Wow.

Investigating the underworld fake designer handbag market has opened my eyes!

So what do the great fashion houses think of black market copies? You might be surprised.

Prada says that they would be ‘worried’ if their products weren’t copied. So is that condoning these criminals?

On the other hand, Louboutin is a ‘luxury revel’ and has a different business philosopy. They want to stay close to their customers, to do the small details that they know will be loved. They are a defiant voice in the luxury industry. They are small by luxury standards.

They believe that it is not about CONSUMERISM, it is about educating.

Yay say I!

But why is this important you ask?

According to Dana Thomas of ‘Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster” … if we lose the art of handcrafting items made with love and passion, if we lose the integrity that it takes to produce and sell them, then we will LOSE THE SOUL of our culture.

What do you think?

So in Part 4, (yes there is another one to come), we’ll explore WHERE handcrafted luxury items are made. Is that Italian handbag you just bought made in Italy? You might be surprised?

Last week a market stall owner in Sydney was raided for selling fake designer handbags. This week we’re exposing the nasty side of fake handbags.

I’m sick.

This research into the counterfeiting black market makes me sick to my stomach.

According to Dana Thomas of ‘Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster’, counterfeiting is an underworld activity exploiting children and underpaid workers and bankrolling TERRORISM.

She writes that in Thailand, children under 10 years of age have their LEGS BROKEN so they won’t leave. That factories in several countries have these types of operations, and when the police go in, they wear guns, these counterfeiters are dangerous.

She witnessed a raid in China, where kids were found gluing and stitching fake designer handbags. When the factory was closed down, these children were HOMELESS. And unpaid.

The average Chinese factory worker earns $135 a month, the counterfeit works half that or less, she adds.

Interpol confirms that fakes provide a lucrative income for ORGANISED CRIME and help fund TERRORIST groups.

I’m feeling sicker!

And the sale of fakes ultimately helped fund the bomb blast in Bali that killed our fellow Australians.

But before you throw your hands in the air and feel ethically damned if you do and fashionably cramped if you don’t, there is an alternative to that fake Fendi bag.

Pre-loved accessories shop with a zero tolerance for fakes (and know how to spot them) are a good source. Pick up end of season heavily discounted ranges from the large department stores of European designer bags.

But back to fakes.

So where do the great fashion houses stand on all of this? You may be surprised. We’ll pick that up in Part 3.

Courtesy of Gotham City Insider

My friend, we’ll call her Jane, was telling me about her latest trip to Singapore, and how her best buy was a REAL leather Prada bag for $130.

Oh no, she insisted, it was the real thing, because the lady in the shop said it had a tiny fault. Reduced from $2500 to $130.

And see, it smells like leather .

Mmmmmm ….

Meantime in Sydney over the weekend, police reportedly located a loot worth $1M of fake handbags.

The bags were being sold at Parklea Markets, so the police and staff from Trademark Investigation raided the stall and then a house locating the rest of the goods.

Both the stall holder and the owner are going to court.

Retailers selling counterfeit goods help perpetuate the myth that it’s okay to buy such products. It is theft, pure and simple,” Detective Inspector Guyatt said.

Photo Courtesy ABC.net.au

Stayed tuned … we’ll follow this up next  week to find out the link between fake goods, child labour and weapons dealing.

If you’re in Perth this weekend, then you’re a lucky duck because you will be able to head to UWA on Sunday to check out the new season bragbags’ range at Perth Upmarket.

If not, don’t worry, the online shop to the rescue!

There are quite a few lovely new designs and colours this spring and I can’t wait to get my hands on some of them.

Want a little preview of what you will find? How about something in a lovely linen fabric?

Organic, and grown in Vietnam, the beautiful ‘naturalness’ of linen evokes sand and seaside living which is so very Australian. This was very front of mind for Jenny when designing the range along with the fact that linen, being lovely and neutral, will go with just about anything! And I am loving the combination of the leather straps and linen!

I did ask Jenny about how practical linen is, as I’m thinking about whether it will get dirty easily? She has assured me that a quick spray with ‘Scotchguard’ will do the trick.

I love these new pieces and particularly have my eye on the satchel (I am obsessed with satchel style bags at the moment!) Check em out below!

Loving the satchel - this really will go with ANYTHING!

Here's the linen hobo with heart charm

The Eliza in Linen with a ruffle is calling my name

And this little beauty is the linen clutch - very stylish and perfect for summer!

This summer, you will note a new and interesting trend over the bragbags range, the use of more embroidered features.

The art of embroidery in Vietnam dates back over 700 years. It was introduced in the north of Vietnam in the 17th century by Lê Công Thành upon his return from a diplomatic trip to China. The skill spread through the northern villages and eventually reached Hanoi where guilds were set up for the artisans. It is interesting to note that initially, silk embroidery utilised only five colours of thread: yellow, red, blue, green and violet!

Embroidery thrived in Vietnam during the 19th century when it became very popular at the royal court as an art form, with kings commissioning pieces that are able to be viewed in museums today. Another new embroidery art form emerged during the French colonial period. Wives of French officials often hired local women to assist with dressmaking and this led to a high demand for French-style lace embroidery.

Today’s modern technology has meant that embroidery is a dying art in Vietnam even though it is still a popular extra-curricular activity for young girls at school.

For those who still practice it, their hand embroidery is sophisticated and intricate, and the stitching is extraordinary. Some of the techniques they use are very hard to learn, and are passed down through generations. Most of the embroidery is completed in villages and enables the local artisans to earn a living while staying in their village.

Jenny is keen to help preserve embroidery as an art form and give these artists a voice. As such, you’ll be seeing more and more of their wonderful work over the coming seasons.

Embroidered brooches on linen

Embroidered brooches on a linen jewellery wallet

Travel jewellery wallet

Jewellery and cosmetic purse

Embroidered linen pantyhose bags

We’d love to hear what you think of the embroidered details  … feel free to leave a comment below!

So last week I asked Jenny why her bags are made in Vietnam. It made for interesting reading!

Another interesting thing you may not know about bragbags is that Jenny is a member of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand.

What does this mean?

Well firstly it means supporting businesses who do NOT use sweatshops or factories. Or use child labour. It also means paying a fair price for the goods and services provided to you which is why Jenny doesn’t try to negotiate the prices down!

When in Vietnam, Jenny regularly visits the workshops where her bags are made to check all of this. Many of her products are made in small agricultural villages, and the work provides an important income to the artisans producing these products. It also allows them to stay in their home towns and support their families.

Another interesting fact is that her products are all hand-made (not mass produced) using traditional French tailoring. If she uses silks or linens in her bags, these materials are also hand-made as are many of the notions (like horn and pearl buttons and charms).

While we’re here …

Want to see some of the fun and games Jenny experiences when visiting Vietnam? Check out the piccies below!

Jenny wanted to put some new eyelets on a bag, so they went in search.

Needless to say ... they gave up!

When Jenny goes looking for new leather to use, she first has to go up these stairs ...

Then she has to clamber over rolls of leather to find what she is looking for. It is so hot she can't stop sweating, and everyone laughs at her while this is happening. They seem to find it all very amusing!

Ribbon ribbon ribbon ...

As far as the eye can see!

Just as she is about to give up, Jenny finds some perfect ribbon for her new travel range

Sneak peek - at some of the new linens ...

... and embroidery ...

Newly available this week!

Now if you have been reading along at home you will know that last week I decided I wanted to find out how the bragbags bags are made. I love knowing the story behind the products I love! So my last post talked you all through the design process and now we are at the next step – where the bags actually get made, in Vietnam.

First though, I wanted to find out from Jenny: Why Vietnam? I know that it would be much cheaper for her to produce her bags in say, China, so I did some digging! I think Jenny’s words do this topic much more justice than I could, so here are her answers to my questions verbatim!

Why did you decide to go to Vietnam for materials and production?

Actually the choice of Vietnam was made for me. I first met a woman from Perth who had moved to Vietnam with her husband’s work. She wanted to export the bags from there because she thought the traditional embroidery and techniques was extraordinary. I was introduced to her by mutual friends, and we went into business together. I bought her out of the business shortly after, but continued to work with her for the next year. Eventually I started to deal with the Vietnamese people directly myself and have been doing so now for eight years.

So that’s how you got involved with the Vietnamese initially, but what have been the reasons for continuing on with that relationship over the years?

When I went over there, I was fascinated by the traditional techniques and French style of tailoring that they use to create their handbags. Some of the embroidery dates back over 800 years, and I wanted to respect and also promote their crafts. Also, I did lots of reading about the people and after travelling to some of the craft villages that are in existence, found myself utterly fascinated by the way they cultivate, weave and dye to produce their silk.

I firmly believe that their story needed a voice, and although the last eight years has been full of trials and tribulations, I’m pleased to be playing a part in bringing that story to life!

Anyone for ribbon?

What do you love most about working with the Vietnamese?

They have a great sense of humour. They love to laugh at themselves, and sometimes me when I do something embarrassing (which seems to be often).

They are really creative and love to solve problems that I give them (like a design that I want them to create, but I haven’t thought through how to actually make it!)

They are really honest and we respect each other’s business. I never haggle on price with them.

I really feel at home when I visit there (I’ve just been there for my 10th trip).

What do you love most about your trips to Vietnam?

The Vietnamese people love to have long lunches – it is part of their culture to enjoy a big lunch. They are so hospitable and always asking me what food I want to eat. I love pretty much all Vietnamese food and am always eager to try whatever new delicacies they have to offer. However, when I go at the height of monsoonal season, I’m keen to eat in air conditioning, and this can be hard to find!

A Vietnamese gourmet lunch - for the hefty price of ~$3!

I love riding on the back of a motor bike as we go from fabric merchant to silk markets to the leather man and finally to the “button and notions” street.

This is the man Jenny buys her leather from

What’s the most challenging aspect of working with the Vietnamese?

It is not a commercial country as other Asian countries are. Many people may not realise that my products are hand-made and not mass produced. I can’t buy standard fabric and have mass quantities made of anything, as many of the notions and components just aren’t available. For example, recently on my last visit I found some gorgeous orange leather. We made it into a new bag, and we could only make three! If I was producing out of another country I’d have been able to produce hundreds or thousands of orange leather bags. However, I can’t be assured of the nature of how these items would be made, and the conditions that these people would be working under – and it is important to me to know this.

What’s the most gratifying aspect?

That I’m honouring a traditional craft that sadly is dying out. I love that I know the story behind my products and I get to share that story with my customers, who in turn will share it with their friends.

If you’re like me, you like knowing the story about where things come from. So today I thought I’d find out from Jenny what processes are involved in putting a beautiful new bragbag on your shoulder!

———————————-

Step one is the design stage. Jenny has always worked with one other designer to bring fresh eyes and debate to the process. She has been working with her current co-designer Lauren for the past 2 years. Lauren is a 30 year old Scot with a great eye for colour and combinations. Having lived in the northern hemisphere for 12 years herself, Jenny finds their tastes match up well.

The first part of the process involves browsing through magazines from overseas to get a feel for current trends with regard to design and colour. Jenny and Lauren also look at feedback received from bragbags customers with regard to existing designs. Then they start sketching. Design of a new style can take a whole day and Jenny finds that working with Lauren and having the odd passionate argument can be a great way to conceive a brand new design. It can also lead to going round and round in circles and in those situations they usually agree to disagree!

An example of a sketch that gets sent to Vietnam. Jenny has recently graduated to using a WACOM tablet for sketching as she dreams of a paperless office!

It can be heartbreaking however to have spent a whole day on a design only to find out that the bag can’t be made the way they want it!

This is the second part of the process.

Once the sketches are done and colours and fabrics have been selected, Jenny sends it all over to her ladies in Vietnam. There is much discussion back and forth about everything from how straps should attach to what form any embellishments will take.

Once all the design kinks have been worked out, the ladies in Vietnam draft up a pattern and then make a sample. The sample is a complete piece, made by hand and can take 3-5 days to create as it includes all the embellishments or special detailing that are required for that particular piece.

Depending on the time of year, they will either then send the samples back to Australia, or, if it is summer, Jenny heads to Vietnam to meet with her team and visit the fabric markets.

THAT however is a story for next week!

The final tote from the sketches above. Like it? It will be launched in 2 weeks time!

So last week Jenny held a photo shoot for some of her latest range of bags and organisers at a very glamorous setting – her own house! Ah the joys of working in the fashion industry! Here’s a sneak peek:

Every fashion shoot needs some good models and a stylist ... here is stylist Jenny working her magic with her model - a beautiful wooden door!

Then her eagle eyed friend Louise (amateur photographer) spotted this chandeleir ...

Love the final result!

The back gate is another willing model ...

The back gate is also good for showing off my favourite new striped tote in style!

Meanwhile - the angle is everything! This glam poolside shot conveniently omits the leaves at the bottom of the pool!

As well as the 'verdant shrubs' that border the garden path

All the while Jack waits patiently for all the fuss and bother to be done with!

So last week Jenny asked on facebook “is your bag a bottomless pit, or is it tiny and neat?”

My answer was that it is a neat bottomless pit! I dream of ‘packing light’ when it comes to my handbag … and it’s something I semi-achieve on the weekends when I head with this little baby.

Butterfly shoulder bag

During the week however, my need to be prepared for anything means that this is what my handbag contains:

• Wallet
• Keys
• Sunglasses
• Running watch
• iPhone
• iPad
• iPod shuffle
• Small toiletries bag
• About 8 pens
• Business card holder
• Mini antibacterial hand spray
• Notebook
• Feminine hygiene products
• Pawpaw ointment
• Pocket mirror
• Wireless internet dongle
• USB Drive

It seems a little out of control when all written down. I think I may have a problem!

It is however all PERFECTLY under control because:

I combine this ...

With one of these ....

And what are “these” exactly? Well they are handbag organisers. Magic little things that turn my bottomless pit into some semblance of organised chaos. I know exactly where everything thing is and never do I find myself fumbling around desperately trying to find my keys or phone. I love these so much I think I have bought at least four of them as gifts!

So what kind of bag do you have? The bottomless pit like me… or do you travel light?!

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