WTF

[Fenix]

http://www.viceland.com/int/v18n3/ht...721.php?page=1

Whoa, CCP 2012 photos...

[flux]

^Or maybe these?

[Semperubisububi]

this is a wtf. blatant "custom made" goods using info gather from sz itself

...........

[quiet noise]

those replicas look suprisingly well made, TBH

[quiet noise]

I agree with you 100% Eternal. Crafting a replica for yourself because you cant afford afford the real deal is OK in my book, but making a business out of copying other peoples work is wrong on so many levels. im pretty damn sure these people will get away with it aswell.

[MoFiya]

Tbh, although the leather and construction seems fine but these are nowhere similar to the original and still clearly recognizable as fakes... Re: cannot be that hard knocking off a jacket if you have it already designed by someone else - it can, obviously. See the RO, awkward pockets and sleeve / body length ratio.

[neonrider]

We all know there are plenty of folks making rips, in Korea, China, and even Europe. Do we get infuriated about them?

But both here and there, the word "Pakistan" is used with a seeming undercurrent of venom and derision. In fact, in the other thread, there are plenty of racist jokes about the very guy these morons in the other thread are jumping over each other to order from.

I don't hear folks referencing the nationality of other knock-off makers. It's not exactly like this is the first!! guy!! ever!! to make a so-so rip of a Rick leather. Draw your own conclusions.

[diorowen]

oh. I guess you are right. come to think of it, supply is there because there is a demand. oh well, cant really hate fakes now.
only hate them who sell it and confirm it as legit =_=.

[neonrider]

eternal--please. i didn't call you a racist--i noted that the folks in the other thread were making racist jokes. in fact, *you* noted that the guy's from Pakistan. if you want to explain why where he's from is relevant (moreso than Korea, China, Europe, or NYC), by all means, be my guest.

in the bigger picture, i'm not sure i have a huge problem with knockoffs at this scale. first, there's chilton's very apt no-substitution argument. at a deeper level, i think this kind of thing is exactly what creates competitive pressure for greater specialization (aka "artisanship") and vertical integration (ie, specialization at all steps of the production process).

for example, this guy may be able to "copy" a rick leather, given the right measurements, by cutting and stitching relatively generic leather together. all that does is devalue said skills, commoditizes such approaches--and ups the bar for creating something less inherently imitable. this guy probably won't be able to copy ccp's (semi) in-house fabrics, finishes, treatments, (meltlocked overlocked fabric-torturing) techniques. that's deeper specialization plus integration--a higher-value approach than simply making samples, and handing off to generic mass production (hence, we pay ridiculous sums for it).

feel free to disagree, but i think it's knockoffs like this that create the pricing pressure that lets artisanal/highly specialized producers begin to flourish across many industries for the first time in many decades (similar dynamics are present in fragrances, cosmetics, industrial design, etc, even pharmaceuticals, autos, and software).

feel free, of course, to disagree with me.

/end geekery.

[theetruscan]

The continuing popularity, and perpetually rising prices, of Ann's cheaply glued-together footwear makes me question your argument. I mean, the construction quality on Allen Edmonds shoes is worlds better than the construction quality on Ann Demeulemeester boots, yet the Ann shoes show no signs of succumbing to pricing pressure and moving downwards. In fact, over the last 5-10 years, the retail price for her footwear has increased quite significantly. Anyone can knock these off, there is nothing impressive about the construction, treatment, or anything else on these shoes. All that distinguishes her shoes is the design.

Also, the idea of knockoffs creating pricing pressure in perfume is kind of odd. What's the thought process there?

[thehouseofdis]

The continuing popularity, and perpetually rising prices, of Ann's cheaply glued-together footwear makes me question your argument. I mean, the construction quality on Allen Edmonds shoes is worlds better than the construction quality on Ann Demeulemeester boots, yet the Ann shoes show no signs of succumbing to pricing pressure and moving downwards. In fact, over the last 5-10 years, the retail price for her footwear has increased quite significantly. Anyone can knock these off, there is nothing impressive about the construction, treatment, or anything else on these shoes. All that distinguishes her shoes is the design.

I've always found Ann's footwear to be very high quality. Not on the level of maybe Carpe Diem but still very good. I have footwear of hers that is 15 years old that are in excellent condition and show no signs of falling apart and I have new shoes and boots that seem to be made very well. From what I've read she's been using the same cobbler almost since the beginning. The only issue I've can see is the thin rubber sole on her trainers, but at least that is easily replaces by any good shoe repair. The prices have gone up significantly, my first pair of shoes by her (leather oxfords) retailed at around $450, but so has everything else.

[theetruscan]

I only own two pairs of her combat boots, both rather recent. The uppers are glued to the soles. The stitching is cosmetic. This is just not quality manufacture. I learned this recently when one of my boots started to separate from the sole.

They may well be sturdy enough in general, but no quality shoes (excepting sneakers, which are a different category) are glued onto the sole. They're stitched together.

I apologize if I'm wrong about this being universal, but at least on recent combat boots, they're made very cheaply.

EDIT: Gluing on soles is a cheaper, lesser quality option. This really isn't a point of debate, unless you're Michael.

[michael_kard]

I'm not sure if that is a cheap method, or just a different one. I guess since it started to separate its unsuccessful...

[Chinorlz]

I'm not sure if that is a cheap method, or just a different one. I guess since it started to separate its unsuccessful...

It's a cheaper method.

[Zenith]

this is a wtf. blatant "custom made" goods using info gather from sz itself

.....

What I find disgusting is how they are using pictures and information from the forums. SZ and sufu. Stolen information and pictures which I can only assume they did not ask permission for.