Happens to the best of us: Designer Fashion Knockoffs and Why They’re So Popular
Replicas are cheaper!
Replicas are better!
Replicas are all we have!
… or do we?
Replicas or counterfeit products are a purchase that strangely enough a large number of people consider. I personally do not support this type of purchase, but I understand how in demand these types of products are around the world.
There are many reasons why we might decide to buy a replica or AAA replica but at the end of the day “buying” the latest Balenciaga shoes at a price at least 10 times lower than what is displayed in stores is not as innocent as you think.
Unfortunately many of the manufacturers of these products do not pay taxes which, regardless of the position you take towards them, affects us all.
Below, I will tell you from the meaning of a replica to the consequences of the existence of this type of product in the first place. You will learn that the transaction is not as simple as when you tap Instagram.
It’s an industry that affects more than you can imagine.
What is a replica? AA, Triple A, and Less “A” Replicas
Replicas are fakes of products that promise to be authentic by making use of all the features that represent the real design.
It is very important to distinguish the concept of replica from that of imitation and it is actually a very easy distinction to remember. Counterfeit products or AAA replicas/replicas seek to copy every detail of the original brand in order to deceive the consumer or the consumer’s social circle.
On the other hand, imitations copy or “take inspiration” from already created designs, but avoid the use of labels or characteristic elements of the brand. This is why, however obvious it may be, products from fast fashion stores like Zara cannot be considered illegal or replicas.
The design team of this type of fast fashion brands only takes a strong, very strong inspiration in products of high fashion designers and give it a twist so that people like you and me can access a similar design, but of lower quality.
Before we continue, it’s good to quickly understand what AAA, AA and A quality means:
A: Products classified as A replicas are closer to the concept of imitation than counterfeit. Although they use logos and labels of the original brand, the garments they sell are not based on real designs. In fact, what they do is take these elements and use them in garments that they “design” themselves.
AA: In order not to make the description too long, we will see this kind of replicas as the incomplete version in the next category. They are nothing more than a low quality fake (if we can talk about quality when referring to replicas) of a real product on the market.
AAA: This type of replicas are the most commercialised within the counterfeit business. They strive to copy exactly the design of the original garment to make them difficult to identify in the eyes of a stranger. The biggest problem I find with these replicas is that they are often presented by sellers as the real product even though the quality is unmatched
Why do people buy replicas?
Desire to fit in or belong to a group.
Personally, I find this reason somewhat sad, but it obviously happens.
Why do I label this as sad? Well, you know how I once bought products and brands, original if I may add, because of a great influence from my social circle so I know first hand what it is like to buy a certain garment just because everyone is wearing it.
If someone as stubborn about using social networks as I was was acting that way, I can’t imagine what people who spend hours and hours a day watching Instagram must feel when they see a certain garment appear in all the pictures on their feed.
I don’t want to sound insensitive to readers, but I think this desire is linked to problems with one’s self-esteem. Maybe I’m making erroneous inferences from what I’ve experienced, but most of the time people who buy garments to pretend have problems with their “social status”.
They feel dissatisfied with their economic capacity so they look for salvation in the replicas to wear apparently the same clothes as their friends.
Ignorance
As I said before, sellers of AAA replicas often take advantage of the buyer’s ignorance and promote their products as real at a discounted price.
In Europe it has been found that garments are sold under the pretext that they are built with the same parts as the real one, but they did not pass the quality test or something like that.
This problem is the easiest to avoid and the answer to it is education.
If you decide to start an online purchase through a different page or account than the store or designer, be very careful at every moment of the process.
Look for images of the garment and compare as many details as you can without being afraid to ask for photos.
The best advice I can give you regarding this item is that if you decide to take a risk in an unreliable place, be as suspicious as possible.
Replicas are cheaper
Think about it, would you really consider buying a replica if you had the money?
There may be people with little interest in design who, even if they have the resources, prefer to go for the more accessible option. In spite of this, the number of replica buyers due to the price factor would definitely be reduced if they had the resources with which to buy the original brand.
The problems regarding the price of counterfeit products are easy to identify: they range from obtaining a lower quality product with possible defects, to supporting criminal organisations and drug cartels.
While some experts disregard such ideas, it is impossible for us to know whether or not they maintain any validity.
What if I buy a replica?
In the first instance, you are downplaying the importance of something as important in our society as copyright. Because, while it may seem innocent, according to CNBC, counterfeit products cost the U.S. economy about $600 billion a year.
As you can see, the figure is by no means negligible. The profits from this illegal industry are denied to designers and copyright owners who developed and engineered the entire design and product.
Imagine being the creator of the next hit on the market: the hexagonal bag with 5 side pockets.
You are filled with euphoria as your product is being featured in all the world’s media and your name is now recognised in the fashion world.
Now add one more detail to this story and it’s that even after patenting the design, some “smart” businessman decides to send the design to Asia and start flooding the market with a product that looks exactly like yours if we don’t talk about design.
Think about it, how would you feel if you saw a third party taking over the profits of a product based on one of your creations?
Probably not very well and that’s the thing. Replicas make a mockery of the designer’s work and are a clear obstacle when it comes to encouraging creative design. After all, what’s the point of innovating when someone could steal your design in a couple of days?
An additional factor that arises from the purchase of replicas is the promotion of an illegal market and child exploitation.
Speaking strictly of the market that produces replicas, we find that the AAA replicas you find in the informal markets of your country or curiously enough on Instagram, often do not enter the country being entirely fake.
Of course, they meet all the characteristics of your imitation.
They copy the design, embroidery, colours, and other features of the product that are recognisable by the customer.
There is one thing about buying quality, authentic clothing and that is the confidence it gives you when you wear it. Although I don’t yet own any haute couture designer items, there have been clothes for which I have saved a long time and I’m glad I did.
I can guarantee that the feeling of achievement and satisfaction of having something you have saved for a long time is hard to describe. In fact, it is because of living this kind of feeling that I highly doubt that the effect will be replicated when buying counterfeit products.
What type of people buy replicas?
You know what a replica is, and likewise, the reasons why buyers often turn to these kinds of questions. Nevertheless, I would like to add my own observations of the day to day.
As I said, they are nothing more than observations of the environment in which I interact (mainly university):
There is a growing number of people who buy branded clothing or AAA replicas. These people usually have no interest in fashion and their purchase decision is based more on the brand than on the design.
Currently this group is the one I find most problematic as they are, in my opinion, the most likely to lie about the origin of their garment. For that reason, don’t expect individuals to be open to saying how their new “Hugo Boss” shirt was purchased through a third party on the internet.
People who are interested in fashion value design and branding, but for some reason I don’t know, they ignore this and turn to buying this type of product. Even though you could say that it is this love for the brand that leads them to “access it”, it is curious to see how this group is the most shy when it comes to using this type of clothing.
I remain faithful to my position and will say that it is impossible to wear with confidence and at the same time value the garment that is being worn if it is no more than a replica of the original.
To be honest, if I were to buy a replica I probably wouldn’t be able to resist the anxiety that everyone is watching me or that they might find out that I wear replicas.
The biggest barrier to me buying a replica is my own values and I’m completely grateful that this is the case.
AAA Imitations and Buying Replica Branded Clothing, Conclusions
My recommendation will always be to be patient and save.
This will allow you:
Give yourself time to think if you really want to have the garment or it’s an impulse of the moment. Remember that the designer’s work is what keeps him motivated to keep filling your closets with his creations. So, if you are absolutely in love with a design and you don’t have the money or the patience, look for alternative brands that can have something similar
To experience the feeling of achievement when after 6 months you manage to buy a garment you have been working for for a long time
Start having fewer and fewer pieces in your closet, but more and more quality and value to you
Finally I would like to ask if you have ever bought a replica, if so, what was your experience? What is your opinion about the people who sell these products? Do you think the sale is justified?
Omnifinery — Feel Comfort in Your Individuality
Text: Editorial Staff
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Evgeny is an art director and a global citizen based in Hong Kong and working between Asia and Europe.
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