I don’t owe throw away fakes. I own 1:1 replicas which are made with the same craftsmanship as an authentic bag. I also have authentic bags and near enough every single one of my replica bags trumps the quality of the authentic. I don’t think people realise these aren’t knock offs from a market in Dubai, these are seriously skilled people making 1:1 copies.
I’m not talking about market stall fake Gucci handbags. When you buy authentic, you aren’t paying for better construction or materials or labour, you’re paying for marketing and this ‘aspirational brand’. Super fakes are constructed in the same way, for example a Chanel CF and one bought from a top tier factory are 1;1.
These bags are bought directly from sellers in China who work closely with factories. Yes we don’t know the conditions of the factories or who they fund but we can say the exact same for brands like Chanel and LVMH. You could even argue that a more significant cut of the profit from the $600 paid for a super fake is more likely to be split with the sellers and labourers compared to$5000 lining an ~unethical millionaires pocket who are also exploiting people to make billions of pounds. Here’s some articles to read:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/...workers-who-assemble-designer-bags-in-tuscany
Another:
https://www.thefashionlaw.com/the-less-than-transparent-realities-behind-made-in-italy-fashion/
Brands like Coach, Michael Kors, Anya Hindmarch, Tory Burch are also made in factories in China. Other brands near enough fully construct the bag in China then send over to Italy or France for minor details to get that ‘Made in France’ stamp. Chanel is allowed to raise its prices every year to keep it ‘exclusive’. Brands like Chanel burn excess stock to keep the brand ‘exclusive’.
I appreciate it’s a hard pill to swallow when you’ve had the idea of owning designer goods as something to feel proud of as you’ve worked hard for it. I get it, I used to buy authentic (sometimes still do) until I found out about how super fakes work.
Designer goods were made to separate the rich from the poor, they’re known as a marker of status and however most of us try to deny this isn’t what we buy designer clobber for - it literally is. As a society, we put designer clothes and accessories on a pedestal. It’s capitalism at its finest! When people say ‘if you don’t have the money don’t buy it!!!’ Its really condescending and sounds like you’re saying that people with less money than you aren’t allowed to have what you have. This also ignores the fact that many rich people also buy super fakes.