Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Fakes Are Never In Fashion
Fakes Are Never In Fashion
A great post by The Shoe Girl on her blog brought back to the forefront of my mind something weve talked about before — design piracy. Like Shoe Girl, I dont care if someone buys a $100 "inspired by so-and-so" pair of shoes. I myself have a few pairs by Nine West et al. of shoes that were clearly designed after a $1,000 counterpart. The difference is, theyre not out-and-out knock-offs, and Im not being tricked into thinking Im getting the real thing. Outright fakes — shoes (or handbags, for that matter) claiming to be, say, Louboutins or Fendis — are on the rise again, as are online stores purporting to be selling the "real deal" for a mere $100. Available link for download
The sale and purchase of fakes have severe repercussions, not only on the designers and consumers, but on the whole industry. Furthermore, evidence exists that illegal goods are tied to exploitation of workers as well as to human trafficking. Your best bet is to buy from reputable sources and to remember that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it is. Harpers Bazaar has set up a whole website for the subject at fakesareneverinfashion.com. In addition to illuminating the issues tied to the sale and purchase of fakes, there is a link to where you can report a store (online or "real") you think is offering fake goods and they will be investigated.
I also recommend reading the NY Daily News article: "Killer heels: Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo knock-offs rip off buyers, prey on child workers", and I bet nobody will consider buying an outright fake again.