I remember the time I discovered my love for fashion. I was a young girl and I heard about a knitting club at school. I was curious to see what knitting was all about. Once I joined, I became fascinated about knitting. The idea of being able to create something with my two hands just astonished me. Through knitting club, I made a coaster and multiple scarves. Prior to knitting club, I had already picked up hand sewing. I would watch my mum fix her clothes with a needle and thread. I would imitate her and attempt to fix my clothes and stuffed animals. The thought of sewing together pieces of fabrics to create my own clothing didn't cross my mind until I was in knitting club. I would then create clothes for my stuffed animals. I would make pencil cases and little bags. Eventually, I attempted to create clothes for myself. I loved creating things with my two hands; it amazed me to see what I could produce. Growing up, my mum rarely spent money on clothes for me. She would only purchase clothes for me if it was on a special occasion, such as Christmas or New Years. I grew to love clothes and I wanted to buy clothes to be trendy with all the other kids. I always wanted the newest and latest styles but I knew I couldn't because of my mum.
Ever since I had my first job, I must admit, I did spend a lot of my money on clothes. In a way, I didn't want to go through what I went through as a child. I didn't want to have a limited amount of clothes and not be able to express myself through my clothing; I wanted to have nice clothes and clothes for different occasions. From the time I began knitting club until now, I've immersed myself into learning about the fashion industry; from designers to manufacturers. I remember the time I first learned about Alexander McQueen. I fell in love with his work instantly. He was such a hard worker and did whatever he could to finish constructing his clothing. I was able to relate to him; I understood how difficult it was to construct clothing since I did sew.
The first time I came across counterfeiting, I was disgusted. I didn't understand why people would produce or purchase counterfeit goods. Melissa A. Decker expressed in her article, "'Knockouts of Knockoffs:' The Global Implication of Fashion Piracy," that "the counterfeiting of designer goods is one of the most prevalent international crimes...While it seems unethical for others to benefit from an idea belonging to someone else, it is common occurrence in this industry. However, the problem of counterfeiting affects sales for high-end designers as well as the overall performance of the economy." Designers spend an incredible amount of time, money and effort into each piece of clothing that they produce. I think it's unfair that people would rather purchase counterfeit goods because it is cheaper. In the long run, the counterfeit goods would not last as long as the original good. However, I do understand why people purchase counterfeit goods. It's cheaper than the original and you will be able to stay on trend. The CEO of Prada, Patrizio Bertelli stated that, "“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? So there would be the first serious answer on counterfeits. And
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." Well, maybe counterfeits aren't as bad as I think they are. They challenge a designer's creativity, they provide jobs, and provide satisfaction for the consumer. Despite all of these claims, I would rather not purchase counterfeit goods. As a college student, I do not have money to purchase designer goods and as much as I really would like to have some of my own, I would rather wait until I saved enough money.
Update on the Be Green Challenge:
It has been a little over a week and I'm doing great. I haven't purchased any new goods. I did buy food and I did feel a little guilty about it; it was weird. I think it's the thought of buying anything even if it's just food that made me feel a little uneasy. It's Veteran's Day weekend and there are so many sales going on. I've kept myself from looking at online shopping websites so that I don't cave in. I'm pretty proud of myself for being able to stay away from all the sales. Most of the clothes that I buy are on sale (I rarely buy my clothes full price), so whenever there is a sale I almost always take full advantage of it. The other day I found my knitting supplies that I purchased a while back, so I've been keeping myself busy by knitting. I wanted new scarves for the winter so I'm planning on kntting a few scarved for myself and some to give away to my friends.
- Nicky Lei
Sources:
- Sanchez, Karizza. "Prada CEO Says Counterfeit Fashion Isn't A Bad Thing." Complex.com. N.p., 26 May 2012. Web.
- Decker, Melissa A. ""Knockouts of Knockoffs:" The Global Implication of Fashion Piracy." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.
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