Luxurious. Photograph (file)
When New York-based mannequin and influencer Knowledge Kaye went buying on the Italian vogue label Miu Miu and returned residence with a haul of garments he says he spent $18,000 on, he did not anticipate a number of the gadgets would crumble in entrance of his eyes.
In now-viral movies posted to his TikTok account, the place he counts over 13 million followers, Kaye may be seen unveiling his purchases from the model. Within the first clip, posted to the social media platform in early September, he calls himself a “massive Miu Miu fan” earlier than launching right into a scathing blow-by-blow of how a few of his new purchases fell aside as he was unpacking them, saying: “As quickly as I get residence, all the things broke.”
Among the many clothes he had bought that day, one of many gold buttons on a denim vest jacket “got here off the moment I opened it,” he mentioned on the video, demonstrating how he had unbuttoned the sleeveless garment. “I simply opened it usually,” mentioned Kaye.
He then held up a brown sweater, additionally by Miu Miu, with a visibly damaged silver zip. Kaye mentioned he had “by no means gone and gotten a number of items from a spot and issues are simply breaking as quickly as I get residence. That is genuinely f**king abysmal.”
Three days later, Kaye popped up on TikTok feeds once more. Miu Miu had provided him the selection of a refund or alternative of the damaged gadgets, he defined within the new video, noting that he selected the latter and needed to unveil the brand new clothes to his followers. Nevertheless, as he started to undo the buttons of his vest, a button fell off as soon as once more. His mouth was large in disbelief earlier than exclaiming: “There is not any method! That is unbelievable.”
Kaye will not be the one one taking their issues to social media. In October, US-based dental hygienist Tiffany Kim shared a video on Instagram of a grey fleece jacket by Miu Miu and indicated {that a} drawstring had popped out of one among its sleeves. Some onlookers would possibly instantly assume that it was pure wear-and-tear, however Kim mentioned that she had solely bought it a month prior. Whereas Miu Miu provides a restore service for its merchandise, some retailer places require prospects to pay a payment. “It is not even in regards to the payment. I pays the payment,” mentioned Kim. “I do not need to pay the payment as a result of I actually paid $2,000 for this jacket and I solely wore it twice.”
Elsewhere, on X, a video posted by Elena Qiu in November reveals the Seattle-based designer making an attempt to squeeze varied objects into the heel of her leather-based split-toe tabi boots, to reveal its surprisingly hole inside. The shoe, by Maison Margiela, is among the French avant-garde label’s most recognizable types. Within the caption, Qiu mentioned she had bought the sneakers for $1,000 and expressed disappointment that the heel wasn’t product of “stacked leather-based” however “hole with plastic.”
“I felt so unhappy and dissatisfied when the shoe cap got here off,” Qiu later instructed CNN over e mail. “As a designer myself, I perceive how laborious artisanal craft is, and I do not anticipate vogue to remain pristine after extreme put on, however these sneakers weren’t worn excessively. I had worn them lower than as soon as a month, principally for particular events.” Requested what she ended up doing with the sneakers, Qiu mentioned she took them to a cobbler to get the heel cap changed, however has since turn into extra cautious about sporting them frequently and creating additional injury – “which defeats the aim of why I purchased them within the first place,” she mentioned.
These broadly circulated movies have since sparked outrage amongst social media customers, with some questioning the worth of high-end items, particularly as costs have been rising exponentially over time. Others criticized the posh business for what they see as focusing too closely on branding and tendencies, and never sufficient on sturdiness. “As vogue customers we have to put our foot down and cease shopping for Miu Miu till they discover ways to produce clothes that does not crumble,” wrote Odunayo Ojo, the content material creator higher often called Style Roadman, as he reshared Kim’s video. “As a result of it is costly would not make it luxurious if the standard will not be there!” commented one other person in response.
Requested whether or not the Prada Group, which owns Miu Miu, is conscious of those movies, and what it’s doing to stop future points with product high quality, the corporate instructed CNN that “These had been two remoted incidents and they aren’t indicative of high quality points for the model. We dealt with the 2 instances through consumer service, with care, as we usually do with all our purchasers.” The group added that “Miu Miu’s world post-purchase return charge ranges between 0.2% and 0.3%, making it one of many lowest within the luxurious market.”
Maison Margiela didn’t reply to CNN’s request for remark.
So, is the standard of luxurious vogue actually declining?
The current incidents could coincide with a broader concern in luxurious vogue, the place some consultants consider excessive costs not assure a sure degree of expertise. They’ve additionally prompted some comparisons with excessive avenue and quick vogue manufacturers, which are sometimes related to trend-driven items that aren’t all the time constructed to final. Dana Thomas, an creator and veteran journalist, who spent over three a long time overlaying the posh vogue sector for the New York Instances, the Wall Road Journal and the Washington Put up, famous related high quality points with luxurious manufacturers again within the 2000s when her ebook “Deluxe: How Luxurious Misplaced Its Luster” was printed, suggesting a longstanding drawback within the sector.
