Design houses that burn clothes?

[itsme]

Hello!

I've got a question that has been bugging me for some time now. Does anyone know which design houses burn the clothes after a season if they fail to sell?

What about Louis Vuitton and Chanel? They never have sales, right? And aren't they rumoured to burn clothes?

Can anyone with more or less insight tell us more about this phenomenon?

 

[coralmilk]

NO! Don't burn them! Give them to me!!

 

[Ghost]

Chanel does have seasonal sales

 

[westwood85]

it's seems to be quite like a metropolitan legend...but maybe it's true

 

[andrew]

I would suggest that it's a rumor to make the regular-priced customers feel special about their elite purchases.

 

[faust]

Supposedly CDG outlets do it, and Hermes does it. Skeptical about Hermes, since they do have sample sales. Oh, and of course they can only control their own outlets, not all stores.

We've discussed this before, do a search.

 

[itsme]

Can you suggest me the right search terms? Would never start a topic if there was an old one, but I didn't find anything so...

 

[stilettogirl84]

I've seen chanel on sale at bluefly - so I don't think it's burned.

 

[flightychild]

I nearly bought into that when I was younger, only I heard that they snipped off all identifying labels (from actual labels to the buttons with the designer logo stamped on them) to avoid having them stolen and put on counterfeit items before destroying the garment.

I don't think this is true though; I'd imagine that the designer house would store or archive them (can you archive clothing?) in case someone's interested in buying a piece from a previous season (especially a celebrity of some sort).

 

[PrinceOfCats]

I'm sure plenty of companies would like you to believe that they burn their deadstock.

 

[stacyyyy]

apparently it is true.theres a new book called fashion babylon in which there are many tales about the fashion world.one of which being this.for the simple fact that they dont want the "wrong" people wearing their clothes.so instead on it being sold at a complete knock off price, or donated they burn it to keep their name from being worn by those it wouldnt normally and keeping their same image.the author was interviewed on richard and judy and this was one of the questions they asked her

 

[westwood85]

true? it's such a pity...i understand that they want to save their image but for me will be a great thing if they snipped off labels and donated them away...insted of making hypocritical charity campaigns...but i know this is the world we live in...

 

[stacyyyy]

it might of been aload of rubbish.but thats what the lady said who researched it all.although she named no names.she also told of how models told her theyv caught pubic lice and viruses off each other with swopping clothes....haha

 

[stilettogirl84]

EEEeeewww!

 

[Pastry]

not all companies archive their samples, i've heard that prada might destroy theirs. we have to remeber that to the company that makes the garments they mean a lot less emotinally. otherwise they wouldn't lend them for shoots where they are sprayed by water or stuck in a tree.

it is a fact that most retail stores get rid of slightly damaged or very out-of-season clothes. any recognizable logo is snipped off, and they're ripped to the point of no return. i do that at h&m, i know a lot of my friends do it..my friend's mother did it at reitman's 20 years ago..

 

[itsme]

Intresting replies! The most obvious company I guess does this, must be Louis Vuitton, giving it a second thought. Since they have no sales (except for the sales people in the company?), they must get rid of the clothes in some way.

I also read in a guide book somewhere that there are second hand shops in Paris that get to sell high-end stuff but they rip off the labels in order to make it more difficult to identify where it originally came from! (Can't remember the name of the shop well-known for this, but perhaps someone else knows)

 

[shedonnia]

Couture houses burn their leftover fabric. Louis Vuitton will also destroy remaining merchandise. This is done to help maintain an item's value.

 

[stacyyyy]

i'd love to know where that shop it aswell.i'd be there in a shot.im going to buy the book to go on holiday with so if it gives anymore information i'll tell you what it says

 

[KMismyIDOL]

It sounds like something they would do to keep the items more valuable... overproduction=deappreciation of goods.

 

[stilettogirl84]

it would make sense-

hypothetically-

if you're old season clothes keep getting discounted untill they sell- down from 3,000.00 down and down and down to say 300 bucks- then who would be willing to pay the regular full prices?