Do the great luxury still make in France?

Do the great luxury still make in France?

Hermès will install two new leather goods in France by 2020.The French luxury group will build two new manufacturing workshops in Gironde and Seine-et-Marne, with 500 jobs.Illustration of a tendency to relocate in France for big tricolor luxury.

The establishment of new leather goods by Hermès in France, after three openings in 2016 (Franche-Comté, Limousin and Normandie) can surprise, as we hear continuously talking about companies that relocate, but does not surprise Julie El Ghouzzi, Director of the Centerluxury and creation, a think tank that advises and supports luxury companies in their development.

"They grow and in France find know-how.In addition, they can master speed in the logistics chain, says Julie El Ghouzzi."This is part of a trend in France for five, six years, where everyone is reinstalling in the country and reopening leather goods".That said, she tempers, "the very high-end part of luxury has always been produced in France".

Especially for Hermès who claims 100% French production for all his leather goods.Logical according to Julie El Ghouzzi: "Leather comes largely from veals raised in France or Italy, in farms where there are no barbed wire that can injure the animal and therefore damage its skin".Luxury companies seeking to minimize their transport costs, they install their tanneries more and more often."In China, what is problematic is that we work the skin with aggressive chemicals, dangerous for the environment, while in France we color with natural products".

For luxury companies, this production and transformation in Francepermmet to "keep a high level of supplier and labor", estimates Lucien Devaux, president of the DEFI, the Professional Development and Promotion Committee of Textiles andclothing.

Les grands du luxe fabriquent-ils encore en France ?

This tendency to want to communicate on a very French production comes, according to Donald Potard, 25 years old at the head of Jean-Paul Gaultier, of "some scandals, disclosure in any case, as well as certain luxury groups made made in Romania or inEastern countries when they labeling 'made in France' or 'made in Italy' '.These houses then opened their doors and led an image campaign for the 100% made in France ".But Donald Potard is still skeptical:

If the French entrepreneur praises Hermès's "honesty", who has "always been an excellent student" in this area, he is skeptical on the 100% made in France put forward by some."If there are products that cannot be found in France, such as wheels for suitcases, or even handles, what do we do?".In 2014, LVMH recognized in the columns of the world to make the wheels for its suitcases in China, failing, there too, of know -how and sufficient materials in France."A European solution is about to succeed to remedy it," said one in the group.

But in a few years, all this can be manufactured in France assures Donald Potard."Most luxury groups are now working with 3D printers that allow you to print handles, rivets for example.Soon, it will come back to them cheaper to make them themselves in France rather than having them manufactured in Asia ".

Regarding Hermès, all leather is produced in France today.The rest of the group range is made for 85% in Europe.The remaining 15% is produced outside the old continent.But the luxury giant assures that it is to seek know -how that he could not find in France, as in Nepal where he produces and transforms his cashmere

The label made in deceptive France?

The ready-to-wear of all these big brands bears the label ‘Made in France’, yet "very little is produced in France", explains Donald Potard.When he directed Jean-Paul Gaultier, he remembers labeled a Made in France dress while 90% had been made abroad."When you didn't have enough time, you didn't hesitate to go to India, where embroidery is very famous there and much cheaper than in France".Apposing the "made in France" to a ready -to -wear clothing in these conditions is "completely legal", specifies Donald Potard, to be very moral.But that would be impossible for haute couture, where the rules are extremely strict.

Anyway, if these luxury articles companies finally decide to produce in France, it is indeed for this famous label "Made in France"."It is strategic for them, in order to acquire legitimacy and reconquer their soul," explains Vincent Grégoire, creation director of the Nelly Rodi agency."A few years ago, it was almost a bit cheesy and today these brands are forced to relocate almost regionally with Made in Paris, Made in Sud Ouest and even Made in Brittany".In addition to the argument of know-how, production in France, well highlighted, has become a marketing asset.