‘Cause, let’s be real, when you think Balenciaga, you’re probably picturing those crazy platform Crocs or, uh, maybe that time they had the whole teddy bear controversy. Not exactly visions of artisan workshops and nimble fingers painstakingly stitching away, are ya?
But then you see stuff online, right? Like on Reddit, folks are dissecting the couture shows, talking about “original techniques.” And then you stumble across something like, “Where is Balenciaga Made? Is It In China?” which makes you go, “Hmmm, okay, so maybe *not* everything is as *handmade* as they want us to believe.”
I mean, let’s be honest, most high-end brands dabble in both, right? Like, there’s the fancy couture stuff happening at 10 avenue George V (which sounds *super* boujee, btw), and then there’s the more mass-produced, ready-to-wear stuff. And I’m guessing a significant chunk of *that* isn’t exactly being crafted by a sweet old lady with a thimble in a Parisian atelier.
Then you get into the whole “designer reps” thing, and it’s like, okay, so how much of what people think is authentic Balenciaga is actually… well, *you know*. And honestly, that makes me question everything. Is even the *idea* of “handmade Balenciaga” just a marketing ploy to get us to pay extra for that “exclusive” feel?
Like, I saw someone on a forum ranking luxury bag brands, and they mentioned Balenciaga’s founder moved to Paris during the Spanish Civil War. Which, okay, interesting history lesson, but what does that *actually* have to do with whether your bag is handmade? Not much, I reckon. It’s just adding to the mystique, that whole “legacy” thing.
And then… Labubu. I don’t even know. I saw something about “balenciaga labubu” and Etsy. Honestly, at this point, my brain is short-circuiting. Is this some ironic meme thing? Are people making Balenciaga-inspired Labubu dolls? I’m genuinely confused.
Look, I’m not saying all Balenciaga is mass-produced garbage. I’m sure some of it is actually, genuinely, handmade with love and care (and probably a hefty price tag attached). But I also think there’s a whole lot of smoke and mirrors going on. It’s a blurry line between “couture” and “kinda-sorta-handmade” and “made in a factory somewhere for a fraction of the price.” And navigating that line? That’s the real challenge.