Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™.

Recent viral videos on TikTok by Chinese wholesalers are claiming that luxury handbags and other items are made in China. This is a strong assertion when the trade war between the United States and China has consumers thinking about how much more they will have to pay for everyday items, as well as more frivolous purchases.

Luxury goods aren’t as necessary when compared to food, clothes, and certain machinery. However, in recent years, consumer purchasing habits have diverged among various generations. Some Millennials and Gen-Z are focused on splurging on regular items like coffee and little treats, so spending money on big-ticket items has taken a backseat. Even so, while luxury goods have a higher mark-up in price based on brand recognition, many still use quality items to construct their products.

For example, Hermés, the French luxury house, does not manufacture its bags in China, according to Newsweek. Its bags are exclusively made in France, with workshops across various cities like Ardennes, Lyon, Normandy, and others. Creating a Hermés bag can take anywhere between 15 to 40 hours, and requires years of training. Every aspect of the design, including the material used for the bags, is strictly managed and monitored to ensure quality control. Although there is a discrepancy between certain brands’ claims and their actual process, Hermés’ celebrated history for top-tier products is quite real.

China, on the other hand, is the main hub for the counterfeit industry. As stated in Reuters, China leads the world in counterfeit and pirated products. For those in the business, it’s not difficult to recreate the construction of a popular bag or a designer shoe. Unless you’ve been trained to analyze counterfeit products, most people can’t tell the difference. Chinese wholesalers on TikTok, who are trying to convince you that a similar-looking Hermés bag straight from China is the exact same product from the source, are banking on you not noticing the difference. Despite brands like Shein and Temu selling products at a cheap cost, DHgate, a Chinese marketplace, allows consumers to directly purchase from wholesale suppliers. Founded in 2004, it’s become the go-to place for people to purchase designer look-alikes. The difference between DHgate and the Chinese influencers on TikTok is that DHgate doesn’t pretend that its products are actually made by the brands it replicates. This isn’t to say that every high-end brand is actually manufactured in Europe or outside of China. Most high-end brands source their leather from Nigeria, which is processed in Chinese-owned workshops. A handbag sold for $3,000 may only cost $100 to produce. But brand name and exclusivity raise the price tag.

However, while some brands may not actually adhere to their “Made in Italy” label, that doesn’t confirm the claims made in the TikTok. Many of these accounts are attempting to prey on people and aren’t shipping you products directly from your favorite brands. According to CNN, most suppliers have strict obligations in their contracts not to disclose what brands they work with, so the TikTok wholesalers are simply taking advantage of the distrust of the American consumer. The lack of transparency about how our clothes are really made and how our food is grown has led consumers to question their own government and accept information from outside sources as fact.

Although there should be more transparency around how clothing is manufactured, you shouldn’t blindly believe the videos you see on TikTok. And buying directly from Chinese wholesalers isn’t a bad thing, but you need to understand exactly what you’re buying. Purchasing a Gucci bag from DHgate doesn’t mean that you’re buying the real thing. However, if that doesn’t bother you, there’s nothing stopping you from strutting out in a look-alike.

Hermès

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