Made Where? Unveiling the Global Supply Chains Behind Luxury and High-Street Fashion

At Academy St. Thrift, we believe consumers deserve to know the truth behind the tags. From high-end luxury labels to fast-fashion favorites, every garment carries the story of where—and by whom—it was made. In this post, we dig into verified manufacturing origins using official brand disclosures and reputable fashion industry reports. What we found confirms what many have long suspected: our closets are filled with clothes made across an intricate web of global labor.

Understanding the global supply chain isn't just informative—it’s essential for advocating human dignity, making ethical purchases, and resisting systems that profit from invisibility and exploitation.

Let’s pull back the curtain and see what the data reveals.

Luxury Fashion Brands

• Prada – Prada manufactures a significant portion of its goods in Italy, but also produces in several other countries. About 20% of Prada’s collections are made in China, according to its Hong Kong IPO prospectus​ wsj.com. Beyond Italy and China, Prada’s production extends to countries like Romania, Turkey, Vietnam, Spain, and India​ wsj.com blog.fashionphile.com.

  
  

• Burberry – Burberry maintains manufacturing in its home UK (heritage trench coats in England, scarves in Scotland) and in Italy for luxury goods​ burberryplc.com. However, it also partners with global suppliers outside Europe. Notably, Burberry has used factories in China for some items – for example, it formerly sourced handbags from a Guangdong, China factory (operated by Simone Accessories) before pulling out due to labor concerns thebureauinvestigates.com. Officially, the company states it produces at owned sites in the UK and Italy and via a network of worldwide suppliers​ burberryplc.com.

  
  

• Armani – The Armani group (encompassing Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange, etc.) produces in Italy as well as across Asia. Its top-tier lines (Giorgio Armani) are primarily made in Italy, especially tailored suits​ bagglimpse.com. Meanwhile, diffusion lines like Emporio Armani and A|X Armani Exchange are largely manufactured in China, and also in countries such as India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Tunisia, and Thailand​ bagglimpse.com bagglimpse.com. Even a portion of Armani’s suits (usually made in Italy) are produced in China​ bagglimpse.com.

  
  

• Marc Jacobs – Marc Jacobs is based in the US but outsources much of its production overseas. Many Marc Jacobs products (especially the more affordable collections) are made in China​ cpgsourcing.com. Indeed, finding a “Made in China” tag on Marc Jacobs items is common, and reputable sources note that some of the brand’s goods are manufactured there​

  cpgsourcing.com. (Note: select higher-end Marc Jacobs items have been made in Italy in the past – for instance, certain luxury handbags – but China is a primary manufacturing base for the brand.)​ marcjacobs.com

  
  

• Coach (Tapestry) – Coach has long outsourced production to Asia. Historically, China was a major manufacturing hub for Coach, but in recent years the company shifted a lot of volume to Vietnam and Cambodia to diversify its supply chain​ wsj.com. As of the early 2020s, Coach’s parent company Tapestry produces heavily in Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, and India – with China no longer the top source​ wsj.com.

  
  

• Michael Kors – Michael Kors products are made across a wide range of countries. A large share of Michael Kors manufacturing is in China – by one estimate, the majority of its bags, apparel, and accessories come from China (with a major production hub around Guangzhou)​

  bagglimpse.com bagglimpse.com. In addition, Michael Kors sources from other Asian countries including Indonesia (for example, some footwear and accessories), Vietnam, India, the Philippines, Thailand, and Turkey​ bagglimpse.com quora.com. (Thus “China, Indonesia” reflects two of its production locales – China being the largest, and Indonesia among other notable sources.) Notably, Michael Kors maintains small “Made in Italy” runs for certain high-end items, but the bulk is from Asia​ bagglimpse.com

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• Alexander Wang – Alexander Wang’s products are primarily manufactured in China, despite the brand’s luxury positioning. It’s well documented that many Alexander Wang bags and garments carry “Made in China” labels​ atome.my. In fact, industry FAQs note that a majority of Alexander Wang’s pieces (and those of similar designers like 3.1 Phillip Lim) are made in China​ atome.my. The brand does produce some higher-end tailoring in Italy (and a small portion in Portugal for basics)​ atome.my , but China is a key manufacturing base.

  
  

Popular/High-Street Fashion Brands

• Zara (Inditex) – Zara’s parent company Inditex has a geographically dispersed supply chain. Spain and neighboring countries (Portugal, Morocco, Turkey) form Zara’s “proximity” manufacturing hubs for quick turnaround items​ themds.com. At the same time, China is Inditex’s single largest sourcing country by number of supplier factories​ themds.com. In fact, Inditex’s 2018 data showed China had 449 partner factories – the most for any country themds.com. Inditex confirms that the bulk of its production comes from about 12 countries, including Spain, Turkey, Morocco, Portugal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China​

  reuters.com. In practice this means Zara clothes are frequently labeled “Made in Spain/Turkey/Morocco” for some collections and “Made in China” (or Bangladesh, etc.) for others. themds.com.

  
  

• H&M – H&M manufactures the vast majority of its apparel in Asia, with Bangladesh and China as its top two production countries​ business-standard.com. A 2024 company statement affirms that “Bangladesh, alongside China, is the largest production market for the group”​

  business-standard.com. India is also a major supplier for H&M, among others like Vietnam and Cambodia (H&M publicly discloses dozens of supplier factories in each of these countries).

  
  

• Uniqlo (Fast Retailing) – Uniqlo outsources production to a network of partner factories across Asia. China has traditionally been Uniqlo’s largest production base, and Fast Retailing confirms that many products are made in mainland China​ fastretailing.com. Additionally, Vietnam has become a key manufacturing hub for Uniqlo, and the company also sources substantial volumes from Bangladesh​ fastretailing.com. In Fast Retailing’s own words: “UNIQLO outsources the production of most products to partner factories in mainland China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and India.”​ fastretailing.com. (Uniqlo has even expanded supplier partnerships in Vietnam due to its skilled workforce and capacity cosmosourcing.com.)

  
  

• Nike – Nike’s manufacturing is concentrated in a few Asian countries, chiefly Vietnam, China, and Indonesia. Nike’s FY2024 annual report data shows Vietnam alone accounts for 50% of Nike’s footwear production, with China and Indonesia making up 27% and 18% of footwear respectively​ theinvestor.vn. For apparel, Vietnam is also the top location (28%), followed by China (16%)​ theinvestor.vn. This means nearly all Nike shoes and apparel are produced in those three countries. The company has steadily moved production out of higher-cost China into Vietnam (and Indonesia) over the past decade​ koerber-supplychain-software.com.

  
  

• Adidas – Adidas similarly relies on Vietnam, Indonesia, and China for most of its production. Vietnam is currently Adidas’s largest sourcing country – around 38% of Adidas footwear came from Vietnam in 2023​report.adidas-group.com. Indonesia contributed roughly one-third of Adidas footwear (32% in 2023)​ apparelresources.com, and much of the remainder is made in China. In terms of number of factories, Adidas has more manufacturing partners in China than anywhere else, followed by Vietnam and Indonesia​ nichesources.com. This triad produces the bulk of Adidas shoes and apparel.

  
  

• Gap / Old Navy / Banana Republic (Gap Inc.) – Gap Inc. sources from dozens of countries, but has been actively reducing its dependence on China. In fact, as of 2025, Vietnam has become Gap’s largest supplier country, with India and Indonesia next – all well ahead of China (which now accounts for under 10% of Gap Inc. production)​ linkedin.com. This is a shift from earlier years when China featured more prominently. Old Navy and Gap brand jeans, for example, are often made in Vietnam or Indonesia. Gap Inc. confirms it works with ~800 vendors worldwide, including in China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia​

  wbcsd.org.

  
  

• Abercrombie & Fitch – Abercrombie & Fitch (and its Hollister brand) manufacture across Asia and Central/South America. China and Bangladesh are indeed two important sourcing countries for A&F Co. The company’s own disclosures show that in 2024 it audited factories in 13 countries including China and Bangladesh (as well as others like India, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc.)​corporate.abercrombie.com. This implies A&F has suppliers in all those places. In practice, many A&F apparel items (especially knits and lighter clothing) are made in China, whereas a lot of its denim and woven products come from Bangladesh.

  
  

• Forever 21 – Forever 21 is a fast-fashion retailer that historically sourced heavily from China. Prior to 2019, a large portion of Forever 21’s merchandise was made in China​ fashinza.com. In recent years, under new ownership and through partnerships (with sourcing platform Fashinza), Forever 21 has shifted more production to India while still using some suppliers in China and Vietnam) ​fashinza.com. For example, Forever 21’s Indian licensee noted that most of their current sourcing partners are in India, with a couple in China and Vietnam to produce certain specialized items​ fashinza.com.

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Other Notable Manufacturing Hubs and Associated Brands

• Italy – Italy is renowned for its luxury manufacturing, and the brands listed (Gucci, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Salvatore Ferragamo) all produce predominantly in Italy. Gucci, for example, exclusively manufactures in Italy – the entire production process for Gucci goods is kept in-country to maintain quality and heritage​

  blog.fashionphile.com. Versace reports that ~82% of its products are made in Italy (with ~7% in other European countries and only ~2% in Asia)​ bagglimpse.com. Dolce & Gabbana similarly manufactures the vast majority of its garments in Italy (and some in France)​yournextshoes.com. Bottega Veneta keeps virtually all production in Italy – over 99% of Bottega’s direct suppliers are Italy-based​ bottegaveneta.com . Salvatore Ferragamo is also synonymous with Italian production (most Ferragamo leather goods and shoes are made in its Tuscan workshops). In summary, Italy is indeed the primary manufacturing hub for all these brands, with only minor production done outside (often for specific product categories like cosmetics or licensed goods).​blog.fashionphile.com bagglimpse.com

  
  

• Vietnam – Vietnam has become a powerhouse for manufacturing apparel and footwear, which is why brands like Nike, Adidas, Uniqlo, and The North Face are cited here. Nike now makes half of its shoes in Vietnam​ theinvestor.vn, and also a large share of its apparel (Nike’s biggest apparel manufacturing base is Vietnam at 28%​ theinvestor.vn). Adidas too relies heavily on Vietnam – roughly 38–40% of Adidas footwear comes from Vietnam in recent years​ report.adidas-group.com. Uniqlo has expanded into Vietnam; Fast Retailing acknowledges Vietnam as a key production country alongside China and Bangladesh​ fastretailing.com. The North Face (VF Corporation) “relies on Vietnamese production” for its outdoor gear​ cosmosourcing.com – in fact, both The North Face and its competitor Patagonia do most of their sourcing in Vietnam​ cosmosourcing.com. This underscores that Vietnam is a major hub for activewear, sportswear, and fast fashion production.

  
  

• Bangladesh – Bangladesh is one of the world’s largest garment exporters (second only to China), known especially for producing fast-fashion and mid-market apparel. H&M, Zara/Inditex, and Gap all source extensively from Bangladesh (each has hundreds of factories there). For example, H&M notes Bangladesh is its largest production market​

  business-standard.com. Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger (both owned by PVH Corp) also have large-scale production in Bangladesh, given PVH’s long-standing supplier base there​

  tbsnews.net. It’s reported that Bangladeshi factories produce clothing for “the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, Calvin Klein, H&M…”​linkedin.com. Even some luxury brands (like Armani, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren) have used Bangladesh for certain product lines​ linkedin.com. In short, Bangladesh is indeed a manufacturing hub for all the brands listed, particularly for their basic apparel lines.

  
  

• India – India is a major sourcing hub for textiles, cotton garments, and denim. Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, and Levi’s all manufacture in India via local supplier partners. India is known for producing Polo Ralph Lauren goods (like polo shirts, which are often made in Indian factories) and for its denim mills and garment factories that supply American Eagle Outfitters and Levi Strauss & Co. Notably, American Eagle’s own sourcing responsibility report lists India as one of its important sourcing countries​ aeo-inc.com. Levi’s also includes India among its key production countries (along with Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, etc.)​ business-humanrights.org. Many of Levi’s jeans are made in India’s denim factories, and American Eagle has partnered with Arvind Ltd. in India for both retail and manufacturing. Thus, India is confirmed as a significant manufacturing base for these brands.​

  aeo-inc.com business-humanrights.org

  
  

• Turkey – Turkey serves as a high-quality, proximity manufacturing hub especially for European brands. Zara (Inditex) counts Turkey as one of its top sourcing clusters – Inditex has hundreds of suppliers in Turkey, and in recent years Turkey even overtook Spain as Inditex’s largest “near-shoring” source​ themds.com. Mango, another Spanish retailer, likewise sources a large portion of its garments from Turkish factories (due to speed and expertise in items like woven apparel). Hugo Boss actually owns factories in Turkey: Hugo Boss’s largest production site globally is in Izmir, Turkey​ group.hugoboss.com. That campus in Izmir produces about 40–45% of all Hugo Boss clothing, primarily high-end menswear​ textilegence.com. Other luxury houses also contract out to Turkey for certain leather goods and tailoring. In summary, Turkey is indeed a key manufacturing country for Zara, Mango, and Hugo Boss, among others​

  themds.com group.hugoboss.com

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• Indonesia – Indonesia is a significant manufacturing hub particularly for footwear and accessories. Nike makes a substantial share of its shoes in Indonesia (around 18% of Nike footwear comes from Indonesian factories)​ theinvestor.vn. Adidas similarly manufactures a large volume in Indonesia (approximately one-third of Adidas footwear)​ apparelresources.com. Michael Kors also produces in Indonesia: industry sources note that authentic Michael Kors goods come from a variety of countries, including Indonesia quora.com. For example, some Michael Kors handbags and watches are made there. Indonesia’s skilled labor in leatherwork and shoe production makes it a hub for these brands. Thus, Nike, Michael Kors, and Adidas all manufacture in Indonesia, confirming this hub’s relevance.​theinvestor.vn

  
  

Sources: Official company reports and statements, reputable fashion industry analyses, and news articles were used to verify each brand’s manufacturing locations. These include corporate responsibility disclosures (Burberry, A&F, AEO), IPO prospectuses, Business of Fashion/Reuters/WSJ reporting, and industry publications.