In fact, the children are hired to do the watches because they have tiny little fingers that can do the mechanics. THOMAS: Absolutely, or that children make these counterfeit handbags or watches. This is almost like - you describe it as, you know, a lot of people believe this is urban legend that people in China can sometimes sell their children to work in places like this. And we went up to several flights of stairs and burst in, and then walked in and there were a dozen children, 8 to 12 years old, sitting there, making counterfeit Dunhill and Versace handbags.ĬONAN: Hmm. I went with Chinese police in a workshop in Guangzhou in north of Hong Kong and we went with - it was in a tenement in a really horrible place in town. And I actually went on a raid in one of these counterfeit factories in China when I was researching my book. THOMAS: …anywhere you find counterfeits.ĬONAN: How does this happen? Where are these knockoffs made? But as soon as it hits, then you'll find the fakes on Canal Street in New York, Santee Alley in Los Angeles, flea markets around the country…

They want the companies to do the advertising first to get that handbag to become an it-bag. They don't put them right away because they would be ahead of the curve. How long before you could pick up a fake one on Canal Street? DANA THOMAS (Author, 'Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster' European Cultural Correspondent, Newsweek): It's nice to be here.ĬONAN: So take one of the bags that we're seeing on the New York runways this week, again, aimed for the spring collection, which arrives in stores in February. And it's nice to have you on the program today. Today, she joins us from the studios of NPR West. E-mail: And you can join the conversation on our blog at npr.org/blogofthenation.ĭana Thomas is the author of 'Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster,' and she's Newsweek's European cultural correspondent. Would you buy a fake designer bag or a knockoff of an expensive dress? Why or why not? Our number here in Washington is 80.

Later in the program, a new documentary on the lives of garment workers who manufacture this clothing - 'Made in LA'īut first, counterfeit couture.

The counterfeits are already illegal and Congress is considering legislation to protect fashion under copyright laws. They are out now: counterfeits - complete with forged logos and labels, which are often hawked by street vendors and knockoffs - very similar designs with different labels that show you off on the ranks of stores like ABS and Forever21.Ĭopycat couture is a multi-billion dollar industry and a controversial one. But you can get that same look a lot sooner, and for a great deal less, from quick copies. This is fashion week in New York, and the runways feature designs and accessories that can set you back several grand when they arrive in the stores next February.

New York Look Book by Amy Larocca