While most fashion brands believe that counterfeit products are the worst enemy of their business, Gucci decided to use its imitations as an inspiration for the ‘Fake/Not’ collection. As a fashion house that capitalised profusely on its logo by placing it on every one of its goods, Gucci seems to understand how to take advantage of irony. The creators of this collection describe it as a ‘playful commentary on the idea of imitation’, with the words ‘FAKE’ and ‘NOT’ being used directly on the products as designer motifs. The ‘FAKE/NOT’ collection has a beige and ebony base print, along with the emblematic for the brand red and green stripe. The creative director Alessandro Michele used this design to create bags, accessories, and sportswear. The products stand out with the splashed-out lettering ‘FAKE’ in the front and ‘NOT’ in the back in contrasting yellow on top of the infamous stripe.
The entire collection is an ironic arrow in the heart of counterfeit culture of which Gucci is a regular victim, but also of the culture of infatuation with the authenticity of branded clothing. The recognisability of the fakes with their signature allows the Gucci team to be one step ahead of their competitors. In fact, they have been interested in the exploration of counterfeit culture for a long time. For the launch of its 2018 spring/summer collection the fashion house changed the spelling of its signature ‘Gucci’ logo, replacing it with ‘Guccy’, which is commonly used on counterfeit products. Together with the provocative Italian visual artist, Maurizio Cattelan who was the one responsible for taping a banana on the wall of the Art Basel fair, Gucci organised an exhibition in Shanghai in September 2018 that was entirely dedicated to copies and imitation of luxurious products. The name of the exhibition ‘The Artist is Present’ is an ironic and ballsy copy of a durational performance by the infamous Marina Abramović.
If we go even further back in time, the brand made a similar move with its ‘Washed’ t-shirts that were sold in a ruined state – with multiple holes and discoloration. The funny thing is that the fakes of those t-shirts, lacking the needed finishes to achieve this look, ironically appeared newer and more intact than the originals.
Well, if you’re on the look for clothing that is also a conversation-starter, you can find them on Gucci’s official website!
