First off, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room (which, hopefully, isn’t made of endangered ivory and causing a CITES nightmare): Loro Piana is *owned* by LVMH. LVMH, that giant luxury conglomerate. And they’ve got those ‘principles and behaviors’ that Loro Piana is supposedly adopting. Which, fine, good. But it ALSO means they’ve got resources. Big, honkin’ resources to hire the best lawyers and customs specialists. So, you’d *hope* they’d be pretty customs safe.
But here’s the thing, right? Even with all the money in the world, customs is a *minefield*. I mean, CITES regulations ALONE could keep a team of lawyers busy 24/7. Think about it: Loro Piana deals in exotic fibers, probably some ethically sourced vicuña or something fancy like that. You’ve got to prove that the vicuña weren’t poached, that the permits are legit, that the paperwork is PERFECT. One tiny slip-up and BOOM! Seizure. Fines. PR disaster.
And it’s not just CITES, either. You’ve got international trade laws, tariffs, quotas, rules of origin… it’s enough to make your head spin. You need someone who *knows* that stuff inside and out. Which is why Loro Piana is looking for a Customs Specialist. (See the first blurb at the top of this mess? “Experience in customs compliance, with a specific focus on CITES regulations; Knowledge of international trade laws and regulations; Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite…”).
Honestly, Microsoft Office suite is the least of your worries when you’re dealing with potentially illegal Alpaca sweaters, tbh. It makes me wonder what they are really looking for.
Then you’ve got the whole “bespoke tailor” angle, which is… well, it’s a bit of a tangent, I guess. The blurb mentions a tailor in Hong Kong who prides themselves on high-quality tailored clothing. Is that meant to imply something about where Loro Piana sources its materials? Probably not. But it just adds another layer of international complexity, doesn’t it? Supply chains are messy, and you never really know where things are coming from, even with the best intentions.
So, are they customs safe? Probably *safer* than most. They’ve got the resources, the lawyers, and hopefully, a really, *really* good Customs Specialist. But honestly, in the world of global luxury and ever-changing regulations, “customs safe” is more of a moving target than a fixed state. It’s a constant battle to stay compliant, to dot your i’s and cross your t’s, and to hope that no one finds that one rogue vicuña hair that slipped through the cracks. It is also a challenge for tailors around the world. If you need something tailor made, you’re better of with places that know what they are doing.
