Haute fakes just a click away

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Designer wear by Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Archana Kochar and Neeta Lulla could be out of reach for many, thanks to their high price tags. But that’s not quite the case anymore. Though brand replicas have always been available in the lanes of Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place and Sarojini Nagar, the copied designs are now available online as well.

Many websites selling replicas of designer clothes for just one tenth of the original price are gaining popularity among shoppers in the city.
“Online replica clothes are being sold all over the world. Most of the designers are not even aware who is copying and selling their creations,” says Sunil Sethi, president of Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI).
Designer Neeta Lulla is one such victim. Love For Indian is a portal selling designer saris by Neeta for around $80. When contacted, Neeta said that she has never heard of the portal. “We cannot do much about such portals. And we cannot get copyright for every design since each registration costs up to `10,000,” adds Neeta.
Fashionkafatka.com and 99labels.com are other portals selling replica saris, lehengas, suits or western wear. But the buyers aren’t complaining. “Though the quality is never the same, for less discerning eyes they can easily pass off as originals,” says a buyer of these portals who works as finance consultant.
However, the replicas are giving designers sleepless nights. “We are so occupied with our daily work that there is no time to keep a check on who is copying our designs,” says designer Archana Kochhar whose designs’ replicas are available online.
Legal advisor Umesh Sharma says that there is no punishment for makers or buyers of copied designs. “Sometimes an offender walks out of court with just a warning,” he says. Sethi adds, “Though FDCI has been trying to create awareness, buyers should realise their responsibilities and refrain from buying fakes.”