LUXURY lovers are feeling less than thrilled about their high-end goodies after learning what really goes into making them.
One fashion fan went so far she “can’t wear her designer bags anymore” after revelations about the French fashion house Dior — and what the brand pays to make items it sells for thousands.
Designer shoppers have recently been rocked by revelations about how much it actually costs to make Dior bags.
According to The Wall Street Journal an investigation in Italy earlier this year found that that Christian Dior was paying a supplier just €53 apiece — or $57 — to assemble a €2,600 handbag, equivalent to around $2,816.
The price doesn’t include the cost of materials, but is still just 2% of the retail price of the bag, amounting to a massive markup.
“To keep up with the strong demand for their goods, some high-end brands rely on independent workshops to supplement their in-house factories,” they explained.
According to Yahoo Finance, these products were found to be made in sweatshop-like conditions in Italy.
PUBLIC OPINION
That’s left a bad taste in the mouths of some shoppers, several of whom have taken to Reddit to express their concerns.
Redditor Ok-Development3752 was among the group of outspoken style enthusiasts.
“I just can’t help but think whenever I use my bags, ‘This is actually $57,'” they said.
They admitted in a post that it’s really “throwing them off” because they paid thousands for a bag that only cost $57 to make.
“It just doesn’t feel luxurious to me anymore,” they added.
What really impacted them was the treatment of the workers making the luxury pieces.
“I had no idea the workers were treated so bad, and I just can’t get over it,” they said.
ONLINE OUTRAGE
They asked others on the social media platform if they felt the same and a good percentage of people agreed.
“I understand. The $57 cost to make doesn’t bother me as much as the artisan’s horrible and unsafe working conditions,” another Reddit user commented.
“If I am paying $2,500 for a bag that cost $57 at minimum, I expect the artisans to be well compensated in a safe and healthy work environment.”
“The labour exploitation is atrocious but truly did anybody actually think that the bags were actually ‘worth’ anywhere near the price tag?” someone else chimed in.
“Like especially the book tote. It’s the most simple design and construction there was nothing ever complex about it.”
“I’ve been saying this for years. It is absolutely ridiculous people still believe that a high price automatically equals quality or a better treatment of staff,” a Redditor replied to them.