Over the past few years, buying and wearing designer clothes has been on the rise as a form of clout, assets, and social status. Many figures in the public eye like to flex their designer and luxury goods to show that they may be “ballin’” to their fans. Because of the rise of designer goods being purchased by public figures, everyday people want to follow suit even if they cannot afford these items.
This situation makes room for counterfeit designer items, and the market for fake clothing has grown immensely, just for the “flex”.
But let me tell y’all something. You are not flexing if you are not wearing real designer. Period.
People who shop fake designer did not save their money and earn those pieces. They did not purchase the real real out of respect for the designer. They just wanted to flex the brand and chase the clout.
I am extremely against this practice and I am going to explain here the reason why buying fake designer is a real issue.
I have discussed before how the fast fashion production industry exploits their factory workers for the cheaper products, and the counterfeit luxury goods industry does the same. By purchasing real designer goods, I know that those products were made ethically, and the price point of the garment is justified by textile quality, thought of design, and ethical manufacturing. The counterfeit goods industry does not care how a product is made, just as long as it is marketed to those clout-chasers on a budget and the manufacturers receive that profit. Buying fake designer hurts the economy, plain and simple.
Counterfeit designer is also illegal. Let me get that through y’all’s heads. It. Is. Illegal. It is infringement of intellectual property.
To add to this, these luxury and designer brands work years to gain the prestige they hold today. You are going to pay $450 for that Gucci belt for a reason. It is an insult to purchase a fake item that uses those hard-earned reputations and designer names for a cheaper price. Many people are all about crediting and paying the artists for their work, and buying designer should be no exception. When one is purchasing a designer item, they are paying for years of hard work and branding and art.
Bottom line of my argument: Do not purchase fake designer items. It is not worth it. If you want the real clout, then buy the real designer items.
Thanks for reading!
Lorraine