Latest news with #JanetLin
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Quality Conundrum—Luxury Fashion Isn't What It Used To Be
A general exterior view of the Burberry luxury fashion label store in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by) Getty Images As the price of luxury goods continues to rise—a pattern which first emerged post-pandemic but persists due to the impending recession within the United States and the country's shifting tariff policies that affect the way goods are manufactured, shipped and sold—the cost of shopping lavishly has begun to surpass the level of quality consumers expect from their high-priced purchases. Desperate for answers and amendments from the brands they used to love, consumers are taking to social media to speak out against luxury giants as they continue to charge more for less and devalue their once loyal customers. Acting as the unofficial face for such distain is TikTok user Janet Lin. Known by social media users as @janetlinxo, the New York City-based content creator has garnered a slew of attention for her series of recently published videos—the most popular of which currently sitting at 3.4 million views—that detail the dramatic decline of her Goyard Saint Louis GM tote bag. The bag—constructed from the brand's signature brightly colored Goyardine canvas and available for a minimum price just shy of two thousand dollars—was documented by Lin as having fallen apart after being worn outside for a few hours in the heat. In one video, Lin dramatically holds her cobalt blue Goyard tote up to the camera and pulls the leather-bound top handles apart to reveal they've melted together. In another clip, Lin shows off the blue staining on her otherwise clean white T-shirt as a result of the bag's bleeding blue finish melting off in the same mild weather conditions. While some users unleashed their frustrations towards Lin in the form of lengthy rebuttals within the video's comment section—citing the usage instructions found on the brand's product page that advise the wearer to 'Avoid contact with water, greasy or oily products, make-up and perfumes' as well as 'Protect the item from damp, extended exposure to artificial, natural light or intense heat' as logical reasons for the bag's current state—many individuals were quick to come to her defense, agreeing that no item of that price point should become damaged to the point destruction after one wear in the sun. Goyard could not be reached for comment. Despite the videos published by Lin being some of the most popular pieces of content that depict unexplainable damage to designer goods, similar antidotes and visual testimonials are taking up space within the fashion content published online, with each gaining more traction than the last and acting as the catalyst for a larger conversation around the quality of luxury goods—with modern critiques emphasizing the inferiority of such goods in comparison to the high price points they are offered at to the consumer and calling for the boycott of affected brands. While currently newsworthy, this pattern of luxury decline is not new. In an article published in late November of 2024, Forbes cited the Fall 2024 Bain-Altagamma Luxury Goods World Wide Market Study to illustrate the surprising drop in sales within the luxury goods sector, saying, 'For the first time since 2008, excluding the 2020 Covid-19 year, the personal luxury goods market declined, dropping 2% from an historic high of $387 billion (€369 billion) in 2023 to $381 billion (€363 billion) at current exchange rates.' In addition to referencing the study, Forbes included a number of casual effects that impacted the luxury goods market to the point of decline, the most notable of which—especially as it relates to the example illustrated above—was the misalignment of price and value. Similar to Lin's frustration over her pricey Goyard bag depreciating in value as soon as she began to use it, many consumers are frustrated with the luxury market's consistently growing prices for products that stay stagnant in quality. However, despite these challenges, the same market study offered a simple solution for luxury brands to revitalize their businesses and recapture the attention of consumers: get back to basics. 'To secure future growth, brands will need to rethink their luxury equations, re-establishing creativity and blending old and new playbooks,' the study stated. 'This includes rediscovering their essence and embracing the foundational pillars of the industry: desirability fueled by craftsmanship, creativity and distinctive brand values; meaningful, personalized and culturally-resonant customer connections and experiences.' In short, as rising prices for once accessible luxury goods continues as an inevitability, brands not only have the opportunity to secure their customer base with the obvious usage of high quality materials, but with the amplified infusion of heritage, identity and singularity. In this new era of consumerism that amplifies the cost of all goods, shoppers are looking for luxury built off of more than just high prices—leaving it up to brands to demonstrate their value.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Goyard customers say their $2,000 St. Louis PM leather tote bags MELTED on their clothes
Goyard customers have slammed the celebrity-approved French fashion brand after claiming their tote bags 'melted' onto their clothes. Fashion fan Janet Lin, from New York, spent $2,000 (£1,514) on her St. Louis PM only a year and a half ago and was delighted by her purchase at the time. However, Lin says she was left shocked, disappointed and furious when her expensive accessory's strap rubbed onto her white shirt, leaving a bright blue stain on the shoulder. She documented her experience on Instagram, writing: 'My Goyard bag is melting!!!! Has this happened to anyone else? The paint is coming off.' She added: 'POV (point of view) your $2,000 Goyard has officially entered the "melting" phase of its lifespan and it is no longer useable.' Lin also pointed out there are 'whole forums on the internet dedicated to people with Goyard strap melting trauma'. The shopper said she also now regrets buying the classic brown tote a year after getting her original blue one too, saying she was unaware that the hand-painted bags don't always stand the test of time. 'After seeing what happened to my blue one, I definitely won't be purchasing anymore Goyard totes and I hope I de-influence [SIC] some of you guys,' she said, adding that she would be bringing her bag to a store to see if they could fix the issue. The shopper says that her Goyard is now 'no longer usable', adding that she would be taking her tote into a store On its website, Couture brand Goyard says its bags have been 'crafted using strictly traditional methods with materials that are both noble and natural' and therefore need special attention to maintain them. The French company recommends that customers keep their bags - which are made from Goyardine canvas and Chevroches calfskin with a linen and cotton interior - away from light, heat and damp when it is not being used. Other care advice tells shoppers not to carry anything heavy and to avoid contact with water, greasy or oily products, makeup and perfumes. The Goyard tote should also not be exposed to extreme heat, dampnesss and artificial or natural light and the brand recommends regularly returning the bag back to their experts for deep cleaning or reconditioning. MailOnline has contacted Goyard for comment. Sab Sade, a Georgetown University medical student who lives in Washington D.C, says she had the exact same issue as Lin. She too was sporting a white blouse and decided to wear her blue Goyard tote bag when the paint rubbed off on her sleeve, leaving a large paint mark. Sab said on TikTok: 'My Goyard melted all over my favourite shirt. It wasn't even hot out.' This racked up 380,000 likes and thousands of comments, with one person writing: 'Excuse me that price tag for what?' Kaya Leathers, based in Indonesia, showed a red Goyard leather tote bag with a melted handle hem and wrote: 'Another day, another repair for Goyard.' Another penned: 'This happened with my orange Goyard bag I purchased in Beverly Hills.' A third said: 'What this happened to me with the same blue.' A fourth commented: 'Am I the only one who thinks Goyard is overrated?' Sab said that she has had the tote bag for seven years and it is the first time that it had stained her clothing. Kathaleen also complained about her purchase online under a clip titled: 'Reasons not to get a Goyard tote bag,' on TikTok. While showing a chipped part of her bag, she said: 'Either it melts in the sun or they made a mistake on the bag.' She sarcastically added: 'One good thing about it is that it is not fragile. Love how you can fold it! It can't hold anything, it literally broke in the first week.' Sab Sade posted that her blue leather tote bag had melted online and got thousands of comments on her TikTok Another social media user, who goes by the handle @1160103ad was also frustrated with her blue Goyard that she bought several years ago. 'It sticks to anything and everything, also my hands. Do something Goyard,' she said. Indeed this problem seems to be so common, that some leather stores are joking about how many repairs they make for Goyard. Kaya Leathers, based in Indonesia, showed a red Goyard leather tote bag with a melted handle hem and wrote: 'Another day, another repair for Goyard. The store captioned the post: 'It is No worries! We can restore it to its former glory,' hinting that they profit handsomely off of their delicate bags.
New York Post
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Fashion lovers say this popular $2,000 designer purse melts — and is ruining their clothes: ‘I won't get this bag again ever'
This haute tote may be too hot to handle — literally. Fashionistas near and far claim the straps of these costly designer totes are leaving their clothes stained and bag handles fused together. 'POV: your $2,000 Goyard has officially entered the 'melting' phase of its lifespan and is no longer usable,' wrote NYC influencer Janet Lin, in the closed-caption of a complaint clip. Advertisement 4 Lin, a NYC-based influencer, virally shared images of the clothing stains she claims were made by her 'melting' Goyard PM tote bag. TikTok/janetlinxo The viral vid, with over 2.2 million TikTok views, features a crestfallen Lin walking down Fifth Avenue in a white long-sleeve shirt. She zoomed in on her shoulder, where a navy blue paint blot, allegedly caused by the handles of the Parisian imprint's 'Saint Louis PM' bag, had inked the top. Representatives for Goyard did not immediately respond to The Post's request for a comment. Advertisement The luxe label — a favorite of VIPs such as Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber — however, does warn wearers to protect the purse from 'extended exposure to artificial, natural light or intense heat,' per its site. 4 The fashion house offers customers a list best care practices for the bag on its website. Robert – 4 Lin and others alleged that their Goyard totes become 'unusable' once the hand-painted leather begins to deteritorate. Goyard But, thus far in 2025, Big Apple temperatures have yet to exceed 85 degrees, which, by most standards, hardly counts as 'intense heat.' Advertisement Lin, who claims to have snagged her 'authentic' Goyard bag nearly two years ago, continued ranting about the gooey carryall in subsequent posts. 'Do not buy a Goyard tote,' she urged in a separate snippet, hoping to 'de-influence' folks from shopping the bougie brand. 'The hand-painted leather started softening, melting and staining my clothes,' groaned Lin, while offering audiences close-up looks at the 'sticky' straps. 4 The outraged content creator shared visuals of the bag's damaged straps. TikTok/janetlinxo Advertisement She then shared a series of screenshots from equally peeved Goyard customers, who've also endured the pain of the bag's stain. 'Same thing happened to me. I was shocked when my real and rather expensive bag melted,' a commenter carped. 'Mine did this the first day I got it [because] I was walking under the hot sun all day and stained my white tank,' said another. @janetlinxo GOYARD TOTE IS MELTING PT 2 Follow-up on my Goyard tote situation… the straps are literally melting and staining my clothes. I paid $2,000 for this. 🫠 my brown classic tote seems totally fine though, the blue one is the only issue At first I thought it was just me but after posting, I got flooded with messages and comments from people saying the same exact thing happened to theirs. So I guess this is a real issue. Next step: I'm taking it to the Goyard store to see what they say. Will they do anything? Who knows. If you own a Goyard tote or you're thinking about getting one… save this and do your research first. #goyard #luxurybagfail #goyardtote ♬ original sound – Janet Lin 'I officially retired [my Goyard] after the handles melted onto my clothes [and] left a literal stain on the seat of my car,' another added. 'Yea pissed me off when the straps started peeling, [the company] said it's normal wear and they're not fixing it,' an outraged ex-client raved. 'Love Goyard, but I won't get this bag again ever.'
