Don’t Fake It

So, I recently came across some information that really grabbed my attention… It is officially illegal to carry a counterfeit bag in France. Yes, this is now a punishable crime and French police have been trained to spot these counterfeits and punish as deemed appropriate, with fines or even imprisonment…

 

Well, what are your views?

 

This has caused some recent controversy on social media. There are two arguments; I do not like fakes- so take them away or this is a bit too much.

I am somewhere in the middle. I believe the counterfeit market is getting excessive and I see as many fake bags as I do authentic goods. To me it is obvious… it does not take much to tell the difference. However, to the untrained eye it may not be so obvious and so the non fashionista may not see the differences and consider this particular bag as “common” or lacking exclusivity. Remember, customers of these designers are paying thousands to stand out from the crowd and they expect a certain item to add exclusivity to their look. Now, imagine going out and eight other people hold that bag and it is not even authentic. Does it undervalue yours? Well, yes!

An infamous example of this is Burberry, the brand has barely recovered from their checked print counterfeit products being sold all over markets in the UK… It was destructive for Burberry. The ‘Economist’ journal stated “Had Burberry’s chav association been known abroad” the damage would have been detrimental! The BBC even reported an article “Burberry versus the chav”. Go check it out and see where your opinion lies.

However, Burberry were lucky and still are one of the chicest designers in my opinion, but no longer for their checked print. They now subtly use this print throughout their designs and are bringing it back slowly but surely.

 

Remember this??? I try not to…

 

Counterfeits are a spoiler…However, as I said, I can tell from a mile away… So, does it really matter? The person buying the counterfeit cannot afford to spend thousands on a handbag, but they still admire that look. Although, how would you feel if you bought a sports car and it was everywhere you went, and someone had purchased this as counterfeit for a 10thof the price, and is driving by your side? Not thrilled, I’m guessing…

So, here is what some designers are doing about this… Louis Vuitton and the LVMH group (who own DIOR, LV, Celine and Givenchy) will be launching the first global blockchain to help authenticate luxury goods. They will be working with Microsoft and other tech companies to track the life cycle of a good to provide proof of origin and prevent counterfeits. The customer benefits from this in feeling secure about their product and learning more about their product and purchase. Every step of the item’s life cycle is registered, like a timeline, from the point of raw materials to end stage.

We now live in a world of buying second hand luxuries that we cannot attain in stores, and secure digital identities for luxury goods is crucial. Blockchain will prevent customers from falling into the trap of purchasing counterfeits and also prevents data leakage. This may seem a step too far in identifying a materialistic item but is becoming crucial in the fashion industry.

My question is… Will this cost us more?

 

Happy reading

XXX