Faking Fakes

Yesterday I ventured to Lion Rock Road in Kowloon City to search for treasures. It's not too exciting at the moment, a lot of shops have evaporated. However, I did find something curious. Buying fake brand name goods is a major trend in Hong Kong, tourists will buy fakes to impress friends and family back home. In Hong Kong you can find copies of almost anything; clothes, shoes, watches, jewellery, DVD's, sun cream, sunglasses... and the beat goes on.

On a counter in a store selling 'real' designer clothes there was a very unambiguous collection of clothing labels. 'Marc Jacobs', 'DKNY', 'Stella McCartney', 'Jil Sander' which I would guess were all ready and lined up to be sewn onto an illusory copy of their respective pieces. Although there are a slew of fakes within our grasp, it's not uncommon to find the real thing but marked down because it has a fault, got lost in transit (was stolen) or is actually fake with a very real looking name tag.

Crossing the border into China, Shenzhen is a frequented habit to many Hong Kong residents and travellers. Say you have a top you love to death and wear everyday of your life. One day your beloved item will rip, shrink, disintegrate or get put in the wash with something a dastardly colour. Don’t panic, get a back-up made in China. With their masterly skills they can whip up an exact replica within a week and your tears will be stunted eternally. A more sinister use of their skills would be to copy the latest Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress and sell it advertised as authentic.

Essentially they're making the exact same item just without Marc's/Diane's/Jil's/Donatella's approval. This would anger the ethical pants off anti-consumers because of designers being allowed to charge a ransom for what is worth little more than their toothpaste. The world is not fair, noted.

If you're after cheap designer items check out The Milan Station. It sells second hand, barely used designers such as Gucci, LV, Prada, Chanel, Juicy Couture, etc. The store itself sports a Hong Kong Tourist board approval sticker but keep your eyes and ears open anyway.

How to spot a fake:

1) Exotic misspellings of brand names give the game away instantly.
2) A flirty line connecting the L and V is not a fresh moderation to the logo.
3) Dodgy sewing on garment and particularly on the name tag. (Even in shoes)
4) A half-hearted snip at the name tag. To avoid arrest and penalty, name tags are snipped at indignantly so as not to be obvious. This makes it a mission to figure out whether you're about to buy Moschino or Marc Jacobs.
5) The quality of material. The silk feels like paper? Then it's not silk.

We'd rather wear local designers anyway!