Olivier Rousteing is one of the most influential and respected fashion design & direction geniuses of our time. So for him to say that he is actually delighted by replicas of his Balmain deigns by high street fashion brands is initially shocking … but we’ve made sense of it.
“I think it was Coco Chanel who said if you’re original, be ready to be copied,” he said. “I love seeing a Zara window with my clothes mixed with Céline and Proenza! I think that’s genius. It’s even better than what I do! I love the styling, I love the story… I watch the windows always, and it’s genius what they do today. They go fast, they have a great sense of styling and how to pick up what they have to pick up from designers. I’m really happy that Balmain is copied – when I did my Miami collection and we did the black and white checks, I knew they would be in Zara and H&M. But they did it in a clever way – they mixed a Céline shape with my Balmain print! Well done! I love that.”
In other words, the copies are compliments to him, especially if the design is perfected and made accessible to those who aren’t interested in spending tons of money on high priced Balmain.
This makes perfect sense and we actually appreciate Olivier’s honesty and delight in this regard. The way he interprets this is that it’s ok to be inspired by other designers and fashion from the past, for example; use your studies to create something people never even knew they needed! Fashion and style is all about inspiration and imagination to ultimately redefine and make your own. This is the lesson in Olivier Rousteing’s words.
Versace x M.I.A.’s 2013 collection speak to replicas becoming more acceptable as well. They mentioned this collaboration was a celebration of such,” What’s most interesting is that the inspiration behind this collection is not only the classic Versace aesthetic with the Medusa head and Greek symbols but also M.I.A.’s desire to incorporate the knockoff designs seen amongst the London street markets. Ironically Donatella agreed to the street wear infusion as she adores the street culture, so she thinks this type of collaboration is a great idea.”– PinkGrasshopper
We think there’s a two-way street though. On one hand it’s acceptable to wear replicas in the sense that it’s not an obvious knockoff and more so an inspired piece and/or you’re not interested in spending big bucks for the high end designs but found something similar for less. On the other hand, we think investing in obvious fakes so to appear to be the real thing is not cool nor stylish. It’s better to just not wear it rather than to pose as if.
There are plenty of brands and designers who have inspirational pieces that look just as great yet have it’s own personality and appeal. It’s less about trying to be something/someone you’re not and more about defining a personal style that is true to you. No one has to know how much is in your pocket, and no one really cares but when people see you effortlessly fly all the time and you’re not even rocking big brands, that says a lot more than being a label whore who looks just as that.
What’s your take on fashionable replicas and Olivier’s thoughts on fashion copies?
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