Young consumers want to tap into the credibility of these brands but avoid plunging themselves into debt to try and keep up appearances.įor some consumers of high-end fake designer clothing, their purchases are considered a small act of defiance against an industry that has thrived on scarcity and being exclusionary of specific demographics. Just a year before finding fame on Season 5 of Love Island, Molly-Mae Hague was another YouTube influencer directing her subscribers on where to find designer knockoffs and look “ boujee on a budget.” This has been met with the need for an authentication industry to distinguish between what’s real and what’s fake.įor advocates, who proudly flaunt their fakes, buying a counterfeit is primarily about being financially savvy, especially at a time of economic uncertainty.
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The taboo of wearing counterfeit designer clothing still carries a certain weight of shame in some cultures, as Song Ji-a, an influencer and the breakout star of Netflix’s Korean dating show Single’s Inferno learned, after a few fake pieces of Chanel and Dior prompted outrage to which Ji-a responded with a handwritten apology note.īut the volume of the counterfeit designer industry is estimated to be worth between $400 billion and $600 billion by the US Intellectual Property and Counterfeit Goods Office. Today, the world of knockoffs has elevated beyond ticking Rolexes or Ralph Lauren polos with a donkey logo - they’re far more sophisticated and come with a cleaner finish that competes with the real deal. But fake products look basically the same in photos.įrom “Black girl luxury” to the “old money” aesthetic, appearing affluent is aspirational - and influencers are hacking their way into the trend with the help of counterfeit goods. “It ruins luxury for influencers because we work hard to be able to purchase these items and there are people who buy dupes or fakes and claim it as authentic.”īut is it maybe OK if luxury is ruined? Influencer culture has supercharged consumerism and promoted the idea of having a personal brand for online presentation, with expensive, high-end label items often a part of the desired look.
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“DHgate is super notorious - you either love it or hate it,” said Jeffrey Huang, a 28-year-old luxury lifestyle and travel influencer from Boston.