Made in where? Those lies, damned lies and labels "Made in Italy" doesn't always give the full picture. In the past decade, things have become increasingly complicated. A few weeks ago I was in New York, interviewing the grand fromage - or should that be the Big Pretzel? - of a successful accessories leviathan, when I was asked to turn off my tape recorder. That's normally the point when you sit back in anticipation of a juicy confession. But this was about manufacturing. Yup, some journalists get all the scoops. Still, it made me realise how sensitive upmarket brands have become about where their products are made. Ask if they manufacture in China and you get the sheepish/defiant/in-denial or out-and-proud look (Prada has used the "Made In China" tag as a selling point for some less expensive designs). There's a refinement combined with robustness that marks out Italian-produced bags, but they don't have to be designed by Italians. Smythson, Jimmy Choo, Rupert Sanderson, Anya Hindmarch and Victoria Beckham all produce merchandise there, and it shows in the supple leathers, luxurious linings, chunky zips and classy hardware. Above: Fendi, made in Italy But "Made in Italy" doesn't always give the full picture. Italy may fiercely promote the notion of home-manufactured goods, but it has been much less successful in protecting its factories. The more celebrated the Italy tag, the less likely it is that items are made there. Which is why the Big Pretzel was getting tetchy. The question, "Do you make in China?" is unfairly loaded, she said, because labelling laws vary. In the US, an item must be 100 per cent produced there to earn the "Made in the USA" tag. In Italy, a product can be largely manufactured abroad, shipped back to have buttons or handles added, and qualify as Italian-made. To add to Italy's woes, other nations have begun doing a good impression of Italian style. Sophie Hulme, the Londoner who recently snagged the Emerging Talent Award - Accessories gong at the British Fashion Awards, moved production from Italy to Hungary, where quality was good and where lower wages meant she could sell competitively. Sophie Hulme proves that the Brits can do chic "Made in Britain" is even more hand-to-mouth: Victoria Beckham, Erdem, Christopher Kane inter alia produce as much as they can here. Other large UK companies operate small factories here as a fig-leaf for the mega- factories overseas that manufacture the bulk of their products. Nothing intrinsically wrong with cost-effective business decisions, but it's disingenuous for these brands to trumpet their heritage. We need more transparent labelling. Eyes right: Cats' eyes at Mulberry spring/summer 2013 and Lash Line Ink, £12, Pixi; pixibeauty.co.uk. For years, I've fantasised about creating a feline eyeliner effect, the way grown-ups do, as it's a fast track to glamour, and one that looks beautiful with pale winter skin. But I was let down by my tools and sub-standard technique. The technique's still awful, but this Pixi pen is so easy to use that it transcends even my incompetence. Younger generations, in the season's proper festive spirit, I pass this on to you.