On The Fake Birkins Article

Sale PSA: Strappy sandals from Sam Edelman, now $90 (I like these, they look walkable too), a simple cotton cardigan from Everlane, now $26, and a very cute cape cardigan from BR, now $82 (what’s with the final sale though)?

Over the last few weeks I think at least a dozen people have sent me this piece from from The Cut, about the rich NY women who love their fake Birkins. It’s a great article!! And course, I’m very interested. And flattered that so many people would know I was interested in it, haha.

I was originally just going to include a link in my weekend update, but have been thinking about this article the past few weeks. I have thoughts, of course. Unfortunately my thoughts aren’t very organized.

Before reading the piece from The Cut I’d already accessed the “Repladies” section on Reddit a few times…I went back in my blog archives and I first shared an article about the forum from Elle, last October. At the time I remember going down a rabbit hole after I discovered the forum…to a point where I had to basically stop cold turkey because it was going to suck away my whole afternoon.

I know that there are a lot of negative aspects about the replica industry. At the same time, and I’m really being super honest here – once you start reading those threads and thinking about it all, you do feel a little tempted. At least I did. There are so many items and they all seem to be available for so much less! Why am I being an idiot and paying $$$$ when there are items that look exactly the same? Getting the side eye from Hermes salespeople when I mistakenly try to walk into the store without an appointment (happened again to me last week!!). But for myself…I wouldn’t feel good carrying a replica…for a variety of reasons. The ethics, most of all. I was really surprised that the article didn’t address the actual conditions in some of these replica factories…the labor that is used and exploited. I wish it had and that exploitation is something I would want to know more about. I feel that is a huge angle that was missed – and I wish that question had also been posed to some of the women who buy fake Birkins – who they believe produces them (and maybe it’s well paid artisans, but either way, I’d like to learn more).

But on top of that, I also work in a creative industry myself. I know very well what it’s like to my have my work copied (pirated). It comes with the territory. But as a creator it can still sting.

That said. I do think someone like myself (aka, little known author) is in a different position than say, LVMH. Over the weeks as I thought about this article I felt a little bit disgusted, both with the people buying replicas but also the luxury brands themselves….for charging so damn much! And myself as well, for paying those prices. But at the end of the day, Chanel isn’t breaking the law for charging $8K or whatever it is now for a classic flap….they put it for sale and people freely buy it on the open market. It’s different than actively seeking out items that are clearly copies of someone else’s design and work.

One thing I did feel icky about is people who buy super fakes who then return them to places like Fashionphile/The Real Real – I wonder how often fakes do get through (I would think TRR is the bigger risk). I know buying replicas is fraud already, but I think selling them and misleading others is another level. That last sentence in the article, when the woman at the consignment store offers her a buyout for her fake Gucci…that sucked.

I would hope that the people buying fake items wouldn’t be doing that. I would hope it is just for their own personal enjoyment. Do I support replicas personally, absolutely not. Do I think people who buy replicas are doing an illegal act, yes. But I also think there are different “levels” of ethics being broken. Either way, I would love to hear your thoughts.