FAKE OR REAL???
A WORLD OF DECEPTION AND DEMAND.
Hey! You know my friend wore the same dress
in her wedding, which Katrina Kaif had worn in a recent award show. And one of
my Uncles has the same pair of glasses that Salman Khan had worn in “Dabaang”. But
where do we find such products??
We all know that the merchandise we see in
movies, award shows, fashion shows are a work of top notch designers and are
extremely expensive. But today we witness many people wearing a “Sabyassachi
designed sari” or “Being Human t-shirts” at several occasions. How real are these merchandise’s??
Counterfeit products (fake or replicated
products) are dominating the market today. Every second retail outlet or
designer boutique have adopted this phenomenon and is very rampant. It has not
only increased the sales, but has also got huge profits to the owners. As the
product is being labelled or associated with the original designer name or
brand and is sold at considerably high prices. Though the prices are immensely
less in comparison with the original product, it provides enough margins for
the owners to earn huge profits.
In the
process of being frauded, the consumers also enjoy many benefits. Jayshree
Gupta, a boutique designer, says “I don’t feel the process of replication is
wrong as it is done out of the demand of the consumers. Also, people cannot
afford such expensive designer wear so, they get a picture of the design they
like the more and give a budget to suit the same, and we thereby design
accordingly. Though the phenomenon is wrong on ethical and moral grounds but it
is in “DEMAND”.
There are also instances where people being
frauded in terms of prices for counterfeit products. Pooja Jain, a P.G Financial Management Diplomat, shares her
wedding shopping experience in Kolkata, she says, “ I was amazed to see the
replicated ghagras of Manish Malhotra’s wedding collection, but I was more
amazed when I saw their prices. I once came across the same Ghagra in two
different shops, one priced at Rs.55, 000 while the other at 90,000. It was
immensely shocking as to how people are being looted. Had I not noticed the
price of the garment in the other store, I could have been a victim of the
fraud”.
How far is the credibility of the designer
lost in the process of replication of his product in the market? Shruti Rathod,
a final year student from NIFT (National Institute of Fashion and Technology),
says, “it is obvious that the credibility of the product goes, but at the same
time when there is an increase in supply of such replicated products in the
market , the brand value increases. This in a way increases the credibility of
the product”.
It is very difficult to draw a conclusion as
to how right be the use of replicated products. It depends on the wise choice
and moral values of the consumer. But under any circumstances it is important
for the consumer to analyse the product before its purchase. It is essential to
know that the quality of raw materials used in counterfeit products is not of a
standard quality. For instance, fake cosmetic products can have an adverse
effect on the skin or any form of allergic reaction in the skin. Also in fake handbags,
belts etc. there is a possibility of the fabric to worn out if good quality raw
material is not used.
If someone is looking for an actual brand
product, it is advisable to do a proper inquiry about the product like the
leading stores of the brand in your city. If you are shopping the product from
a not so popular retail outlet, ask for a guarantee/warranty for the product or
a brand certificate. And if someone is interested to shop for fake products it
is advisable for him/her to compare the price and quality of the product at
several stores.
-SHRADHA JAIN
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