Faux fashion, faux pas

It seems that nowadays people posses more luxury goods than they did twenty years ago. This is still very noticeable even though the "quiet luxury" trend is still going strong (everybody knew Mob Wife was just a fad). The proof is in the pudding: 95 percent of luxury brands saw their profits booming since 2022 with some them seeing their profits rise by up to 61 percent. There are a lot of factors that played a part in this. These factors are the past pandemic, the affordability crisis in housing and oddly enough a shift in our values. The latter is caused by a multitude of reason. We've started embracing the idiom "if you buy cheaply, you pay dearly" as we've started to realize that most cheap options - mainly electronics and home appliances - tend to cost you more down the road as they often cannot be repaired when broken. Sustainability is something a lot of people care about nowadays and will hopefully keep caring about in the future.

Call to arms by Edmund Blair Leighton (1888)

Previous generations bought luxury goods when they had hit major milestones in their lives. A prime example of this is buying an engagement ring. For many people this will be the very first time purchasing or even wearing diamonds. Because of the rules linked to this venture, whether you're following the classic American rule of "three times your month's salary" or the classic European rule of "at least half your month's salary", it also becomes a symbol representing your own wealth and success. With this in mind, and with wedlock no longer being necessary to start a life with your significant other, people have been getting married way later in life and it has even become non-compulsory as by the time they've accumulated the means to purchase the goods necessary for the wedding they might already have purchased a house together and started a family. Another example is receiving a fountain pen when graduating because it signifies the giver showing their hopes and support that your future career will be successful.

Julianne Moore for Bulgari (2010)

Nowadays people struggle in achieving traditional milestones like marriage, homeownership and a successful career. This change can find its roots with Generation Y, or millennials, as we (yes, I am a millennial too) have lived through the housing crisis of 2008 and we are the first generation who has had to deal with our parents divorcing while we were still growing up. Millennials are also known for job-hopping and not finding their footing career-wise until their mid-30s. We value a good work-life balance and a company with proper values over a big paycheck. All of this has caused us to handle luxury goods differently than our parents and grandparents. We went from them signifying us having reached a milestone in our lives to items that add to our social standing as they have become more of a status symbol.

Luckily in the West we usually don't discriminate people based on what luxury goods they posses. In other parts of the world however conspicuous spending is basically common practice. Even though in these countries, luxury goods have not been present until twenty years ago, like South Korea and Morocco. South Korea is the biggest consumer of luxury goods globally, whilst Morocco is the biggest consumer in Africa and in the Middle East. In South Korea certain designer items have even gotten their own nickname as they've become so common in the country. Chanel's Classic Medium Flap is known as the "wedding guest bag" and Louis Vuitton's Speedy 30  is known as the "three-second bag" since supposedly you can  see the bag every three seconds when walking around in South Korea. Luxury goods in these countries are extremely popular because they contribute to their display culture. If you don't own certain items you might feel socially insignificant which will cause you to lose face.

Walter Chin in GQ (September 1988)

In the 1980s American yuppies would buy themselves Rolex watches to replace their fakes when they'd finally gotten that promotion they were pining for. They were a big advocate for faking it until they made it. This is also something that's done in South Korea and Morocco as they both have a huge market for counterfeit goods. In both countries wearing fake designer garments is quite normal and not shameful in the slightest. While my parents did have some luxury items and weren't a fan of fakes, they still bought them to wear for certain events. This is because there is this Moroccan proverb that is  taken to heart by many: "Those who have no money have words that lack value." So if you don't have a means to show a sign of wealth, people won't be taking your opinions seriously. I also think this means that for these cultures owning certain designer brands, be it real or fake, are a sign of knowing what's worth money and what isn't. In South Korea and Morocco it shows your peers that you know what items add to your social capital.

Counterfeit producers in both countries are really adept in replicating designer goods. When making bags they will always use real leather and even include a card with a serial number. I still remember how I was convinced that my mother bought me a J12-XS watch from Chanel until I learned how to spot fake diamonds. Even if their craftsmanship can be applauded it still remains intellectual theft. In recent years luxury brands have been marketing more towards younger people as they've realized social media presence is key to relevancy. TikTok has popularized counterfeit goods even more as its users have started naming them "dupes." This term takes away the implication of crime that is related to the production and consumption of these items. Seeing people purchasing replicas saddens me as I feel it diminishes the time and effort it took for some designers and their colleagues to conjure the piece into existence. It turns their creations into little more that a lie since when others see you flaunting your designer piece they might assume you’re wearing a fake.

Thank you, and take care.