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 fabrică”. Resulting in fake products that are similar in quality and style, consumers are provided practically the same shoe at a fraction of the price.Dar există dovezi semnificative că vin cu un backstory bogat în crimă și exploatare.
Adevăratul motiv pentru care nu ar trebui să investești niciun timp sau bani în falsuri sunt mai profunde decât ai putea crede. Ariele Elia – un curator asistent la Muzeul de la Fit – spune într -un documentar de investigare pentru Complex, „Una dintre cele mai grave povești pe care le -am citit a fost locul în care au atacat o fabrică ilegală, iar copiii au fost de fapt încătușați la mașinile de cusut”, doar una Dintre multe povești înfricoșătoare despre munca copilului în industria contrafăcută, întreaga operație este notorie pentru exploatarea săracilor și abandonarea tuturor practicilor drepturilor omului.
Chiar și multe alte pretenții au apărut că vânzarea de bunuri contrafăcute au contribuit direct la atacurile Charlie Hebdo din 2016 la Paris. Bruce Foucart, directorul Centrului Național de Coordonare a Proprietăților Intelectuale a Securității Interne din SUA, a declarat pentru Complex că „vânzarea de mărfuri contrafăcute a intrat în achiziționarea acestor arme”. Grupul din spatele atacurilor a vândut produse false pe străzile din Paris pentru a acumula banii pe care îi obișnuiau să achiziționeze arme și lansatoare de grenade.
Magazin suprem fals din China. Imagine prin revista NSS
Chiar și pentru infractorii mici, o vocație în contrafaceri pare deosebit de atractivă, având în vedere legile actuale. Sancțiunile aplicate pentru cei care sunt condamnați pentru încălcare intelectuală sunt substanțial mai mici decât cele din cazurile legate de droguri. Cu un clic al unui buton pe care multe fabrici contrafăcut-goods își pot vinde produsele la nivel mondial. Și acolo se află problema. Cât timp credeți că este nevoie pentru a găsi un vânzător de Yeezys false pe Instagram? Mi -a luat doar 23 de secunde să găsesc o pagină care să -mi vândă o pereche pentru un umil de 45 de dolari. Cu cenzura puțin-nu-nu de pe Instagram, pagini ca acestea apar în fiecare zi, oferind utilizatorilor un acces ușor la o piață care încalcă activ legea.
Deși presiunea de a flexa și de a ține pasul cu tendințele este masiv copleșitoare, este mult mai crucială ca niciodată pentru a vă asigura că faceți cumpărături la comercianții de încredere. Nu numai că fabricile de bunuri contrafăcute încalcă legea drepturilor omului, există dovezi că finanțează o activitate infracțională semnificativă – ca să nu mai vorbim de faptul că pur și simplu nu se vor potrivi niciodată cu calitatea produselor originale. Așadar, faceți ca Nike și când se referă la investiții de bani în adevărata afacere, faceți -o.
Spuneți -ne ce credeți despre industria bunurilor contrafăcute. O falsificați sau optați exclusiv pentru afacerea reală?
Imagine prin vama și protecția împotriva frontierelor din SUA