At some point in our lives, we’ve all found ourselves lounging on the beach sipping a cocktail, only to be approached by a joyful chap providing out some sunglasses, sneakers, purses… the list goes on. For some, copping a pair of “Ray-Bans” for five quid is a no brainer, while others may scoff at the idea and send the man on his merry way without so much as a thank you, next.
The reality of the situation is that the counterfeit fashion ring is worth over $461 billion. one of the most significant epidemics in the industry, it affects not only luxury brands, but sportswear and high street sellers too. In fact, this October, police in America seized $2.2 million worth of fake Nike sneakers which were intercepted from China. some of Nike’s rarest silhouettes were fraudulently developed and found in the shipment, including limited-edition Off-White x Jordan 1s. proof of how in demand fakes are, the rise of fake fashion directly correlates with the boosted popularity of social media.
Image through CBS News/US Customs and border Protection
Not only does social media encourage a certain lifestyle and shame those who can’t afford to keep up with that lifestyle, it promotes and delivers counterfeit-fashion sellers ideal to your feed. Making it simpler than ever to get your hands on a pair of premium fake sneakers, people are able to keep up with the most recent trends at a fraction of the price.
In a study for The Guardian on the effect of cyberbullying, Lucy Russell, campaign manager at plan International, said that online “girls are being told what to wear, how to look to shut up about their opinions.” With so much pressure for the younger generation to stay on trend, why wouldn’t they log on to IG and get a pair?
Fake supreme shop in China. image through NSS Magazine.
It’s not just the desire to “fit in”, social media is making us all a lot more receptive as consumers, even to the idea of fakes. recent studies confirm what we already know – social media is addictive. liking messages online, and people liking your posts, activates your brain’s reward centre. This is what makes scrolling through your feed so pleasurable and what keeps you hitting that revitalize button. As we become a lot more dependent on social media, it becomes simpler to absorb a ton of information without really noticing! We even get into the idea that whatever celebs are wearing need to be the real deal because, well, they’re rich, right?
Well, YouTuber Yeezy Busta has busted A-listers from rich the kid and Soulja kid to Zac Efron wearing fakes. While some would dub this “fake flexing”, others may argue that that’s just a part of the culture now.
Before the introduction of social media we might see a dodgy looking advert for brand-new £15-Nike sneakers on Google and think, “looks a bit suspicious, I’ll give that a miss”. but it’s now showing up on our feed and some are purchasing into the lie without much thought. users are being presented with fake goods left ideal and centre, and due to the lack of education on how to differentiate real from fake, not everyone can spot the difference. and it can be dangerous…
In 2016, Kylie Jenner’s appeal line, Kylie Cosmetics, fell victim to the counterfeit industry. Her faithful customers thought they were spotting a bargain online, assuming that the appeal mogul was behind it and copping themselves a great new lipstick filled with, wait for it… glue and gasoline. finding themselves in a, ahem, sticky situation, consumers were flocking to Jenner to complain. Which poses the question, must brands be held responsible for not educating their customers on which sellers stock their authentic products?
After browsing on the Nike and adidas websites, both brands offer a list of confirmed sellers and even encourage customers to send them the information about where they purchased the fake goods. This then leaves it in the customer’s hands to make sure they’re shopping through reputable retailers. In the case of Kylie Cosmetics, the brand actively works to remove counterfeits from the market not only to secure the brand, but to keep users who may be tricked into purchasing fakes safe.
Image through us Customs and border Control
Clearly, gasoline is never an acceptable alternative to lipstick but in other industries such as footwear, the quality of counterfeit products seems to be improving. home to the most significant counterfeit operation in the world, Putian China is the central hub where a huge percentage of fake goods are made. In August 2018, Vice went to a fakes factory and observed that “Nike and adidas have both had official factories in Putian considering that the 1980s, which implies that it’s pretty easy to find the same materials and employees that you’d find in a legit fábrica”. Resulting in fake products that are similar in quality and style, consumers are provided practically the same shoe at a fraction of the price.Pero hay evidencia significativa de que vienen con una historia de fondo rica en delincuencia y explotación.
La verdadera razón por la que no debe invertir tiempo o dinero en falsificaciones es más profunda de lo que piensa. Ariele Elia, una curadora asistente del Museo de Fit, dice en un documental de investigación de Complex, “Una de las peores historias que leí fue donde habían allanado una fábrica ilegal y los niños estaban esposados a las máquinas de coser”, solo una “, una solo una De las muchas historias desgarradoras de trabajo infantil en la industria falsificada, toda la operación es conocida por explotar a los pobres y abandonar todas las prácticas de derechos humanos.
Incluso han surgido muchas más afirmaciones de que la venta de bien falsificado contribuyó directamente a los ataques de Charlie Hebdo 2016 en París. Bruce Foucart, director del Centro Nacional de Coordinación de la Propiedad Intelectual de la Seguridad Nacional de EE. UU., Le dijo a Complex que “la venta de bienes falsificados se dedicó a comprar estas armas”. El grupo detrás de los ataques había estado vendiendo productos falsos en las calles de París para acumular el dinero que usaban para comprar armas y lanzadores de granadas.
Tienda suprema falsa en China. Imagen a través de la revista NSS
Incluso para los delincuentes menores, una vocación en falsificaciones parece particular atractiva dadas las leyes actuales. Las sanciones aplicadas a aquellos que son condenados por infracción intelectual son sustancialmente más bajas que las de los casos relacionados con las drogas. Es con el clic de un botón que muchas fábricas de alimentos falsificados pueden vender sus productos en todo el mundo. Y ahí radica el problema. ¿Cuánto tiempo crees que se necesita para encontrar un vendedor de Yeezys falsos en Instagram? Me tomó solo 23 segundos encontrar una página que me vendiera un par por los humildes $ 45. Con poca o no censura de Instagram, páginas como esta están apareciendo todos los días, dando a los usuarios un fácil acceso a un mercado que rompe activamente la ley.
Aunque la presión para flexionar y mantenerse al día con las tendencias es enormemente abrumadora, es mucho más crucial que nunca para asegurarse de que está comprando en minoristas de confianza. Las fábricas de bienes falsificados no solo infringen la ley de derechos humanos, sino que hay evidencia de que financian una actividad criminal significativa, sin mencionar el hecho de que nunca coincidirán con la calidad de los productos originales. Entonces, haz como Nike y cuando se trata de invertir dinero en el verdadero negocio, solo hazlo.
Háganos saber lo que piensa sobre la industria de bienes falsificados. ¿Lo finges o optas exclusivamente por el verdadero negocio?
Imagen a través de la Aduana y Protección de la frontera con EE. UU.