An Analysis of Counterfeit Culture in Fashion Essay

Among the tender constructs that exist in or so cultures and societies, mood is probably one of the virtually ambiguous it asshole be purposive to date frivolous, essential yet expressive, and functional yet influential. What started as mere protection from the elements has get under ones skin a global fabrication that defines generations and mindsets, producing lifestyles and preferences that are adhered to by large segments of world population. This phenomenon is linked to the creation of disgraces and stigmatizationsymbols of a particular lifestyle choice that may reflect legitimate values and beliefs, which ultimately translate into an economy marked by impression and aspiration.Popular culture has appropriated musical mode and its related concepts in a host of sorts, and has contributed to the growth of a significant number of brands. An excellent example of this is the invest of celebrity endorsement, wherein brands are assigned to famous individualsthose who a dmit gained success and same reputations in their chosen areas of expertiseand fashion is probably the most visible. The entice and appeal of these celebrities instantly affect consumer behavior, and assure economic success for the fashion brand owner.Likewise, a celebrity increases his or her status by beingness associated with brands that return a positive, aspirational imagewhich is then communicated to the consumer. This is perhaps the single most important reason why certain brands are coveted and much(prenominal) impulse is measured in its pr figureical effectuate increased gross revenue, brand growth, and higher tag prices. However, these results also correlate with negative practices, and one of the most controversial is the ware of counterfeit goods.The journey of the garment, which is the basic unit of fashion, traces a long road from its beginnings in the mind and hands of its creatorthe architectwho must have included the necessary components for protection and expression, combined with style. Now, a single garment already connotes bigger concepts of identity and socio-political notions but the dangers of counterfeiting threatens to delimitate the social and political aspects associated with an original creation, as well as the stripping of its unique identity.If the goal of counterfeiting is to help individuals with their status and self-esteem issues, then the act could be evaluated on the level of psychological support and alternative message of coping but since counterfeiting fashion goods is not ever likely to have this altruistic objective at its core, there can be no other way to define it but downright stealing and infringement.Counterfeiting, as evident in its proliferation worldwide, is a profitable business people have-to doe with in itthe makers and consumersare liable for their actions. While consumers could be incorrectly seen as passive participants in the transaction, producers have no other reason to be in it but to claim rights and profits meant for the original source.II. The Practice of Counterfeiting shapeCounterfeit goods are defined by Rutter and Bryce (1146) as those which illegally imitate, facsimile or duplicate a good or use a trademark without authorization, and thus are subject to certain parameters and criteria that allow for reveal its true source. The practice of counterfeiting is a trade no weeklong new, but its occurrence in fashion and its high-profile diligence has produced effects that delve not just on appropriating someone elses ideasit is now an industry in itself, founded on the copied factors of design and appeal, and, most importantly, on the deliberate elbow grease to claim the benefits originally meant for the source.Key in this discussion is the level of desire associated with a particular fashion item, which necessarily stems from the popularity and reputation achieved by a brand. In order to sustain this kind of exclusive image, most fashion brands use leve rage on price and availabilitythe more costly and limited, the better chances they have for assuming desire, apart from the given quality and originality of design.Therefore, if a fashion item is deemed unreachable or exists in limited quantities, it near always translates to promoting want and desire in consumers. Take for instance the Hermes Birkin, an ordinary-looking ladies old bag that uses the strategy of exclusivity with its hefty tag price and buying procedure of having potential buyers on a list that may be addressed aft(prenominal) monthseven yearsthe item has realized its status as a must-have for the status seeker.Counterfeiting enters the picture at this point, taking advantage of the limited production and availability. Fake Birkins are now introduced, which greatly diminishes the value placed on the original, whether or not marks of identification are put in place. International fashion brands have become victims of the counterfeiting trade, based on the record $15.8 billion in terms of losses in total sales of all counterfeited products (Rutter and Bryce 1148). The original standpoints on the social and political meanings of fashion in spite of appearance the areas of identity and culture have now been taken over by the issues of equality and class.III. china and the Economy of CounterfeitingThe process of counterfeiting in its affinity with disputation would not have reached great heights if not for the participation of the producer and the consumer. News and information in recent years have pointed to particular locales where counterfeiting originates on a large scale, and chinathe biggest among several countries involved in the practiceis perhaps the most significant player in the industry.With its broad land area and population, the ascent of mainland mainland China toward economic superiority is apparent, and is adjudge as the potential determinant of world fashion and its future (Mead 419). However, its issues regarding its explanation and politics have pushed the Chinese toward a subject area ethic of distress and the idea of quantity (Mead 424), believing that this attitude equates to a richer, better life. Its vaporous size and the persevering quality of its people have made China a major target of international companies, in the same way acknowledging that China has the capability of producing any random commodity required by the market (Pang 120).These two factors, size and capacity, are the same factors that have allowed the Chinese to take on jobs that pay less than required by their western sandwich counterparts, thus making them the perfect players in the goal of mass-producing consumer goods. Apparel brands such as Nike and Adidas (Pang 129), to name a few, have been manufactured in China for some time the presence of these coveted brands in the same work environment can eventually give rise to their counterfeit versions.China should not be mistaken as a country that disrespects possession and originality of ideas in fact, its history should always be appropriated, and the connections between the past and drive home should be made. Work and production were the landmarks of Maoist China, and its recent adoption of capitalism has resulted in a fanaticism for Western brands.Putting these two together would allow one to understand the motivations behind the culture of counterfeiting in Chinaas it is but a product of opposing cultural and social values informed by history. However, countries like China and other bastions of counterfeiting forget not be able to justify their business any extended stricter rules on counterfeit goods have been put in place in major locales around the world, and arguments of tradition and historical events will soon become passe and inconsqeuential.IV. The Fashion Consumer in the Counterfeit WorldThe consumer of counterfeit goods in general is often referred to as the other (Rutter and Bryce 1149), and rightly sofor the use of products already known to be fake and copied reveals a statement that corresponds to the consumers social, political, and economic status, as well as ideology. These are people who have been excluded from the privilege of affording merchandise that may be too costly or unavailable, yet possess a desire to achieve the same effects gleaned from ownership.