Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Opinion: Real versus Fake

Heaps of people say they would never buy a fake but when real cost upward of a grand why should should we fork up so much of our hard earned cash just to buy legit. As a die hard Balenciaga fan who will never be able to afford my favourite brand, I have found my self twice in the last week buying knockoffs. The first being Jeffrey Campbell's Roscoes Cut out boots being a rip off of Balenciaga's Buckle Ankle Boot and the second being ASOS's knock off of Balenciaga's Special Presentation runway shirt.

Top left, Top Right, Bottom Right, Bottom Left,


I feel so divided about buying knockoffs on one hand I feel like I am engaging in the sartorial version of pirating but on the other I feel like I shouldn't have to miss out on great design because these company's want to maintain their status and hence engage in ridiculous pricing. But then again is it ridiculous pricing or is $1,275 what it costs to produce a pair of boots.

Then the question also is what if you don't know Jeffery Campbell boots are ripoffs, is ok then. Then it would mean the more you know the more expensive you're wardrobe is. As the latest styles trickle down from the high end brands to the high street brands isn't virtually everything a knock off of something else. Eventually (if it hasn't already occurred) there will be no such thing as a new design, so is their a given point someones dibs on a design runs out?

So I suppose what I am asking beyond is it ok to buy fake is, do these luxery brands prcing really reflect their cost of production. I think its the answer to that which tells me if its ok to buy fake.

But what do you think? Is ASOS's copies daylight robbery or is it a bit of Robin Hood's stealing from the rich and giving to the poor ?

xx

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