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Yves Saint Laurent is a French luxury label founded in 1962 by Yves Saint Laurent and was later acquired by the Gucci Group in 1999, becoming one of the most influential fashion houses in the world. However, your question is: where is Saint Laurent made?
Saint Laurent markets a range of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear products, and the founder often says phrases like “Chanel freed women, and I empowered them” or “I created the contemporary woman’s wardrobe.” Does this mean YSL manufactures in European countries? Or does it tries to cut costs and manufacture in Asia too?
To confirm, I have decided to review hundreds of product descriptions on the Yves Saint Laurent website to verify if the brand lists where the products are made. I also visited one YSL store in London and its department stores in Selfridges, Harrods, and Harvey Nichols, checking multiple items. So let’s find out where Saint Laurent products are manufactured.
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Where Is YSL Made?
Yves Saint Laurent is manufactured in Italy, France, Costa Rica, Japan, Spain, Thailand, Belgium, and Madagascar.
A good thing about Yves Saint Laurent’s website is that all the products I have checked had the country of origin stated, which is not surprising since most of them were manufactured in Italy or France. Valentino, Givenchy, Kenzo, Dior, and Gucci are examples of brands that always provide this information.
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Of course, you have some brands that state in the product description the most convenient country (usually Italy, France, or the UK) and “forgets” to tell you about the ones manufactured in China. This seems to be the case for brands like Versace, Doc Martens, The North Face, and Ted Baker.
Yves Saint Laurent products are manufactured mainly in Italy and France. However, you can find some countries that manufacture small pieces, like Japan (denim, sunglasses), Costa Rica (jewelry), Thailand (jewelry), Belgium (scarves), Spain (shoes), and Madagascar (bags).
I can confirm that when I checked YSL items in-store, all of them were manufactured in Italy or France. Moreover, most of the products had a made-in-Italy label, which is not surprising considering the prestige and prices of the French luxury brand.
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If you order your Saint Laurent product online, do not worry because you can check the label to find out where the product was manufactured. This is because the EU and US legislation require brands to indicate the country of origin of any goods (well, Lacoste and Barbour seem to fail on this one).
Is Saint Laurent Made In France?
Yes, some Saint Laurent products are manufactured in France.
You don’t have so many products manufactured in France as in Italy, but it’s still the number two manufacturer of YSL. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the exact location where YSL manufactures in France, and I even checked the Kering Group website.
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It’s also not a surprise that YSL manufactures in France, even if it’s in small quantities compared to what the brand makes in Italy. Some other French brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Givenchy do the same on a bigger or smaller scale.
Products that have a made in France label are synonymous with proof of quality, and most people are willing to pay more for a product made in France. It’s not a shock to see why YSL items are so expensive.
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Is Saint Laurent Made In Italy?
Yes, most Saint Laurent products are manufactured in Italy.
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Most of the YSL products I have checked in-store were manufactured in Italy. I was even surprised when I found something made in France because I kept finding made-in-Italy labels, no matter what I checked.
Saint Laurent has a production site in Florence (since September 2022) that manufactures handbags and wallets and another in Veneto that only manufactures shoes. The Kering group also has a material innovation lab in Milan that provides sustainable materials to its brands, including Yves Saint Laurent.
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A good reason why YSL manufactures so heavily in Italy is due to the power of the made-in-Italy label. Most individuals associate the made-in-Italy tag with the best materials and craftsmanship, so they don’t care about paying more for those products. Usually, goods manufactured in Italy are flawless because every detail matters.
Is Saint Laurent Made In China?
As far as I know, no Saint Laurent products are manufactured in China.
It’s pretty rare to see luxury brands manufacturing in China. However, Burberry and Balenciaga are here to prove us wrong since they heavily manufacture in China, but also in Italy.
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Usually, consumers think that anything that is manufactured in China is of terrible quality and not worth it to pay hundreds/thousands of dollars. However, a brand like Yves Saint Laurent has a big reputation for quality and attention to detail. The French label knows it could lose a portion of its consumers if it started manufacturing in China.
I am not stating that goods manufactured in China are low quality, but they don’t have the attention to detail that the made-in-Italy label has. This is the immediate reason why YSL doesn’t manufacture in China. Not even accessories, which sometimes luxury brands manufacture there.
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Common Questions About Where Is YSL Made
These are the most common questions about where is Saint Laurent made.
Where Are YSL Bags Made?
Yves Saint Laurent bags are manufactured almost exclusively in Italy. All the YSL bags I have checked in-store were made in Italy. However, I did find one bag (only one) manufactured in Madagascar on the YSL website. I am unsure if it was a mistake or if the brand actually made some bags there.
Where Is YSL Perfume Made?
All YSL perfumes are made in France by L’Oreal, which acquired YSL Beaute Holding in a $1.68 billion deal in 2008.
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Where Are Saint Laurent Shoes Made?
YSL shoes are manufactured mainly in Italy and some in Spain. All the Saint Laurent shoes I have checked in-store were manufactured in Italy.
Is YSL Made In Japan?
Yes, some YSL denim and sunglasses are manufactured in Japan. However, when checking those items in-store, I didn’t find any made in Japan.
Conclusion Where Is Saint Laurent Made
Where is Saint Laurent made? The majority of its items are manufactured in Italy, followed by France. However, the brand works with independent contractors in Japan, Belgium, Madagascar, Spain, Thailand, and Costa Rica that produce small quantities of certain items for YSL.
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Independently of where YSL manufactures its products, I can assure you that the French luxury label has high-quality standards that warehouses need to follow. This way, products are high quality and can be sold to consumers.
