The Designer Inspired Debate // Shourouk Rainbow Clutch

I spied this bag on a couple of websites including Choies, where I proceeded to order it without being aware that it was actually a copy of a designer piece. I saw the rainbow of crystals against the clear PVC (which makes it surprisingly more versatile than you'd imagine) and thought it'd be a gorgeous statement clutch to have. I've since found out that the original clutch is by Shourouk and it's quite a bit more than the forty dollars I shelled out.

The subject of replicas/knock-offs/copies (whatever you want to call them) is one that sparks quite a bit of debate with many arguments to support and oppose. Personally, I've always felt that buying a complete replica with the aim of passing it off as the real deal was, well....fraud. And even if others didn't know an item was a fake, I'd know it wasn't and it would lack that specialness. There's a great feeling to finally getting a bag or some shoes that you've saved hard for, it's addictive in itself!  However, there is the other side of the argument: that trends change quickly and people want the beautiful designs and style of high-end brands that for the vast majority of us are just not affordable; that some brands charge exorbitant prices (ahem...Chanel...we're talking about you!) and that others make their goods almost impossible to get hold of. Some argue that imitations make a lot of them accessible to more people.

And, it seems that it's the latter arguments that are paving the way for a new trend of "designer inspired" items that are now gracing shelves and internet pages in ever-increasing numbers. There's been some hugely popular T-shirts bearing Chanel C's, YSL motifs and Celine text, not knock-offs but certainly borrowing quite a bit (logos, typography, registered trademarks) from the big name brands. Along with those, there's plenty of designer inspired items (from bags, to necklaces, to clothing) up for sale on popular websites, in some cases merely missing the logo of the original brand. True fakes, once only available in black-market stores in exotic countries, are now widely advertised through social media platforms. And of course, high-street stores have been mimicking popular designer items for years, although in the last year they've been tiptoeing dangerously closer to producing outright copies.

The line between 'inspired by' and 'copied' is blurring as brands draw increasingly more 'inspiration' from luxury goods and try to cash in on the demand.  

It begs the question...if everyone is doing it, does that make it okay?!

Of course, the biggest problem comes for those who are strongly opposed to designer rip-offs; it's hard to actually keep track of who made something first and what's a copy and what's not. How do you know?! There's really no way to check every item you're buying and be one hundred percent sure. Case in point, this clutch bag; since it's not been a high profile item I was unaware of it's true origins. This also reminds me of a post I read by Sandra, over at Black Pearl Blog; she had a very similar thing happen to her, purchasing a gorgeous laser-cut tan colored bag that turned out to be a replica of a Ralph Lauren one. 

Wherever you stand on the issue of replicas, with more and more 'designer inspired' items popping up everywhere, one thing's for sure, you'll probably end up with something that's not exactly an original, if you haven't already! And, if you actually come to realise you got a knock-off, then how you choose to deal with it will only be up to you. Personally, I won't be seeking out copies, but if I happen to unwittingly get one, then I'll just explain it for what it is, and enjoy the fact I didn't see the real-deal first and cost myself a small fortune!

My "those cheeky retailers" face.  

Wearing it as a cross-body bag for a very casual outing to the jewellery wholesalers in Seoul.
Told you it was versatile!

So, how do you feel about the seemingly now-acceptable trend for "designer inspired" items; do you think it's okay for main-stream stores to be making and/or stocking what are essentially copies, or should they be making an effort to be more original? 

Does it make it more acceptable to join in with the trend if more and more people are doing?


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