fakes

Julia1234

Are you aware of the fact that fake trade is connected with drug-dealing, child labour and funding of terrorism activity?
and ...if you are unsure whether to buy a high quality fake (almost identical to the real thing) or the original, does it have an impact on your decision if you know more about the way products are manufactured? Like, if you think of the original being produced with craftsmanship - opposed to the bad , exploitive conditions of counterfeit production?

16 years ago

Body Type

8 replies

Latest reply was from Isabel

Louise

Veteran

This rings a bell i think there was a thread on this a few months ago.

16 years ago

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Yeah there was a thread on this a few months ago, my stance on the counterfeit industry has not changed

Here's the original thread posted by Julia1234
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....with-fakes

16 years ago

shana

Veteran

I also responded in the original thread that Julie has referenced.

BUT, I wanted to say that unfortunately, it is not only counterfeits that are produced in bad, exploitive conditions. I did a project in an international business class on luxury goods & country of origin labeling. When Prada says that something is made in Italy, we might imagine skilled craftsmen descended from generations of leather makers in the hills of Tuscany when in fact, the workers are often illegal aliens living in ghetto like conditions. Here are some articles that refer to this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11.....homas.html
http://articles.latimes.com/20.....einitaly20
http://www.newser.com/story/19.....tshop.html

16 years ago

Maya

Veteran

I heard a story about that on NPR Shana. They mentioned some luxury company (can't remember who) that buys the materials (like fine leathers) in Italy but has all of it assembled in China. There is no legal requirement to state the COO as China, so they can get away with saying "made in Italy even though that's technically not true...or at least misleading.

16 years ago

shana

Veteran

Well, just about every manufacturer produces in China or has at least one manufacturing step in their process there so there's really almost no getting away from that. It has really become a business necessity to remain competitive.

The funny thing about COO labeling is that there is so much variation. For example, in watchmaking, the highly coveted "Swiss-Made" label is regulated by the Swiss government BUT the laws only specify minimum requirements so they allow for a certain percentage of foreign manufacturing. Likewise, when it comes to "made in italy," it could mean that the majority of the production & assembly took place somewhere else with just a buckle or decoration added in Italy depending on how the law is written.

Anyway, that LA times article really struck me when I first read it. While the concerns over illegal aliens and poor working conditions are definitely legitimate, xenophobia obviously plays a huge role as well.

16 years ago

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I never take notice of the origins of item, if a dress is produced in the far east using child labour then has a single button sewn on back in England the garment is then entitled to be labelled 'Made in England'. I would love greater transparency on the origins of our consumables.

16 years ago

gillianthebee

Member

I just don’t think luxury goods are worth their money anymore. Not nowadays. They used to be much better quality but today they just rip you off.

16 years ago

Isabel

Veteran

Julia1234, yes, I care very much. The fakes have even less transparency and there is alot of money laundering involved. You bet I care and for that reason I won't touch anything like that. I LOVE fashion, but it needs to be ethical.

I recently read that H&M and Wal-Mart destroy all their excess clothes so that no one can wear them instead of donating them. I won't do business with either store because of this. Their is so much poverty and they would rather put it into a landfill then let a poor child wear their mittens for free.

Well, these are just my personal values....... but I also know how blessed I am to be able to afford to do business outside of Wal-Mart. Many are not that lucky !

16 years ago

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