I’ll never forget the day when I found out that fake luxury bags were being sold for movies. It was like a waking nightmare; you know when you just can’t seem to wake up from a bad dream? That was the feeling I had that day. I was shocked, angry, and incredibly disappointed. I had heard rumors of knock off designer bags but had never thought it was something that filmmakers were doing!
I guess I can understand why they might be doing it; filming can be expensive and the production costs of ensuring that the bags actors carry are real luxury bags may be cost prohibitive. Plus, there’s the cost of having to rent them out from the designers, paying for shipping, etc. But, it still makes me mad. It sends a message to consumers that knockoffs and imitation luxury bags are just as good as the real thing, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
Besides cost savings, there’s another reason why filmmakers might be opting for replica designer bags instead of authentic ones. It’s possible that they just don’t want to have anything to do with being associated with luxury brands or that they worry about infringing on the brand’s copyright. Whatever the reason may be, I’m still not fond of the idea for multiple reasons.
For starters, pseudonymous brands come with a huge risk. Yes, they may be cheaper, but you’re paying for what you get and maximum value rarely comes with the cheapest options. Usually, when you purchase a copycat bag, you’re agreeing to accept inferior quality in exchange for cost savings. It’s definitely worth considering the long-term consequences of settling for a cheap knockoff over the real deal.
Second, rather than support the luxury brands that we love), filmmakers are helping to create a fake economy of luxury knockoffs that continues to a detriment luxury brands. Knockoffs reduce the incentive for people to purchase authentic goods, even when they have the money to do so. In other words, by providing access to imitations, filmmakers are gradually destroying the very thing we love about luxury goods: exclusivity.
Lastly, the fact that fake luxury bags are used for movies sends the wrong message about luxury. It encourages an artificial sense of exclusivity and suggests that luxury isn’t worth the price. If filmmakers were to really show the true value and cost of purchasing a real designer bag over a knockoff, people would change their view on luxury items. Instead of equating them with wealth and prosperity, they’d understand them for what they really are: products of hard work and craftsmanship.
All of this being said, it’s still extremely baffling to me that filmmakers don’t do the extra work and at least try to research how to get hold of authentic luxury bags for their projects. Surely it’d be worth the investment? Not only for the quality, but to also ensure that they’re not contributing to the fake economy or the illusion that these cheaply-made knockoffs are even close to the real thing.
I guess the big takeaway here is to encourage people not to be fooled into thinking that knockoffs are the real thing. They may look the same on the outside, but they don’t deliver the same performance, durability, and quality of an authentic piece. As someone who loves and respects luxury goods, this really grinds my gears! It’s hard not to be a little bit angry after finding out that fake luxury bags have been used for films.
It’s a harsh reminder that there is a lot of fake luxury out there, and people should be careful not to get taken in. The best thing to do is to invest in the real thing; buying a genuine luxury bag is not only worth it for the product itself, but it also refutes the idea that fake luxury is as good as the real thing.
Even if it sounds like I’m straying away from the topic, I think it’s an important reminder that we should all be respectful of luxury brands and support them if we can. It’s never okay to settle for an inferior replica and pretend that it’s authentic. That’s simply not the right way to represent luxury goods. At the end of the day, buying an authentic designer bag is much more than just spending some extra money; it’s a commitment to quality and respect for the industry as a whole.