[1]Recently, fashion icon and singer Lady Gaga sparked online outrage after a joke about Thailand’s reputation for knock-off shopping, by saying she wanted to buy a fake Rolex in Bangkok. She tweeted: “I just landed in Bangkok baby… I wanna get lost in a lady market and buy fake Rolex.”
What if city designers aren’t very happy about the idea of “faking it”, but Gaga wins praise for her sincere admission. While many may not like the word “copy”, Prada CEO, Patrizio Bertelli looks on the brighter side when it comes to counterfeits. “Fake goods aren’t totally bad… We don’t want to be a brand that nobody wants to copy,” he said recently.
Also, fashion watchers say that it’s not a sin to have a little something which is not original, if you are honest and fashionable enough carry it with élan.
Model Karishma Mehrani says that being a “fashion freak” she is a huge spender on designer labels, but she still has a few things which aren’t originals. “I often shop at Bangkok’s ladies market and I don’t buy fakes to pass them off as real. I just pick up a few things because I find it fun to explore the market selling fakes,” says the 21-year-old.
Emcee Ramneek Pantal says she doesn’t see anything wrong if an otherwise stylish person, who can’t afford designer label, makes himself/herself happy with a fake one. “All one needs is confidence to carry it off,” she says.
But fashion designer Leena Singh of Ashima-Leena says that she’s often surprised to see people carrying fakes at parties, and she finds it unethical. “If you are a real person, you will never flaunt a fake. Rather than spending on a fake bag, to carry with your sari, why not to buy a nice traditional handcrafted piece,” she suggests. Benu Sehgal, mall head, DLF Saket says, “This shows one’s lack of confidence, which they try to cover up by flaunting a brand name,” she says.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/bittersjpg-060