Stopping Copies
Jason Wu, Rachel Roy, Sophie Théallet, and More Join Forces to Fight Fakes
Imitation, as they say, is the highest form of flattery, but designers are none too pleased about seeing replicas of their clothes being sold for a fraction of the price. This summer, they're fighting back. Jason Wu, Rebecca Minkoff, and Bibhu Mohapatra all turned up at last night's "You Can't Fake Fashion" campaign launch party held by eBay and the CFDA at the Dream Downtown.
"It doesn't feel good to see a cheaply made version of your dress hanging in Forever 21 for $10," Costello Tagliapietra's Robert Tagliapietra told Style.com. Sophie Théallet seconded the thought: "There's a huge difference between an homage—which we've all done—and a copy." To help stop the flood of fakes, Tagliapietra, Théallet, and an army of other American brands like The Row, Rodarte, and Rachel Roy customized a basic canvas "You Can't Fake Fashion" handbag to be sold on eBay. By the end of the evening, all of the one-of-a-kind bags had sold out. Non-customized versions are still available for $35. Of her tote, Rebecca Minkoff said, "I just added my signature studs, but it sold and made money for the cause, and that's the important thing."
ERROR:
