Don't be a fake
Hong Kong is awash with designer labels - but of course, most of them are fakes. Whether you're in an upmarket restaurant or a street market, people carry round Louis Vuitton bags. But who could tell if they are genuine or not?
In all societies people respect those with wealth and high status, and having the right brand names really does make you more popular at school and get you better treatment in top restaurants. So if fakes look authentic and are affordable, why not buy them?
Despite all the campaigns the government has launched against pirate goods to protect designer brands, people continue to buy fakes in Shenzhen and bring them over the border.
A factor we need to consider is that most people who buy fakes cannot afford the real thing, so it's hard to say whether the trade in fakes will really affect the business of companies like Louis Vuitton and Burberry.
The craze for fakes tells us two things. Firstly, there are tons of potential craftsmen in our city. Secondly, we're slaves of materialism.
What the government should do is to spend more money on fostering creative industries instead of protecting these foreign corporations. Give our craftsmen a chance to develop their skills making genuine goods and maybe someday they'll create their own designer brands.
Also, it's our duty to understand that brand names aren't everything. We will not look more professional with an LV bag if we don't bother to dress according to the school code. And we will not look more elegant with a Gucci coat if we cannot even drink without slurping.
Moreover, some fakes are actually dangerous, like fake drugs and herbs. Plus you don't want to ruin your looks when your mobile phone explodes because it has a fake battery.
All in all, cheap as they may seem, fakes won't make you a genuine person but only a slave of materialism.
Pulcheria is a regular SYP columnist
