Is 'Made in ..." still important?

Most luxury brands rely on their heritage and history to add value to their products and to reassure customers that their money will be well spent. Italian houses like Hermes and Gucci consistently refer back to their roots as saddlemakers in the design and finish of their leather goods.

A recent article by the venerable Chap magazine gave a corking example "However, in more recent (Dr Who) episodes, Mr. Smith wears neither his vintage original nor a jacket whose cloth has been woven anywhere near the Isle of Harris. The jacket he now sports, though superficially similar, is in fact a reproduction made from a wool-acrylic mix and manufactured in China. The BBC has caused more ripples of consternation on the Outer Hebrides by signing an exclusivity deal for the Doctor’s jackets with a Canadian company that imports all its fabric from China. Auntie has further annoyed the Harris Tweed industry by selling a replica of the new jacket for £359.99. A spokesman for Harris Tweed said: “I find it very odd that they would use a replica costing £360 when our genuine Harris Tweed jackets retail at £250. Why pay more for a replica than the original?” Why indeed?

Hand fabrication and craft is a key part of the luxury story - and is what most of us believe we're paying for. I think an unbroken tradition of making in a certain country is important, and yet if maintaining the quality of the goods means moving this, then, so long as were told where and why, it's acceptable. Swarovski crystal began as an Austrian product yet manufacturing for all but their premium lines is now split over 12 countries.

What is not acceptable is carrying out much of the manufacturing abroad and then assembling or finishing in say, Italy in order to be able to declare this country of origin on the label, and allowing or encouraging the customer to assume that it's been made there exclusively. It's perfectly legal in the EU, so long as at least 51% of the manufacturing is done in the stated country - but this regulation is very rarely checked up on or enforced.

Some very well know designers do this, but I wonder how many of us know about it. Did you? Would you continue to pay the premium price for a luxury brand knowing that it was not made in the designer's craft workshop, but assembled on a skilled yet geographically split production line? Would you buy French perfume made in China, even if the ingredients and methods were identical? Personally, I'd much rather buy a fragrance from an up and coming Chinese label that was honest about it's origins. Is it time for 'home grown' to be part of the luxury mix?

Image: Vintage brooch marked "made in Austria"