Design houses that burn clothes?

[VivianL]

I guess there is SOME justification behind it but that's one of the most stupid things I have ever heard. That is a huge waste of money regardless of whether companies can afford it or not.. and more importantly - how damaging to the environment? What about people who are in need of clothing etc. They should just cut off the labels and either sell it to smaller businesses or donate it. Stupid stupid.

 

[sAsHa]

It is possible they do it to keep the high price tag, so those who have bought at high prices feel the exclusivity of the label has remained.
I hear Myer and DJ's in Australia chuck out certain designer stock rather than reduce it to 90% off or whatever, but I don't know how much truth is in it!

 

[((Cody))]

I actually like the idea of destroying the old merchandise. If I'm gonna pay $10,000 for an outfit, I don't want some schmo getting it for any less.

The big name stores like Bloomingdales or Barney's should keep the old stuff in a warehouse only open to VIPs and such. People pay a ton for vintage designer clothes.

 

[LostInNJ]

I actually like the idea of destroying the old merchandise. If I'm gonna pay $10,000 for an outfit, I don't want some schmo getting it for any less.

The big name stores like Bloomingdales or Barney's should keep the old stuff in a warehouse only open to VIPs and such. People pay a ton for vintage designer clothes.

While I can appreciate not wanting to feel jipped in what you've payed for an outfit, denying those who can't necessarily afford full retail isn't right IMO burning the clothes would be useless...not to sound like a broken record, but that is why we have outlets.

 

[((Cody))]

There's always Sears or JCPenny. I don't think that access to to designer clothing is a basic human right, so IMO "denying those who can't necessarily afford full retail" isn't really wrong.

 

[virginia]

i've always hoped this was something that wasn't true - burning new clothes.

 

[cric-croc]

as far as i know, at the end of every season, all stock goes in PRIVATE sales where only few selected people are invited . then the best leftovers gets given as presents to fashion editors, celebrities, especially good customers and so forth. the 'bad' stuff goes to sample sales first and what does not sell gets into storage until the next sample sale - after few seasons if the same item is still unsold, they take it to the designer outlet, that is why at outlets everything is at least 2 seasons old.
by the way, they do archive between 1 to 3 items of every single piece for reference.

 

[sAsHa]

While I can appreciate not wanting to feel jipped in what you've payed for an outfit, denying those who can't necessarily afford full retail isn't right IMO burning the clothes would be useless...not to sound like a broken record, but that is why we have outlets.

I don't think it is bad not to reduce it and just destroy it instead. The thing that makes designer exclusive is its price tag, if it all gets reduced down to mainstream prices where the average person can buy it without starving, it is not exclusive any more, and therefore not desirable to many.

 

[Feline]

When I was at college, we got given some previous seasons fabric by Paul Smith, but one of our tutors used to work for him, so could have been an exception rather than the rule

 

[OlgaH]

A lot of designers have outlets in NU (Woodbury Commons).. Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, Missoni, D&G, etc.. so I suspect that's where most of the overstock goes.

As for LV, I actually asked an associate.. and she said, no..they don't destroy anything.. after a while, they just resend everything back to Paris.

A couple of years ago, I was in Paris with my mom and she wanted to go to the LV store.. I didn't go with her, but she told me later there was a 1 hour wait just to get in the store and it was SWARMING with tourists buying stuff like there was no tomorrow.

Doesn't sound like LV has any problems selling their wares

Olga

 

[*Happiness*]

I often wondered what happened to the merchandise that didn't sell.

 

[Khoipond89]

Louis Vuitton as far as I know...destroys all their seasonal shoes if they fail to sell them at a lowered price to their employees..I think it's the same with Handbags that are damaged to any extent..

 

[pichu888]

it seems so wrong to destroy perfectly good clothing and other items... as well as damaging to our environment if they do truly burn them.

 

[PerfectPerfect]

I actually like the idea of destroying the old merchandise. If I'm gonna pay $10,000 for an outfit, I don't want some schmo getting it for any less.

The big name stores like Bloomingdales or Barney's should keep the old stuff in a warehouse only open to VIPs and such. People pay a ton for vintage designer clothes.

the thing is, if you are going to pay that much for any dress. by the time someone gets the opportunity to purchase it at a reduced price of, I dont know, $2000. You probably wont be wearing that dress/outfit anymore. You might still have it in your closet, but it probably wont see the light of day.

 

[lucy92]

Big name stores like barneys have warehouse sales two times a year in NYC. the stuff they sell there is several seasons/years old.

bloomingdales and barneys and saks will sell their old stock to store like tj maxx, costco, filenes basement, loehmanns etc.

there is increasing pressure for department store retailers to actually return their unsold items back to the brand itself.

i have heard that a lot of high end designers will sell their old fabrics to stores like mood in NYC.

 

[kimberwyn]

A professor told me La Perla does this, I wouldn't be surprised if others did too. It makes a lot of sense but it's kind of sad!

 

[couturex]

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

Agreed!

 

[marsmars]

Burning clothes is impractical and too bourgeois. I understand that you want to wear something unique and not see Joe Schmoe get a good deal when you paid 5x the amount he did, but, why not give the fabrics to African children or startup designers looking for some material to work with? We can recycle the fabrics, the list goes on... I mean, christ. Hopefully, these fires are just an urban myth.