Posts with tag fakes

Big companies stealing ideas from independent designers is not an unheard of phenomenon, unfortunately. But what is even worse is when the little guys start stealing from other little guys. We've seen it before on sites like Etsy and eBay, where unscrupulous "artists" sometimes blatantly steal the designs of other true artists, recreate them and sell them as their own, original work. Well, it's happened again, and this time it's personal.

While retail sales in the US and Europe are slumping, China's consumer class is just hitting the scene -- and they're willing to shell out some serious money on fashion. Designers like Prada, Armani, and Louis Vuitton are having a bonanza with newly rich Chinese who are hungry for the status symbols of conspicuous consumption. Yet, there's also a rising demand for $10,000 cocktail dresses and brands like Hermes from the growing ultra-rich class.

Traditionally, the Chinese market has been mostly dominated by accessories because of the limited space in China's crammed shopping malls -- which has led to the ridiculous level of knock-offs and forgeries. But that trend is starting to shift as retailers are steadily getting access to space where they can branch out. Coach is planning to open 50 retail stores in the mainland this over the next few years and tons of others are on the same kind of track. As you can imagine, renting a prime location for you flagship store in Shanghai is a royal rip -- but apparently it's paying off big time.

Getting designer knock-offs on Canal Street is an integral part of any NYC vacation. It's hard find a great deal like $10 for a Rolex Submariner anywhere else in the States. The same goes for a $15 Gucci bag. Who'll ever know that it's not a real diamond encrusted cell phone case?

OK, it's pretty obvious. Novelty rip-offs are the lifeblood of Chinatown and it's been that way for as long as I can remember. Nevertheless, NYPD decision-makers decided it was time to round up the usual suspects Tuesday -- pretending to be outraged over the world-renown counterfeit market. According to WWD, 32 shops were shut down and $1 million worth of rip-off watches, handbags, perfumes, etc. were confiscated.

Bloomberg and NYPD officials claimed a victory in their efforts to convert the "Counterfeit Triangle" into a respectable retail area. The city's new strategy will be to go after landlords that lease space to counterfeiters -- harsh. What do you think? Will the crackdown work?

[via Fashionista]

I read an article the other day in the January issue of Harper's Bazaar about the trade of counterfeit luxury goods, and it was pretty eye-opening to say the least. The article was written by Dana Thomas, author of Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster. Both the book and this article delve into the world of fake luxury goods and their very real and very human costs. According to Thomas, the majority of counterfeit luxury items are produced by child labor and/or distributed by organized crime syndicates, which often have ties to both drug trafficking and terrorist organizations.

Personally, I don't buy fake luxury goods, but I'm also the kind of person that isn't really interested in buying most real luxury goods. Even on the off chance I won the lottery and suddenly had wads of cash to blow, luxury items and designer logos just aren't my style. But for many people, these designer looks are highly covetable and many believe that the only way for them to have these looks is by purchasing realistic-looking knockoffs. As Thomas notes, "Counterfeiting will never go away ... but we can surely cut it down to size if we just stop buying the stuff. Without the demand, the supply will shrink. It's up to us." Fake luxury items may seem to have a much cheaper price initially, but the ultimate cost is really much higher.

To find out more, including tips on how to avoid buying a fake, visit fakesareneverinfashion.com.

Obviously Britney Spears is a style disaster (just like she's a parenting disaster, and, as of yesterday, a driving disaster). But it's not like she's cheap. The woman probably spent more money this year than I'll make in my lifetime -- and actually, the fact that she's able to spend so much money on clothes that look trashy and tacky is one of the truly miraculous things about the fallen pop-star.

So why is she buying fake Chanel bags?

I think Fashionista put it best when they said: "We knew Britney was in some sort of crisis, but we never realized how bad until we saw the accessories."

Indeed. It's all downhill from here.

If you have the urge for designer goods but not the money to finance your compulsion would you settle for the fake? If so, join the masses. The Daily Mail reports on a study that says up to two-thirds of those polled would be proud to buy the fakes. Even the wealthier shoppers buy fakes, mixing them in with the real designer items they own. Counterfeiting Luxury: Exposing The Myths 2007 is a report based on a survey of 2,000 British consumers. The survey found that one in five fake purchases was made by a household earning more than £50,000. Also nearly a third admitted buying a fake on eBay.

What would put a damper on all this fake-buying is if it could result in jail time. Nearly three-quarters of consumers said they would be put off if they knew it would result in a jail sentence but they were opposed that sort of regulation. Designers and manufacturers on the other hand have become increasing vigilant as they watch more and more of their business go to cheaper counterfeit goods.

Have you ever bought a fake? I've bought a bag in a similar style to a more expensive purse but I have not picked up a bag with a designer label that a new to be a fraud. Perhaps this is because I am not really a label chaser. If I were interested in labels the temptation would definitely be there.