FASHION Magazine

I arrive at what appears to be a vacant storefront near Toronto’s Wychwood neighbourhood. The windows are papered over, and there’s no sign on the door. But the door is unlocked, so I tentatively enter a room lined with large plastic bins crammed with a veritable Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory selection of designer goods: fur-lined […]

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If you thought Ralph Lauren’s made-in-China garments for the U.S. team’s Olympic Opening Ceremony outfits were scandalous, then brace yourself for something even worse: Egypt has admitted that they not only outsourced the outfits for their 112-person Olympic team, but that the China-made products are knockoffs. The Associated Press spoke with Gen. Mahmoud Ahmed Ali […]

The post Who okay-ed this? Egypt’s Olympic uniforms are Nike and Adidas knockoffs! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

After hearing all about the counterfeit lawsuit drama that has been going on lately, it’s almost a shock to the system to have someone say anything positive about the illegal industry. Most shocking of all is that the controversial comments are coming from Patrizio Bertelli, Prada’s CEO and Miuccia Prada’s husband.

Bertelli recently concluded a Bloomberg Television interview by saying the counterfeit industry really isn’t all that bad — in fact, it actually has some positive attributes.

“I always say counterfeits, we’re happier to have them than not have them. Don’t you think it’s sad for a brand that no one wants to copy them?” he said on air.

“Something else about counterfeits is that they provide a source of labor and income for lots of other people. So, maybe they’re not totally bad. So, in other words, we have a dual function. We want to penetrate the markets, we want to become successful and sell a lot in new markets. And we end up creating a lot of jobs and counterfeit factories, so that’s very good.”

Gucci, another famed Italian fashion house, evidently does not prescribe to Bertelli’s views that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, especially after their less-than-anticipated settlement with Guess over a counterfeit lawsuit battle (which we reported on earlier this week).

Bertelli did point out that Prada engages in lawsuits to protect their products, but that the fashion industry “doesn’t lend itself very well to patent protection” like high-tech industries do.

A spokesman for the fashion house seemed to try to do some damage control by telling WWD that Bertelli’s quotes were “part of an extended conversation that underscored how the market of counterfeits is an objective reality for successful brands.”

True enough — counterfeit products seem to be an inevitable reality of having “made it” in the fashion industry. But do Bertelli’s views oversimplify an industry that has its fair share of evils, not to mention the fact that it’s downright illegal?

It’s a story worthy of the next Quentin Tarantino screenplay—a sick and twisted The Godfather meets Confessions of a Shopaholic hybrid. The Shopfather, perhaps? U.S. authorities have busted one of the largest counterfeit circles in American history, after more than $300 million worth of fake fashion has been smuggled stateside. That figure puts this clothing heist on the levels of some of the biggest counterfeit cigarette and crystal meth trades. Seriously.

The questionable fakes ticked all the usual boxes: Burberry scarves, Lacoste polos, and Louis Vuitton bags. But it’s the faux Uggs (since dubbed “fUggs” for obvious reasons) that display some mind-boggling creativity. After the names of honest shipping companies were used to bring the boots into the country, fake labels and soles were peeled off to reveal faux-Ugg branding. One would think that with such creative prowess, the 30 accused smugglers might do something a little more productive with their time.

When questioned on the ethics of his business tactics, one of the crime leaders reportedly said that if you had a problem with his business you should “go be a monk.” Because only monks have morals. While we can definitely understand the appeal of a bargain, counterfeit fashion is continually being linked to horrible crimes. It’s just not worth it. Especially not for a pair of Uggs.