PEOPLE who want branded bags but cannot afford them are turning to dupes in similar styles sold at low prices.
Dupes are everywhere on social media, a delight for shoppers who want alternatives to luxury products.
Dupes are not new, but they are taking on a new dimension. Finding copies, imitations or products inspired by big brands has become a new sport.
Finding dupes is now almost a source of pride, a shift from the time when owning dupes was considered shameful or embarrassing.
Social media users, with TikTokers in the lead, are now going all out to get their hands on cheap clothes and accessories inspired by Prada, Gucci and Fendi, as well as more mainstream brands like Skims, Fenty or Zara.
DUPING THE DUPERS
It is difficult to date the beginning of the dupe craze, but the "Zara vs Shein" challenge from early 2022 paved the way for the trend to take off.
With 60 million views, the challenge involved showing side by side similar, sometimes identical, clothing from the two fashion giants.
Often, people are happy to have spent two or three times less at Shein, the Chinese behemoth of ultra fast-fashion.
Interestingly, there are also many videos of the dupes found at Zara inspired by other fashion brands. An endless circle, in short.
The challenge, which in some cases served to denounce Shein's copies, has resulted in a craze for the brand's low-cost version of products.
Some social media users have made dupes their brand, with accounts entirely dedicated to dupes in fashion and beauty. They promise to seek out dupes on the market for others to snap up.
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