Short outburst on counterfeit goods

The Breguet Tradition Fusee Tourbillon.

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I watched a film on global counterfeiting rings and was disgusted. I don’t see any legal or ethical justification for producing knockoffs (design ripoffs using lower quality materials, sold under another name at a competitive price) OR counterfeits (design ripoffs, branded as the original) with the intent to defraud.

One Internet merchant who made a fortune from selling replica watches, blamed companies for marketing and creating the desire for products that some consumers can never hope to buy. He said he’s just giving people what they want.

I don’t agree with counterfeiting on three counts:

• Intellectual property infringement (copyright/patent/trademark) is a violation of law. Perhaps it may also represent a breach of contract between the product firm & the manufacturer. This steals revenue from the product firms.
• Consumers are put at risk. Shoddy, cheap, low-quality copies of pharmaceuticals or food items can actually endanger the well-being of consumers. For apparel & textiles, it’s less of an issue–but a fabric should do what it’s supposed to do (i.e. flame-resistant children’s clothes).
• It defaces a company’s brand image. Once consumers lose faith, it’s over. It’ll take so much marketing to regain their trust.

A $150 replica of a $10,000 Cartier watch won’t be anything like the original. A $10 Walmart digital could tell time more accurately than a faux mechanical. (Don’t get me started on leather, I can recognize that shit from a mile away.)

And what about “grey market” goods? When the real thing–the result of excess inventory or sneaky production runs off-hours–is sold by unauthorized vendors? Is that any better than distributing knockoffs or counterfeits?

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Louis Vuitton FW 2010/2011 – Men’s Accessories.

 

Bacterial Typography & Glass Microbes

“His fascination for nature allows him to investigate the possibilities of bacteria in a visual culture…With time, the bacteria transform and begin to shape their own aesthetics and dimensions by growing over their printed boundaries.”

Symbiosis by Jelte van Abbema

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Glass sculptures of Smallpox, HIV, and an “Untitled Future Mutation” by Luke Jerrem

 

Muted plaid and shock of denim

“That denim shirt cuff, peeking out from under the sleeve of this guy’s plaid sports jacket, really completes the look…Definitely seeing a lot of denim shirts on the street this week in Milan.”

Photoblogger Tommy Ton captures streetstyle for GQ during Men’s Fashion Week in Milan.
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I like the texture of these canvas desert boots from Opening Ceremony.

 

Alphabet City & Resolutions for 2010

Master draftsman Scott Teplin draws up a whimsical collection of houses based on the alphabet.

“Explore in each a bizarre, miniaturized constellation of bed rooms, drawing rooms, fantasy swimming pools, mysterious laboratories, personal ice cream parlors, gambling halls, nuclear reactors, and oozing phenomena of unknown consequence.”

Available as individual prints or in a book from X-ING Books.

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Goals for 2010

1. Graduate with a double-option major and a minor.
2. Be punctual to all classes. Early is preferred.
3. Sleep at least 6 hours a day. Nap if possible.
4. Wake up before 9AM on weekdays.
5. Cook. Eat at least two meals a day.
6. Waste less time online. Check email no more than thrice a day, RSS feeds on weekends only.
7. Read at least 20 books (In 2009, I read a grand total of one book – the week of December 27th).
8. Sell the shoes I don’t wear.
9. Figure out a plan to tackle life after college.

 

Favorite fall pairings

Shawl collars, leather. Blues with grays and browns, topped with a hat.
Silly and serious.

 

Let there be light

ByJeffrey Osborne

 

All Brown, Everything

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1. Whyred Crayle
2. Gourmet Quattro
3. Clae Romare Lo
4. Clae Thompson
5. Lacoste Montaine WE

 

Supra Skytop II

A first look at Chad Muska’s new signature model, the Supra Skytop II. 600 pairs of this limited edition colorway will drop on the 21st at Colette–the rest of us will have to wait for Spring 2010.
[via NiceKicks]

 

I’m stressed!

Lubitel by Lajos Major

 

Good ol’ American Footwear

Red Wing Shoes Fall 2009

Florsheim X Duckie Brown Fall 2009