It’s about that time of year that relatives and friends ask us what gifts we want for the Holidays. Moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, cousins all ready to take on Black Friday – the ultimate day for holiday shopping and money saving. When asked, many of us immediately think of that purse we’ve been eyeing for months that we will never be able to afford or that pair of shoes that all of the trend-setters have.
It makes one think, how many kids ask for expensive, designer things for holidays and birthdays that they certainly don’t need and maybe don’t even want. Ultimately the reason for what many want is the status symbol, not just a cute designer jacket that will last us through winters to come. We want that wealth identity. That false sense of pride. How did Prada, Burberry, Gucci or Louis Vuitton become the luxury brand that they are? Status, prestige and selectivity. The corporate image and identity of these brands have been shaped and based on the common understanding that only the highest of the highs own them. Its unrealistically attainable for the majority of the worldly population.
This is where the counterfeit market thrives. This is why there is a market for fake designer items – from handbags to travel sets to clothing. People want the symbol; they want the status but there is a disconnect when it comes to the means of reaching that status. So they buy cheap to portray expensive. In this, luxury brands lose pieces of their identity. The corporate identity that their company was built upon loses credibility through counterfeit and fake designer items.
Going into this holiday season I challenge you to implore about two things, why do you want the things that you want? Why do you desire the expensive things that you do?
There is an authenticity in luxury brands that is hard to find in the material industry. Is that the drive to purchase or is it the status associated with that corporate brand?
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Honestly, I have never ever thought of the two questions that you have asked. I can’t afford any of those signature brands but I do agree that “we want that wealth identity.” Yes, those designers lose their credibility when an item is counterfeit and I can’t help to think the time I went to the mall in my homeland and there was one place specifically of fake designer bags. It was insane because they looked so authentic and so original! I wonder if there’s anything that could be done in the future to prevent this from happening.