Homeluxury bag → The luxury bags are Spanish

The luxury bags are Spanish

The most mythical brands in the sector are making Spain their favorite production platform

Fernando Barciela

In Ubrique they are euphoric.Twelve years after the beginning of the greatest crisis suffered by the people, he lives a true boom.The big brands of luxury bags, which as of 2003 pounced to manufacture in Asia, queue these days to produce there again.Nobody remembers, then, what José Pulido, president of Empiel, the local association of the sector, defines as “a true batacazo”, when they suffered a fall in the billing of 50% and 20% in employment.

"The influx of foreign brands to the factories in the area [about 150] is so high that according to my last count," says Alfonso Morant, an industry consultant, "there are more than one hundred brands of very high level producing in Ubrique."There are all that are: Dior, Givenchy, Chanel, Carolina Herrera, Comme des Garçons, Jil Sander, Hackett, Alfred Dunhill ... even some Italian brands, a country that occupies the first position as a manufacturer in Europe, are moving their production to this townof Cádiz."The top ten of the big world luxury brands are already here," says Pulido.But Ubrique, which concentrates about 60% of Spanish leather goods (especially in bags), is not the only one.Also in Alicante, Barcelona, La Rioja, Galicia or Madrid is uploading the production of these articles.

The commitment to abroad has allowed him to compensate for the bankruptcy of the domestic market and maintain the level of production between 1,800 and 1.9 billion euros per year.Spain, which exported leather goods worth 419 million euros in 2007, doubled these figures last year to 841 million.Bags grew even more, from 194 to 462 million euros, 138%.A rebound that does not seem to stop since, according to Fernando Gutiérrez, general secretary of ASEFMA, the employer of the sector, "exports grew again 20.4% last year."

Return to Europe

What explains the resurgence of these two industries?The return of the manufacture of luxury bags from Asia to Europe, a bet for which Spain was well prepared."Our industry is a toe in the world," says Gutiérrez, "only Italy, which produces more and has more brands, can be compared in quality."Especially in Ubrique, "where" says Javier Gallego, manager of Movex, the city's technology center, "we have a know how that has been transmitted by generations."In addition, while a employer perceives in Ubrique around 1,250 euros gross and a browned officer 1,000, in France and Italy the salaries come to be double.

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As these salaries remain high compared to those paid in Asia, Morocco or Turkey, the Spanish industry has had to specialize in the high segment."It is very difficult for a bag made in Ubrique, which takes 80% of its income from the luxury leather goods, can be sold for less than 350 euros," explains Polished.So, as Gutiérrez acknowledges, "Spanish fashion chains such as Inditex, Mango or Cortefiel barely manufacture in the town and in general in Spain.""They only manufacture here," Morant points out, "when the rush enters them and need to arrive in a very short period to store."

Luxury bags have returned to Europe because) or tariffs.The big brands have also seen that they did not account for them in this region due to quality (lower) problems and the piracy culture prevailing in Asia.In addition, luxury customers, especially Asians, when they pay 1,000 euros for a bag they want Made in Europe, not in China.And in Asia, another paste, you have to produce in large series while the small Spanish factories are prepared for the short series that are stylized now.

More advantages: The design-manufacture and delivery deadlines are shorter here and the trips of the design and control equipment of these faster and cheaper brands."In two hours they are in Spain and the minimum cultural differences," explains Morant.The control of luxury brands on the product is very narrow.They send the sketches and skins (Spanish, but also French or Italian) and also linings, zippers, metal parts and even glue.And then they make random control of the garments."All this comes out more expensive in Asia, by distance," says Pulido.To live up to the demands, manufacturing companies have had to put the batteries.In Ubrique they have founded a technological center, Movex, in 2008. The city also inaugurated last year its school of skin artisans, which is already in the third promotion.

No your own brands

Some experts complain that the industry has not struggled more to create their own brands.Others argue that this is difficult since luxury leather goods is covered by world luxury houses."These brands," explains Pulido, "sell their bags at 2,000 or 3,000, and in the factory there is 10% or 12%."But, in Ubrique they cannot complain.While unemployment in the province of Cádiz exceeds 35%, in the town it is over 15%.Almost the entire population (17,000 people) depends, directly or indirectly, on the sector.

Without reaching the ends of the Andalusian people, also in Igualada (Barcelona), optimism is breathed.The production of skin from Spain, the second producer of Europe after Italy (with 12% compared to its 60%), is recovering.Between 2007 and 2014, exports have risen from 341 to 396 million euros.Most of this industry is in Catalonia, with 50% of companies and 47% of employment."The Catalan tanner exports most of its production," says Josep Ballbé, director of Acexpiel, the Spanish Association of the Sector, "and those who work for luxury brands up to 85% or 90%."Ballbé has no doubt that "although Italians are more creative in terms of skin work, ours is the best quality in the world."

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