Bootlegs (or counterfeits) has long been its own world within fashion and while fashion houses haven’t been fond of this, theres a sub culture for bootlegs that communities have embraced.
Tapping into creative designs that the original brands wouldn’t even think of following, emerging brands and creatives are able to reimagine some of the most respected brands in the world through their own lens that speaks to this sub culture on deeper level, flipping the narrative around bootlegs. Through the recognisable logos, monograms and further branding motifs, it plays on the notion of “what if”, producing a whole new product. Think of it as the fashion version for sampling / remixing a song.
Take @grimykids for example, who are notorious for remixing global brands and combining them with cultural references in unique ways that garner a loyal fan base who embrace the bootlegging sub culture. Now we have a whole plethora of brands based off of this sub culture creatively expressing themselves in ways that personalises our beloved brands, adding a touch of individuality to specific pieces.
But bootlegging is nothing new, Dapper Dan is the most notorious face of this sub culture for his work which started out from the 80s. Bootlegs lowered the barrier to entry allowing people to get fly without the restriction of tight pockets.
With strong forces on either side pushing for and against bootlegs, it begs the questions: how long can this subculture last?
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