he’ll compromise on never
Really? REALLY? This is just completely DISGUSTING. Fuck you Steve Madden, you rival Forever 21 as being just as big of fucking douchebags. Congratulations. The best part is that both of these look like TOTAL SHIT compared to Alex’s bags so there’s really no comparison.
29 comments
agreed. pretty foul!
completely agree. if you can’t buy the real thing or DIY it yourself then fuck it.
xoLIZ
fuck,forever 21 must stop doing this
what’s ridiculous is that they range from 100-200 dollars…wtf. that’d be okay for a nice bag that wasn’t a total rip..but this is the complete opposite.
where the fuck is the integrity in that. they try to make fashion more “accessible” but what they’re really doing is ripping designs so they don’t have to hire legit designers for original items(less cost I figure). lazy fuckers
Dude, hear fucking hear!
The guy has made a career out of ripping everyone off. Creative integrity, anyone?
These bags look like shit.
You need to relaaax. People who could afford the real thing wouldn’t think about buying this. This is meant for people who can’t afford 800 dollar bags but still like the design. Why the hell are you taking this so personally anyways?
yeah, damn them for making it cheaper for people to buy it and not go into debt.
It was only a matter of time…
Lovisa & Clam Down:
Oh god. Really? If your idea of a cheap bag is $100 then that’s good for you but if you’re stoked on spending THAT much on a fake/copy of a bag that isn’t even as good as the original, I’m TOTALLY SURE you could find a wayyy cooler bag at the same price that is still awesome but not a grossly obvious rip.
I’m definitely not taking it personally. In my own way I am defending Wangs honor because there are so many (you?) fashionnzzzz… girls who think ripping off Alex is somehow hilarious/cute/funny when it just shows poor taste on your behalf. I bought his moto bag when it was first released so owning the original and seeing this bullshit is just pathetic.
let’s not kid ourselves alexander wang is the king of originality
Well I like the wang design but I can’t afford so I will buy the knockoff. Why should I find a different style if that’s the one I want?
And I forgot how original “alex’s” (cool that you guys are on a first name basis) designs of skinny jeans and white tees are.
And get the fuck over yourself. Good job you spent a shit load of money and got one, but not everyone can afford 800 dollar minibags. Stop trying to defend his “honor”, you look like a crazy fangirl. I’m sure he’s doing just fine without you. And “ripping him off” isn’t really hilarious/cute/funny, it’s more that people like THAT SPECIFIC BAG but can’t afford it and want a cheaper alternative.
it wasn’t $800 when i bought it but regardless, you sound silly talking shit because i can afford something that you can’t. ooh im so sorry i work to afford things i want like a wang bag or a new surfboard.
i’m sure you work too and i know not everyone can afford things like that and if you want to spend $100 on a fake bag go right ahead. i was simply pointing out that while it is a copy, it’s not even a good copy so why waste the money?
btw bringing jeans and shirts into this discussion is dumb and you know it.
I’m not talking shit and I’m not mad at you for affording shit girlfriend, but you sound mad at people who can’t. If you can, post a better knockoff and I’ll buy that instead. But the simple fact is, if people like that design and want it, but can’t afford it what should they do? And it’s not dumb to bring shirts and jeans in, you’re making “alex” seem like he’s some visionary but really he’s not. Your anger about something as trivial as a bag knockoff is astounding.
calm down – did you ever THINK how a designer might feel when they see their designs copied en mass by a far less credible brand? it’d pretty annoying.
and for anyone to feel annoyed at someone promoting a lifestyle purely fashion-wise is totally valid too when you know that what they are saying is basically ‘look how well I’ve depicted this image I know nothing about’-what about what other people truly hold dear? Lifestyle, beliefs, etc?
No, Alexander Wang does not design anything coming from too far out of left field and (you may be thinking his success might shield him for caring about such things but i disagree), but does that mean it’s ok to copy him?
Furthermore, reproducing designs on such a massive scale and ensuring every girl trolling The Grove has one of these on her shoulder where does the delight at the SPIRIT of the design go?
The argument boils down to ethics – keeping the originality (inasmuch as this is considered ‘Wang’ style) versus every whore-clone having the privilege of carrying a bag made in a third-world country, ‘designed’ by a team of drones under the banner of the Steve Madden/Forever21/All Saints etc Brand.
1. WHY ARE YOU DEMANDING JEN POST A BETTER KNOCKOFF FOR YOU TO PURCHASE? THAT’S SO NOT WHAT THE POINT OF THAT WAS.
2. THE POINT IS NOT THAT ALEX IS A VISIONARY BUT THAT HE DESERVES TO HOLD ON TO HIS IP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE JUST LIKE ANY DESIGNER.
3. WHY DON’T YOU DO A LITTLE RESEARCH INTO THE KNOCKOFF TRADE. IT MIGHT CHANGE YOUR MIND TO LEARN THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF RIPPING OFF DESIGNERS (DON’T THEY DESERVE WHAT THEY EARN? JUST BECAUSE WANG IS IN MAGAZINES DOESN’T MEAN HE IS WEALTHY ENOUGH TO BE STOLEN FROM) AND THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH KNOCKOFFS ARE MADE, AND WHERE THE MATERIALS MAKING THEM COME FROM.
4. IS ANYTHING SACRED TO YOU? YOU MAY CONSIDER FASHION JUST A COMMODITY, BUT TO SOME PEOPLE IT IS THEIR LIVELIHOOD AND THEIR ART.
If you can answer all of the above truthfully with your head held high then by all means, go forth and buy your cheap bag…
1. She keeps saying it’s a “bad” knockoff. As opposed to a good knockoff? I like it, it’s as close to the real thing as it could be. The quality is decent and it’s real leather.
2. Ok.
3. I’m not stupid, I know where knockoffs come from, and how they are made. It doesn’t change my mind. If something is affordable and accessible and I really like it, I will buy it.
4. A lot of things are sacred to me, I love fashion, but at the same time I’m not that elitist to think that a “knockoff” for people who can’t afford the real thing is disgusting. I think fashion should be available to all.
Also, if someone has the money to buy a real Alex Wang bag, they’re not going to buy a knockoff. People who are financially well off can afford the real thing, these knockoffs are meant for people who don’t want to/can’t afford to spend that much on a bag that might be in for a season or 2. Honestly, he might be flattered that he’s reached that level of fame where his designs are being imitated.
calm down- all good points made.
well if you think that these bags are quality in both design, construction and materials, good for you.
in my mind, knockoffs are for people who don’t value quality design but the opinion and/or envy of other people, and just want something cheap they can invest in as you said ‘for a season or 2′. A good quality bag is something you will have for a decade, not 6 months. More than worth the money. And have you ever heard of landfill?
can you honestly tell me you have been to a country where these items are produced, seen the impact on people first hand, and it still doesn’t change your mind? Just because you have ‘heard’ about something doesn’t mean you KNOW it.
and that’s not just knockoffs, but goods made in third world countries full stop. whilst some manufacturers have standards in place, the majority completely exploit for whatever they can get, and then try to use the excuse that it’s ‘they way things are done’.
(as far as being flattered by imitation, I’m telling you NO. im sure he and any other designer we could mention here would be more pissed off at the money they lose – which they do – than any kudos you might think copying implies).
i grew up living in a caravan (thats a trailer to you up in the US) and i have worked very hard ON MY OWN to come from a background of poverty, abuse and addiction to where i now my own business and I can now afford to buy things that I want because that is the ethos I value.
if you added up all the bullshit you spent money on over the course of a year, you could have had some things really worth investing in and loving.
elitism is not a dirty word to be bandied around by people who can’t be bothered really striving for something.
why don’t you look on etsy or ebay or go to a swap meet? there are plenty of amazing vintage and original design bags out there UNDER $100 that you could own for a lot longer, and the money goes to supporting an emerging designer or thrifter.
I’m not looking to impress anyone honey. I like the design of that bag. Why should I get another one? This bag is the closest resemblance to a design I like but can’t afford so I will purchase it. And there’s no need to be a bitch. Even if I saved up, I have a lot more important things to spend 800 dollars on, such as mothafucking rent. You don’t know about what I spend my shit on and what I strive to achieve so maybe you should stop taking a fucking knockoff bag so personally. There is a reason cheap clothes exist, because that’s all a lot of people can afford. Are we all supposed to save up and buy Ksubi’s instead of 30 dollar jeans? I feel like you have no sense of what reality is or you live in a bubble where everyone saves up and buys expensive purses.
Oh my, designer vs knockoff wank. . .
I dunno what to say about that, except that a lot of people who buy the steve madden knockoff probably don’t know about the wang original, or even the whole designer ripoff issue. before I started reading fashion blogs I didn’t really realize how close the copies are, etc. besides it being briefly mentioned in ‘the devil wears prada’ in that scene where the boss tells hathaway’s character that all fashion is just trickling down into the mainstream.
it sucks in some ways, but so does the fact that almost everything is from the developing world even stuff that was ‘finished’ in italy or something. I mean, I could go live on a commune somewhere and only wear a recycled burlap sack. . . but yeah. people who are well off and respect alex’s ‘art’ can go buy the original and as for the knockoffs, well, that’s kind of how fashion works, it just seems as though the internet is bringing it more to light now.
Oh come on E M, we all know that it does not cost $800 to make a good quality leather bag. I own six Balenciagas, and with the newer models, the price has gone up but the quality of the leather, in comparison to the older seasons, has gone down. The ground costs to make a Balenciaga – leather, studs, zippers, worker pay comes to a maximum of about $400 per bag.
The actual cost of making a real leather bag is nowhere near the astronomical price we pay for designer bags. And before you get started and wrongly try to justify the price of the bag by mentioning “third world countries” – most of A. Wang’s goods are made in China. Just thought this is something I’d point out. I’m not choosing sides in this discussion.
I understand why one wouldn’t want to buy a knockoff, but the points being made by some commenters here arguing against the knockoff are just ridiculous.
Calm Down you’re justifying buying fakes and knock-offs because you can’t afford the real thing??? There was a time I couldn’t afford designer handbags/shoes/clothes but I would NEVER dream of buying a knock-off because
1. It’s TACKY 2. The quality is shit and it’s pretty obvious to anyone within a 2 foot radius that it’s FAKE 3. I would KNOW I was carrying a fake and be self-conscious and most importantly 4. By carrying/wearing a fake you are supporting someone who STEALS someones original idea to make a buck. It’s completely unethical.
I’m a designer and I’m so fucking sick of people thinking it’s ok to buy knockoff shoes, bags, dresses from F21, Steve Madden, Jeffrey Campbell, Bebe etc. How the hell do you think it feels as a designer to create something unique, original, beautiful and QUALITY to see it COPIED in cheap materials in some sweat shop in China and sold to the masses in every cheesy mall! My design is my LIVELIHOOD! It is what I spent countless years studying & working for and it’s not ok for anyone to plagiarize. EVER. It’s not “flattering” to a designer to be plagiarized LOL! It is not elitism to expect to be paid for your ideas.
If you can’t afford the real thing there are plenty of mid-range original bags out there. Jen, good for you for posting this. I too owned the Wang moto bag when it first came out. I’ve since sold it because it was too small for me but it was beautiful!
Oh and, wait for it – where is Alexander Wang’s handbag made? A little hint: It’s not USA or Italy.
I also wanted to add that Steve Madden et al. do not just knock off the big designers, they also steal from small independent designers. I own a pair of shoes from the collaboration between the Campana Brothers, one of my favorite furniture designers, and the Brazilian shoe company Melissa. They were not expensive shoes, maybe $60? Well Steve Madden rips them off EXACTLY and sells them for $50. Ripping off an under the radar designer and then charging practically the same as the original is not about making fashion accessible. It is theft pure and simple.
exactly, knockoffs are for tasteless people pretending to be rich
To Calm Down,
I can see where you’re coming from, about the accessibility of fashion and what not; especially so, as I’m still studying, and can obviously not afford any designer bags of my own, as much as I do love fashion, and do frequently drool over $800, or $8000 bags that I can’t afford, but I still don’t see the point of carrying a knock off.
I don’t think it’s so much of a personal thing, like a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ knockoff, but a matter of intellectual property?
Let’s just pretend we’re talking about DVDs, like I’m sure many many fans of movies (who isn’t) know of the availability of illegal downloads online, if we go by your reasoning of ‘accessibility of movies’ for all, then shouldn’t everyone just skip cinemas and DVDs, and just watch free downloaded movies?
It’s undeniable that 100001 items on high street are ‘designer-inspired’, but that’s more like, say a ‘Chanel-inspired’ quilted chain bag with modifications, vs. a Chanel 2.55 replica being passed off as an original design by whichever brand ripping it off…
I agree that knockoffs are tasteless but come on, this post is ridiculous. And honestly, “Chris Peters”, “tasteless people pretending to be rich” – unless somebody’s trying to pass off the Steve Madden as an original Alexander Wang they’re not PRETENDING to be rich.
this post is ridiculous?
why do any of you care what i think? this is my blog where i can sure as hell talk about the bag i own getting ripped off. if you all have such issues or really give a fuck what i say that’s your own deal but if you have no qualms with buying it, why say anything? just go shopping. END OF DISCUSSION.