Blog#5

Okay let us begin early this time, since every other blog posting I have made in this class has been made on the fly, right before the deadline, or I hope it made the deadline. So bear with me as I get my thoughts in order. So first point the topic of Counterfeiting in fashion is discussed in the readings, and well since it is the topic of my group’s research project I should go over a bit of it I guess in the blog. However for most of this week I have been cooped up in my apartment doing other class projects my insight (what few of it I have) of fashion will not be as interesting as before.


First Counterfeiting, my first experience with it was when a family friend came from shanghai and bought me this counterfeit wrist watch. Even though it was not the real thing, I treasured it, and well even when it stopped working I kept it till now. Now Counterfeiting is a big business, nearly comprising 5%-10% of international trading and several tens of Billion dollars business or as mentioned in the video around 150 billion Euros. Counterfeiting is the creation of a copy and selling it as the original and well it has become a problem for many designers, where their products are reproduced without their knowledge or profit.


The Implications of continued Counterfeiting is a drain on a brands resources, to compete with a perceived inferior version of itself. While many think of this as “Robin Hood” taking from the rich to satisfy the poor in reality the theft of these designs is a crime showing that what we think up is no longer ours. Now while I personally do rarely purchases counterfeit products and participate occasionally with pirated goods I still respect the creators and if I am inclined to support a creation I do purchase it legally. While this my seem hypocritical of me, which it retrospect it is, I still see it as a possible trend to which there may exist a classless society, where all distinctions are gone because of a birth where the quality of something I may get for a lot less (or even free) is equal to the original there is no more market for the original and well without a market for one product, it could go with all products creating a market-society and maybe a market-less world.

Compact Challenge Update:

Still going strong with my usual lifestyle of free and used items, with no strong temptations as of yet but with a 25 dollar gift card burning a hole in my pocket that my change and a need for new shoes as my old ones currently have a hole and the raining/puddle season has soaked my soaks on many occasion. All in all the challenge while no to difficult might soon be broken by the weather and by circumstance.

Eric Keng

Entry # 5

WORKS CITED

http://www.france24.com/en/20080403-fashion-special-counterfeit-edition

Melissa A. Decker. “”Knockouts of Knockoffs:” the Global Implication of Fashion Piracy.”