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Ask Alexandra: The Value of “Made in China”

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Alexandra

Ask Alexandra is my advice column. Have a question you want to ask me? Fill out the form here.

ask alexandra, fashion advice, hermes, made in china, country of origin, luxury goods

Hermès’ Jypsière bag costs $7,500 and is made in France.

Hi Alexandra,

Thank you for the wonderful article in dissecting the luxury brands. I have a question that relates to the article as well. Does “Made in China” influences the value of fashion brands? There are some name brands out there with their goods manufactured in other countries other than US or Europe, does the value of their goods deteriorate because of that? Michael Kors’ bags are manufactured in China, but it does not seem to effect brand popularity, is it because of their marketing campaign? Do independent designer’s brands that are manufactured in Asia or South America seem more inferior? Thank you in advance for answering my question!

ask alexandra, fashion advice, made in china, country of origin, luxury goods, gucci

Gucci bags are supposedly made in Italy, but I’ve been told they are mostly made in China, with the last few stitches being applied in Italy, which allows them to use that label.

Hi Vivien,

“Made in China” has a very different significance today than it did ten years ago, as manufacturing there has improved a great deal, and it is much easier to get high quality products from that end of the world. On that note, there is also a big movement towards locally made products, for example, American-made fashion, and if those brands are targeting the type of consumer who wants “American-made,” then that will be a major benefit.

Love: Seraphine Maternity

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Alexandra

seraphine maternity, maternity wear, jeans, fashion, pregnancy

Seraphine’s slim fit maternity skinny jeans (left) and breastfeeding sweater (right.) I can’t believe I am actually getting excited about maternity wear, but this stuff is that good.

Since everyone I know right now seems to be pregnant or having babies, I’d thought I touch on maternity wear today. I was recently revisiting my blog post on buying maternity/post partum clothing, and if I have any readers out there that are pregnant, I suggest reading it as the advice is quite good (if I may say so myself…) I didn’t really name any specific maternity wear brands, so I thought Seraphine deserved a post of its own.

They contacted my and their press angle was all about the celebrities that wear their clothing, which was immediately a major turn off for me (as it always is.) But then I tried their product and I was hooked. Their maternity jeans are the BEST EVER. In addition, I have one of their breastfeeding sweaters, which is also great. This is a rare type of maternity clothing that you don’t actually want to set on fire after you’re done having babies. They have a huge range of essentials, including nursing tops and maternity tights, as well as fashionable items for formal events and the office. As I explained in my original blog post, I don’t recommend spending too much on pieces that you are only going to wear once or twice, but their jeans are VERY worth it. I wore mine at least four times a week during pregnancy.

Seraphine ships worldwide.

Posted in Love & Loathe | 1 Comment

5 Reasons Why I Support the Canadian Seal Hunt

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Alexandra

Two weeks ago I went to NAFFEM, a large fur tradeshow in Montreal. I was invited as a blogger, to check out the beautiful pieces and choose some of my favourites items for sale at the show. I am a huge supporter of the Canadian fur industry (read about my reasons here) but I’ve been less vocal about the seal hunt, primarily because I didn’t have enough information to make an informed opinion about it. Well, now I do, and I would like to share it with you because I think it is important.

seal skin, fur, seal hunt, canadian fashion

Seal skin dyes really well, I love this pink pelt.

1. Seals are a sustainable resource and are in abundance. We live in a world where resources have become an issue, and many of us are choosing to consume products that come from renewable resources. Seal is a great example of this – there are tons of them in Canada and they are not at all at threat of becoming endangered. Speaking of sustainability, seals are part of the reason why fish stocks are very low (although overfishing is also a big issue) and the seal hunt not only provides jobs and resources for the hunters, but also allows the fish populations to regenerate (a bit.) All major conservation groups will agree that a responsible use of resources (like hunting seals for food and clothing) is a good thing, and is often the central principle of modern conservation.

Beauty Brief: MaskerAide Masks

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Alexandra

I’ve been meaning to try the MaskerAide masks for months, but unfortunately the directions are extremely complicated for someone who has a newborn, as they require that you “relax for 10-20 minutes.” That wasn’t an option until a few weeks ago when I went to Montreal for a fur trade show (more on that later this week) and spent the night in a hotel room with no toddler or newborn to worry about.

MaskerAide has a range of facial sheet masks which are easy to apply and wear, since the sheet holds everything in place and you aren’t dripping product all over the place. Using a clear based serum or a cream, the masks replenish and hydrate skin and can be used in the evenings or even before makeup. Choose from formulas like Detox Diva that absorbs impurities or I Don’t Wanna Grow Up that helps combat the signs of ageing.

And of course, like most of my favourite beauty products, MaskerAide has no parabens, mineral oil, glycerins or benzophenone. $6 each at Beauty Mark.

Posted in Beauty Brief | Tagged Beauty Brief, face mask, maskeraide | Leave a comment

Love: Carizzi Spring Summer 2013

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Alexandra

For the past few years, I have been working as a consultant for Carizzi, a luxury swimwear brand based in London. The vision behind this brand is high end swimwear with a great fit. Sounds like a no brainer, but sadly, that is not the case. Amazing swimwear requires a well thought-through design, perfect fit, flawless pattern, and skilled construction. Carizzi has managed to achieve this all thanks to her factory in France, who also make swimwear for Hermès and Eres (pretty much the best swimwear brand in the world.)