The production of counterfeit luxury goods is a criminal offense, and designers have always been vocal in their condemnation of the practice. Last week, Prada chief executive officer (and Miuccia’s husband) Patrizio Bertelli stoked controversy when he shared his opinion on the matter, saying, “Fake goods aren’t totally bad; at least it created jobs at some counterfeit factories.” He went on to reason, “We don’t want to be a brand that nobody wants to copy.” When questions arose, a Prada spokesman justified Bertelli’s statement, proceeding to say that “the quote is part of an extended conversation” that acknowledged the way in which “the market of counterfeits is an objective reality for successful brands and how this phenomenon has its own reality, also in terms of manufacturing, that is very structured.” This kind of progressive attitude, previously unheard of amongst the high fashion flock, is a natural extension of the fact that these activities will continue to exist, so why not put a positive spin on it? Keep reading »
