NYC fashion fakes

[MrBern]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/nyregion/thecity/17coun.html

an untraceable network of counterfeiters


Eight makers of luxury goods, including Burberry, Givenchy and Marc Jacobs, sued a trust created by the estate of Vincent Terranova in Federal District Court in Manhattan in connection with six Terranova properties in Chinatown. In court documents, the companies claimed that counterfeit merchandise was sold by tenants in the buildings and, among other things, asked the court to direct that those tenants be evicted.

 

[scotrace]

I wonder how much of what ends up on eBay is the Real Thing?

 

[Senator Jack]

I saw a documentary on Canal Street a few years back, and there was a segment about the crackdown on pirated goods. A spokesman actually had the audacity to say, 'Back in the twenties, all the other immigrant groups were able to sell here without being hassled. Now they come down on us. Clearly, this is racism.'

Hmm...were there really Italians selling pirated bananas back then?

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Paisley]

I saw a story on 20/20 about a week ago where they looked into jewelry purchased on e-bay. Practically all of it that the show purchased was worth less than what was advertised. In some cases, the diamonds were industrial grade, what they call in the industry "frozen spit." Fourteen of the 15 Tiffany items were counterfeit.

 

[Tomasso]

Canal Street is a trip. All the stall operators communicate via mobile phone radios and when one gets busted they all shut down. They have it very well choreographed, down to a science. I was once talking to a proprietor when he received an alert, he pushed me out of his stall and pulled down the door. I was momentarily stunned, then I noticed that the whole street was shutting down.

 

[Feraud]

Hmm...were there really Italians selling pirated bananas back then?

My grandfather made a killing selling fake fruits and veggies in Little Italy in the 20's.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I'm a bit of a collector of handbags. DO NOT BUY THEM ON EBAY!!! They are not real. Gucci, Fendi, LV, Prada and other high end bag retailers all have warnings saying they are not responsible for any bags purchased outside of their own retail outlets or licensed sellers of their goods like Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Barney's. So, we ladies and some gents just have to deal with the fact that if we want Gucci or Fendi, we're more than likely not going to get a great deal on it. Some places, like Barney's, if they have any "last season leftovers" will put them on sale, actually a pretty decent sale price. Any person selling a "genuine" Gucci bag with a starting price of $100 isn't selling the real thing!! Unless you're buying said bag at the Gucci or Prada stores in Italy, and even then, they are still not as cheap as the ones sold on ebay. And no, the knock-offs don't look anything like the real thing. Any lady who carries a real designer bag can spot a fake one from a mile away. As for the sellers of the fake bags, I think it's wrong. It's theft of a copyright. If they can get away with that, then ford dealers all over the world would be adorning their cars with Mercedes symbols and selling them as such. Just an example, but trying to get the point across.

 

[Tourbillion]

I wonder how much of what ends up on eBay is the Real Thing?

Depends on the designer.

For instance ladies handbags. There is a lot of real Coach stuff because it is in department stores (and therefore easier to shoplift).

But, if you want Chanel, Dior or Louis Vuitton, forget about it. Just finding one real item in good condition can be difficult.

A few years back I was looking for a fake Chanel bag, and couldn't find any on Ebay that weren't being sold as genuine at too high prices. I wouldn't have minded paying $20-50 for a small "Chanel replica" bag on Ebay if the quality was okay. However, I am not going to pay $500 for a bag that I know isn't real.

I gave up.

 

[reetpleat]

While I don't approve completely, i do not take a lot of offense. Firstly, people are rarely thinking they are getting the real thing. If they do they are just dumb.

People who buy counterfeits are people who wnat to look like they have the real thing, but not pay for it.

So, unlike software or movies, I think the designers are not hurt because the people who pay for designer stuff will always pay for it and people who buy counterfeit, will never pay for it, so there is no profit lost.

That and I am not convinced the quality is necesserily any better. designers sell cheap junk too. They even do a similar thing to themselves by making a line with their label to be sold at a supposed discount at outlet malls.

I tend to think the whole thing is a joke anyway. Designers make a name for themselves, and then hire a bunch of designers to knock out stuff under their name, manufacture it cheaply and sell it based on hype. In a way, the buyers of counterfeits also enrichen the hype.

 

[GOK]

Whilst the theft of IP stinks IMO, it is a fact of life that it will always happen. I read an article about Burberry's reaction to the current (UK) chavs-wearing-fake-Burberry trend. I'd have thought this would have harmed B's reputation but the company claims it hasn't at all. I certainly wouldn't wear it...but that's because I actually think it's pretty ugly stuff!

I really don't get this whole designer malarky, especially not handbags. To me, most of them are hideous and inelegant. I would never ever buy something for its label. Genuine designer clothing is cut better and is manufactured from good quality materials but that's about it as far as I am concerned - and if I want that (which I do), I make my own. Labels? Pfft - that's free advertising.

When I wear designer clothing, it's always mine!

 

[reetpleat]

Whilst the theft of IP stinks IMO, it is a fact of life that it will always happen. I read an article about Burberry's reaction to the current (UK) chavs-wearing-fake-Burberry trend. I'd have thought this would have harmed B's reputation but the company claims it hasn't at all. I certainly wouldn't wear it...but that's because I actually think it's pretty ugly stuff!

I really don't get this whole designer malarky, especially not handbags. To me, most of them are hideous and inelegant. I would never ever buy something for its label. Genuine designer clothing is cut better and is manufactured from good quality materials but that's about it as far as I am concerned - and if I want that (which I do), I make my own. Labels? Pfft - that's free advertising.

When I wear designer clothing, it's always mine!

Agreed, except that I am not even convinced that designer stuff is always cut or made better. Maybe the high end stuff, but their lowest end of a label is crap for sure.

Unlike most Americans, i know what a chav is, and suspect that they have helped sales. I am guessing that Burberry is not so expensive that thye always buy counterfeit. Don't many of them buy the real items, if only the cheapest items of the line?

It is pretty similar to African Americans embracing Polo.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Burberry may waffle about how chavs wearing their stuff hasn't affected their image, but it's bull. It has, undeniably. But Burberry and Louis Vuitton would have gone under a few years back if it wasn't for those selfsame chavs. They do indeed buy the genuine stuff because it isn't *that* expensive and chavs tend to have a lot of disposable income to spend on flashy gear. We might laugh at them for wearing them, but those Argos sovereign rings and gold necklaces don't come cheap at all. Chavettes fork out a fortune for LV bags. They are those companies' bread and butter these days. At least in the UK.

 

[Feraud]

Labels? Pfft - that's free advertising.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap Thank you! Who pays hundreds or thousands for a product and gives free advertsing with gaudy logos plastered all over the bag?
You tell me...

 

[Fletch]

I really don't get this whole designer malarky, especially not handbags. To me, most of them are hideous and inelegant. I would never ever buy something for its label.

All this kinda ties in with my pet crackpot theory on style:
People without style can't appreciate or define it, but they can recognize it – only they recognize it as something other than style.

In this case, I'd say, PWS associate LV, Gucci, etc., with something they "get" – money and a luxe lifestyle. So they're happy to suck up knockoffs, the better to bathe in that glow of association, dim tho it is.

 

[Paisley]

I really don't get this whole designer malarky, especially not handbags.

What I don't get is when women wear a signature handbag with a sweat suit. It makes me think the bag is fake because why would you wear a bag that cost, I don't know, $1,000 with sweat pants? "One thousand dollars" and "sweat" just don't sound right together.

 

[LaMedicine]

"One thousand dollars" and "sweat" just don't sound right together.

Designer sweats?lol

 

[Fletch]

Sweat equity?

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Chinatown, My Chinatown

Elmore Leonard did a short Matthew Scudder story about cracking down on the vendors called Batman's Helpers.
I hate shoplifting.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I really don't get this whole designer malarky, especially not handbags. To me, most of them are hideous and inelegant.

I guess I come from another opinion, and don't think of buying a designer handbag as malarky. The finest leather I own is a gorgeous black leather Gucci handbag. It is beautiful on the outside, plain black Italian leather of the finest quality. It is not plastered with the Gucci emblem all over it. It says Gucci in small letters on one side of the bag, and on one strap has a little green and red bow, but that is all the embellishment it has. One has to look pretty hard to find the brand name on it. Why did I buy it. It's a lovely bag, it holds everything imaginable, and it's durable. I actually have 4 Gucci handbags, and a beautiful leather duffle, all of which I love and use regularly.
Louis Vuitton is also incredibly durable. My bag is now 3 years old and still looks brand new. My mom actually still carries the one my dad gave her in 1970 for their first wedding anniversary. So, people may say they are expensive, but for a bag to still be beautiful and still used regularly after 36 years, she's gotten more than her money's worth.
I'm not one for plastering myself with brand names. But I don't mind spending money on something that I know is of high quality. The same goes for clothing. I can tell you that all of the handbags that I have are of the highest quality. Better than any bag I've ever owned. Take the Kelly Bag, which even to me is ridiculously priced. But hold it in your hand and you are feeling the finest quality materials you will ever feel. No knock off can ever come close to the quality of an Hermes.
I love my bags. They are all beautiful. It's not something I buy to flash a brand name. 2 out of my 4 Gucci bags are black, so you can't even see the logo on them, they just look like black bags. Any Gucci embellishment is very small. They are elegant, especially the leather one. I guess it's just an acquired taste, but I wouldn't call my liking them "malarky" and the bags I own are far from "hideous" and "inelegant". But, I guess it's just an acquired taste.

 

[katiemakeup]

I'm a bit of a collector of handbags. DO NOT BUY THEM ON EBAY!!! They are not real. Gucci, Fendi, LV, Prada and other high end bag retailers all have warnings saying they are not responsible for any bags purchased outside of their own retail outlets or licensed sellers of their goods like Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Barney's. So, we ladies and some gents just have to deal with the fact that if we want Gucci or Fendi, we're more than likely not going to get a great deal on it. Some places, like Barney's, if they have any "last season leftovers" will put them on sale, actually a pretty decent sale price. Any person selling a "genuine" Gucci bag with a starting price of $100 isn't selling the real thing!! Unless you're buying said bag at the Gucci or Prada stores in Italy, and even then, they are still not as cheap as the ones sold on ebay. And no, the knock-offs don't look anything like the real thing. Any lady who carries a real designer bag can spot a fake one from a mile away. As for the sellers of the fake bags, I think it's wrong. It's theft of a copyright. If they can get away with that, then ford dealers all over the world would be adorning their cars with Mercedes symbols and selling them as such. Just an example, but trying to get the point across.

This would probably explain why i couldn't sell my Alexander McQueen bag... which I think is God's way of telling me to keep it.lol