It’s a complicated sitch, that’s for sure. A lot of it boils down to outsourcing. Back in the day, everything was made in-house, maybe even in France by actual French people, crafting stuff with love and care. Now? Global supply chains, baby! Everybody’s trying to cut costs, which means finding cheaper labor, cheaper materials… cheaper everything, basically. This hits some brands *hard*. Like, remember when [insert name of beloved brand here] used to use *real* leather? Now it feels like plastic-coated cardboard. Ugh.
But Chanel… they seem to be holding on (mostly!). There’s definitely debate about *how* well they’re holding on. I saw some stuff online about leather quality issues. Apparently, some peeps think it’s not as buttery-soft as it once was, maybe a little more… processed? I dunno, I’m not a leather expert, but I trust the fashion influencers.
And then there’s the price tag! Even if the *actual* quality has dipped a *tiny* bit (which is debatable), the *perceived* quality is still sky-high. They’re master marketers, let’s be honest. They’ve built such a strong brand image, such a mystique, that people are willing to pay a premium just for the name, the logo, and the feeling of owning a piece of Chanel. It’s like… status symbol 101.
Plus, Chanel is HUGE. Like, international-brand-navigating-tariffs-and-export-regulations huge. They’ve got the resources to at least *attempt* to maintain a certain level of quality, even if it’s not quite the same as the good ol’ days. They probably have super strict quality control in place, even if some dud bags slip through. They’re also probably making a *ton* of profit, so they can afford to use slightly better materials than some of the other brands that are cutting corners left and right.
Honestly, I think it’s a mix of things. They’re still trying to use decent materials (though maybe not *always* succeeding), they’re fiercely protective of their brand image, and they have the financial muscle to make it all work. It’s a bit of smoke and mirrors, maybe, but hey, if it works, it works, right?
