France Garantie” certification, so perhaps they are less concerned. In fact, Hermés have been rather open about the provenance of their bags—some of their factories in France have appeared in editorial features. Louis Vuitton, too, claims—on their website’s Q&A—that their products are made in their own factories in France, Italy, Spain, and the U.S., but there has been scant publicity on these production facilities. Even French TikTokers, responding to rebuke some of the Chinese claims, say they are aware of the Hermés factories in France, but not LV’s.

The surprise that seemed to have seized American Netizens are, to many of us in Asia, not that eyebrow-raising. There has been chatter, especially among sourcing agents familiar with the trade, that China—very much a part of the global supply chain—furnishes much that make up the world’s articles of fashion. One product development specialist told us that “in the late ’90s, rumours were rampant that one famous Italian brand had a good part of their nylon bags made in China (before their famous plaque-logos were slapped on back home and then shipped and sold). And it was not just non-disclosure contracts the factory had to sign. The staff leaving the premises had to be searched by security to make sure nothing was smuggled out!” If that was the case, why, we wonder, would things change today? The question, as posed online, is—“Will you buy luxury without the logo or the ‘Made in France’ stamp?”

Note: Images are for illustration purposes only. SOTD is unavailable to verify if the products are authentic. Or made in China

Photos: Zhao Xiangji