Louis Vuitton is known for its impeccable quality and luxurious designs, which have been maintained throughout the years without compromise. Originating in France, the brand holds itself to incredibly high standards and it starts with its production – but where are Louis Vuitton bags made? Unlike most companies who outsource their manufacturing, Louis Vuitton maintains its exclusivity by only utilizing in-house production in select countries; Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and the USA.
There are 4,000 workshops around the world that produce LV products, which are scattered across the above-mentioned countries.
Ready-to-wear and sunglasses are produced in France and Italy. Jewelry collections are produced in France, Italy, and Switzerland.
Leather goods are only made in Spain, France, and the USA, with over 20 workshops scattered across these 3 countries.
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Is Louis Vuitton made in China?
Louis Vuitton has maintained its popularity and demand by being conscientious of its image and reputation. Although it would probably be beneficial for them to have manufacturing in China due to its high demand there, LV chooses not to outsource its production to China because it’s regarded as a cheaper business model with mass production capabilities.
Louis Vuitton is coveted for its image of hand-made craftsmanship and high attention to detail. Although there’s no doubt that high-quality products are produced in China with excellent efficiency, the general assumption is that most companies outsource to them because of their ability to mass manufacture products for a cheaper price. The “made in China” tag commonly seen on a wide variety of products has become a cliche for mass manufacturing, and Louis Vuitton would risk devaluing their brand if they were to be associated with that image.
In summary, this means that no Louis Vuitton bags will ever say ‘Made in China’.
Is Louis Vuitton made in Spain?
Louis Vuitton has 4 leather goods workshops in Spain, stretching from Barcelona to Girona.
Each workshop is responsible for different types of manufacturing. Some locations are designated to create certain styles of bags, while other workshops deal with raw materials. The newest location opened in 2017 in Barcelona is designated for cutting and preparing leather. Once prepped, the leather is exported to other workshops where they are transformed into finished goods.
Are Louis Vuitton bags made in the USA?
Louis Vuitton does have workshops in the USA that are primarily dedicated to making canvas products; Monogram and Damier prints. If a customer buys a brand new bag from an LV boutique within North America, it will most likely be made in the USA. There are currently 3 LV workshops in the United States; one in San Dimas California, another in Irwindale California, and the newest one established in 2019 in Keene Texas.
The Texas workshop is called the Rochambeau Ranch and was established shortly after LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault met with former President Trump during his presidential administration. They agreed to open a new facility to create jobs and keep up with the demand of the US customer; the facility has created 1,000 jobs for Texas citizens living up to its purpose. The leather used at this location isn’t from Texas cattle, but rather just assembled in the US with foreign materials.
Are Louis Vuitton Bags Made In France better?
Louis Vuitton was founded in France in the 1800s and it continues to house the headquarters as well as the bulk of the manufacturing for the brand. There are 16 LV workshops in France, with the most recent location opening in 2019 in the Pays de la Loire region residing on the west side of the country. The 65,000 square foot facility is a sleek and modern structure designed to be environmentally friendly and reduce waste.
Although LV bags are now constructed in different countries, there is a high demand from its’ customer base to have the pieces that were made in France. The presumption that French-made pieces are better quality or more genuine than those made in other countries is a popular opinion amongst Louis Vuitton’s customers.
While some people remain unbothered about where their bag was constructed, some insist that if they are spending such large sums of money on a product, they want it to be as authentic as possible, and to them, that equates to a “made in France” tag on their bag. They associate the true artisanship of Louis Vuitton with the country where it was founded.
There is suspicion that the bags produced outside of France will be of poor quality or will be defective, however, this could not be further from the truth. All Louis Vuitton craftspeople go through extremely strenuous training and need as much as a full year before they can begin to work on their own. There are no noticeable differences in pieces made in different countries, and frankly, the only way to tell the difference will be to check the “made in…” tag.
How To Get a Made In France Louis Vuitton Bag
If you want a Louis Vuitton bag that has been made in France, the most likely option is to head to a boutique in France. It’s most likely that this boutique will stock bags that are made in France due to the lower costs to the brand without having importation fees.
There is, however, no guarantee that all bags are made in France. The only way to know this for sure is to check the bag before purchasing from a store (it will be stamped somewhere with ‘made in France, or when purchasing pre-loved to check for that stamp.
How to find out where my Louis Vuitton Bag Was Made
There are generally two ways to tell where your LV bag was made; there are date code stamps on the bags that indicate where exactly the bag was made, as well as a stamp clearly stating ‘made in France’ (or another country).
Check out this page for our free LV date code checker, where you can enter the 6 digit code from your bag to find out where it was made.
There are also stamps on the bags that indicate where they were made; these stamps can be found on different parts of the bag depending on the style. The inside lining of a bag will sometimes have a small leather tag with a “made in…” stamp letting you know where the bag was produced. This stamp can be found on the exterior part of certain styles instead of inside.
As of March 2021, Louis Vuitton will be phasing out the date stamps and will instead be utilizing microchips. You can read more on this new technology in this previous blog, New Microchip In Louis Vuitton Bags – Everything You Need To Know blog here. This means there will be no 6 digit code inside the bag