Consuming Fakes, Consuming Fashion

Abstract

This chapter explores why people buy counterfeit fashion through examining the dynamics of consumer purchasing behaviour and attitudes towards the consumption of counterfeit fashion. This chapter argues that although cost, location and other superficial factors are important to an extent, this only goes part of the way to explain consumption. The main thrust of the argument centres on motivations for consuming counterfeit goods needing to be contextualised within an understanding about consumption of legitimate fashion goods. This is largely due to the nature of the fashion process being one of `introduction and imitation'. Not only is the industry based on a continual perpetuation of consumer desire for new products but the very nature of fashion and the sustainability of consumer industries, is inherently based on copying.