We consider some of fashion's most replicated icons, to mark the latest exhibition at Fashion Institute of Technology
Each time fashion week draws to a close, we can often already envisage the brazen knock-offs that the shows might inspire: the Burberry Poncho, the Saint Laurent Glitter shoe and the Valentino studded heel are just a few examples that have been replicated across the high street in time for Christmas this year. Then there are the pieces that command longevity: the Chanel bouclé suit or Louboutin red sole remain a constant influence for designers. Faking It: Originals, Copies and Counterfeits at the Fashion Institute of Technology discusses this topic, tracing back through the decades, from Christian Dior and Coco Chanel to the infamous Dapper Dan – the notorious ‘Hip Hop Tailor’ in Harlem who famously adapted the Louis Vuitton logo onto his own designs during the 1980s and 90s. In celebration of the exhibit, we pick five iconic designs which have been reinvented, or to put it more bluntly, knocked off.
1. The Bouclé Jacket by Chanel
Coco Chanel debuted her bouclé tweed jacket in 1954. Inspired by menswear tailoring, it aimed to allow women freedom of movement, working against the constrained styles of the period. The four-pocket design has since been openly replicated the world over, but only the real ones come with Chanel’s signature tweed weave – the result of Coco’s laborious experimentation with woollen cloth hand-woven in the Highlands during the 1920s, where it is still made today.
2. The Birkin Bag by Hermès
The design that launched 1000 imitations, the Birkin emerged in 1984. Hermès chief executive Jean Louis Dumas had been seated next to Jane Birkin on a flight from Paris to London, and had witnessed her straw basket tumble from the overhead compartment, scattering her possessions. Birkin’s defence for her basket was that she had never found a leather bag that she liked. Dumas created a bag in her honour, and it has since become one of fashion’s greatest icons. The trick to detecting a real from a fake? It’s all in the stitching – a real Hermès is diagonally hand-stitched.
3. The Mondrian Day Dress by Yves Saint Laurent
The Mondrian Dress has become a piece of 60s iconography and made Yves Saint Laurent’s name during the decade. It has also been repeatedly reinvented, imitators recognisable in their thick colourful lines and simple silhouette. However, what is unknown to most is that the original Mondrian print was actually created by Sally Victor and Anne Klein.
4. The Louis Vuitton Monogram
The Louis Vuitton monogram logo was designed by Louis’ son, Georges Vuitton in 1896, and depicts a Japanese-inspired flower motif which was created to prevent counterfeiting of the Parisian company’s designer luggage. But this did little to deter counterfeiters, and it is one of the most replicated designs in the world, with the fashion house suing both eBay and Google over sales of knock-off products. “The problem with counterfeiting is that it destroys your image,” Louis Vuitton head Yves Carcelle told Forbes earlier this year. “In every study we do, it shows that brand lovers are always at risk to see somebody carrying an ugly counterfeit. They say, ‘I don’t love them anymore. They betrayed me.’”
5. The Love Bracelet by Cartier
Designed in 1969 by Aldo Cipulo, the Cartier Love Bracelet is iconic, known for its Love locking mechanism and intentional resemblance to a chastity belt. Priced from around $6600, they are no cheap feat, however gold-plate knock-offs are widespread. The authentic bracelets come complete with serial numbers and a hallmark.
Faking It: Originals, Copies and Counterfeits is at the Fashion Institute of Technology until April 2015.
Words by Mhairi Graham
