There are numerous lawsuits against Meta for exactly this.No it’s not, and if it were the whole endlessly self-referential fashion business would collapse overnight!
But there’s a difference between “inspired by” and passing off. I don’t see too many poseurs extolling their ”inspired by” bags.
Meta’s own research (according to reports) indicates the serious harm being caused to young girls and women Instagram. The poseurs are playing an active part in that damage by deceptively creating aspirational lifestyle images that they themselves cannot afford.
So I don’t think it’s merely a moral question to call them out, on both counts.
But I still don’t think TFBS-style vigilantism is the way to do it.
Influencers and Hermes
- Thread starter kttREX
- Start date
Birkin and Kelly bags are trademarked. Look up the lawsuits. The one in Italy against the bag maker who allegedly gifted the bag to Rhian Ramos (sp?) is pretty visible. “Italian Supreme Court rules in favour of Hermès, protecting the Birkin and Kelly handbags…”
But by the time they provide proof, they’ve already received horrible comments on their lifestyle, body, etc. from TBS minions. And what constitutes sufficient proof for TBS? I’m not sending my receipts to a complete stranger/bully, and I’ve never seen them admit they were wrong.
Indeed but it took 10 years to settle that single case, which is probably why so many people try their hand anyways. (Like at the Munich duty free there’s a local brand selling terrible “birkins” and “Kellys”.)
Your two comments here are your only comments on this site and you are a brand new member. Where are your receipts that birkin slayer has been wrong at least a handful of times, as you claimed? It seems like you have a very specific issue with the account.
TheFakeAccountSlayer
It seems that this thread draws a lot of "new member accounts".
The sharks are churning for the birkin chum.TheFakeAccountSlayer
It seems that this thread draws a lot of "new member accounts".
So many insightful comments here!
Here are my humble thoughts:
Fake / Moral / Gatekeeping
I dont buy fakes. I dont even buy second hand in worry that the item may be fake, and I am not the proactive type to get them authenticated. I also love the in-store experience. Because I can afford luxury items doesn't mean I forget where I came from. My parents were big on the idea that my sister and I become independent at an early age. Asides from getting my tuition paid from scholarships and remaining balance by my parents, I definitely was that college kid working 20 hours a week, going to school full time, and mind you, i had all the wrong priorities. I am now in a place financially where I am married, but I can still afford all the bills and daycare by myself and still have money leftover for luxury goods (not that I am burdened with all these financial responsibilities, and i am definitely NOT saying Im rich - i dont have unlimited funds, thats why i have priorities on how i spend my money). So yeah, as a broke college kid, I used to want Chanel. I used to want Louis Vuitton. I used to want to go out to steakhouses. And if someone was out there telling me "there's no shame, but if you can't afford it, don't try to act like you can afford it" it definitely comes off as gatekeeping and elitism. It's also often how the message is delivered, but really it's just a punch to your already broken
/poor ego no matter how nicely anyone says it. Just a disclaimer: I never bought a fake handbag because having that image was never my priority.
In regards to morals... Yes, one of the reason for me being against fakes is that they are almost always used to fund terrorism, made with unsafe working conditions, connected to child labor, etc. And i saw a comment about "what about phones? These chips are made with child labor" (paraphrasing). Well.. I need my phone, but I don't need a fake handbag. If there is a better alternative out there for products, I will definitely consider that. In recent years, we have seen an influx of social awareness that highlights dangers of fast fashion and sustainability. I am all for that.
Influencers (bullying?)
The reasons TFBS sounds harsh to me are 2 things:
1) the sass: "where did you get that"? While watching people be sassy is funny, if you pit yourself in the shoes of the accused, it definitely is mean. It's a mockery. They could get the same message across without the sass.
2) the reason why social media could be harmful is because of how big the platform can get, and it encourages the same behavior. As you noticed, if TFBS points out a fake, and say "where did you get that?" dozens of people also comment such things (and as some of you pointed out, sometimes falsely) on these influencer's posts. It's borderline harassment. And it is pretty shirt that it's the responsibility of the accused to provide burden of proof.
However. The pages they comment on is mostly influencers who are trying to sell their lifestyle to others. And the bigger their platform is, the more harmful that could be. We've seen the dangers of Kardashians weight-loss products that is proven to be harmful to young girls. And what did Kardashians get? Millions for their ads. Even if they're not selling these fakes, the image they are portraying to the big masses should come with a certain responsibility and accountability.
I do find posts from TFBS funny, though I admit they could be nicer, but I also think some of these influencers do not have the best intentions, and so they are facing backlash, and I'm kind of OK with that.
I couldn't care less of how people spend their money. It's all about their priorities. People definitely should be nicer though.
Edited to say: I liked the article. I thought it was so interesting to learn about TFBS, and it's cool @Notorious Pink got to interview them! It's weird that there were so many people that were triggered by it. As someone said, at the end of the day, Hermes products are just products, that's it. Perhaps if you're so triggered regardless of which side you're on, you should look at why that is within yourself, and not bash the article or the author or TFBS.
Here are my humble thoughts:
Fake / Moral / Gatekeeping
I dont buy fakes. I dont even buy second hand in worry that the item may be fake, and I am not the proactive type to get them authenticated. I also love the in-store experience. Because I can afford luxury items doesn't mean I forget where I came from. My parents were big on the idea that my sister and I become independent at an early age. Asides from getting my tuition paid from scholarships and remaining balance by my parents, I definitely was that college kid working 20 hours a week, going to school full time, and mind you, i had all the wrong priorities. I am now in a place financially where I am married, but I can still afford all the bills and daycare by myself and still have money leftover for luxury goods (not that I am burdened with all these financial responsibilities, and i am definitely NOT saying Im rich - i dont have unlimited funds, thats why i have priorities on how i spend my money). So yeah, as a broke college kid, I used to want Chanel. I used to want Louis Vuitton. I used to want to go out to steakhouses. And if someone was out there telling me "there's no shame, but if you can't afford it, don't try to act like you can afford it" it definitely comes off as gatekeeping and elitism. It's also often how the message is delivered, but really it's just a punch to your already broken
/poor ego no matter how nicely anyone says it. Just a disclaimer: I never bought a fake handbag because having that image was never my priority.
In regards to morals... Yes, one of the reason for me being against fakes is that they are almost always used to fund terrorism, made with unsafe working conditions, connected to child labor, etc. And i saw a comment about "what about phones? These chips are made with child labor" (paraphrasing). Well.. I need my phone, but I don't need a fake handbag. If there is a better alternative out there for products, I will definitely consider that. In recent years, we have seen an influx of social awareness that highlights dangers of fast fashion and sustainability. I am all for that.
Influencers (bullying?)
The reasons TFBS sounds harsh to me are 2 things:
1) the sass: "where did you get that"? While watching people be sassy is funny, if you pit yourself in the shoes of the accused, it definitely is mean. It's a mockery. They could get the same message across without the sass.
2) the reason why social media could be harmful is because of how big the platform can get, and it encourages the same behavior. As you noticed, if TFBS points out a fake, and say "where did you get that?" dozens of people also comment such things (and as some of you pointed out, sometimes falsely) on these influencer's posts. It's borderline harassment. And it is pretty shirt that it's the responsibility of the accused to provide burden of proof.
However. The pages they comment on is mostly influencers who are trying to sell their lifestyle to others. And the bigger their platform is, the more harmful that could be. We've seen the dangers of Kardashians weight-loss products that is proven to be harmful to young girls. And what did Kardashians get? Millions for their ads. Even if they're not selling these fakes, the image they are portraying to the big masses should come with a certain responsibility and accountability.
I do find posts from TFBS funny, though I admit they could be nicer, but I also think some of these influencers do not have the best intentions, and so they are facing backlash, and I'm kind of OK with that.
I couldn't care less of how people spend their money. It's all about their priorities. People definitely should be nicer though.
Edited to say: I liked the article. I thought it was so interesting to learn about TFBS, and it's cool @Notorious Pink got to interview them! It's weird that there were so many people that were triggered by it. As someone said, at the end of the day, Hermes products are just products, that's it. Perhaps if you're so triggered regardless of which side you're on, you should look at why that is within yourself, and not bash the article or the author or TFBS.
I've seen them call out an old photo of Katie Holmes and her HAC 60 asking if it was even a bag that H makes. So yeah I do treat them with a grain of salt.
And H can use some of their $12.4b in revenue from 2022 to defend their brand and trademarks if they feel something is being marketed that damages their brand.It’s kinda frustrating when well respected companies produce 1:1 copies minus the logo and promote them on their own social media without end though. Especially using the name birkin to ride off of H’s coat tails.
View attachment 5741736
They don’t need a random anonymous account to do it for them.
Speaking of people who are posing as something they’re not, I wish the FBS would go after the “influencers” who pretend they live a life of luxury but when in actuality they scammed their way to a bkc offer by buying a bunch of prespend and hawking them in fb groups online.
You’ve seen those accounts. Look at me in Paris at a cafe with a beret having a pastry and drinking a coffee. The reality is they’re in Paris in the dead of winter
. Everyone else is wearing a winter coat but the “influencer” is in some short skirt with a thin mango type pseudo Chanel jacket carrying a bk that was the result of selling thousands upon thousands of dollars of prespend in fb Hermes groups. They try to “relate” to genuine Jaime Chua type influencers by tagging them in their stories. It’s quite sad and desperate. Why not just be real? Why the need to seek such affirmation?
It’s the same people who do it over and over. They go to different boutiques, buy a bunch of Hermes items (fj, orans, watch, belt, scarves, Avalon blanket, etc) and get a couple of non qb and a coveted qb. They list the prespend items including non qb (which are listed at inflated prices) and sometimes the qb (at least double what they paid) which they find undesirable on fb with tags like “bnib” “closet clean out” and every holiday is an opportunity to boost their sale. It always amazes me how people are so willing to throw away money. Just for a bag and so they can flex momentarily and feel like they belong.
I’ve seen some of these ”influencers” even showcasing fake bags recently, passing them off as real. Just so desperate to keep up the charades.
You’ve seen those accounts. Look at me in Paris at a cafe with a beret having a pastry and drinking a coffee. The reality is they’re in Paris in the dead of winter
. Everyone else is wearing a winter coat but the “influencer” is in some short skirt with a thin mango type pseudo Chanel jacket carrying a bk that was the result of selling thousands upon thousands of dollars of prespend in fb Hermes groups. They try to “relate” to genuine Jaime Chua type influencers by tagging them in their stories. It’s quite sad and desperate. Why not just be real? Why the need to seek such affirmation?It’s the same people who do it over and over. They go to different boutiques, buy a bunch of Hermes items (fj, orans, watch, belt, scarves, Avalon blanket, etc) and get a couple of non qb and a coveted qb. They list the prespend items including non qb (which are listed at inflated prices) and sometimes the qb (at least double what they paid) which they find undesirable on fb with tags like “bnib” “closet clean out” and every holiday is an opportunity to boost their sale. It always amazes me how people are so willing to throw away money. Just for a bag and so they can flex momentarily and feel like they belong.
I’ve seen some of these ”influencers” even showcasing fake bags recently, passing them off as real. Just so desperate to keep up the charades.
If Katie Holmes was on that page it would’ve been news and picked up by a tabloid. I will take everything you say now with a tablespoon of salt. Plus Katie, irl, is a long time client of Hermès.
It's the way of the world nowadays. Attention and clout is a form of currency that has outweighed traditional money.
I'm not shocked that people parade around with fakes on the internet. The attention and admiration they receive means more to them than feeling of actually owning a real bag.
I'm not shocked that people parade around with fakes on the internet. The attention and admiration they receive means more to them than feeling of actually owning a real bag.
Have you sent any tips in? I have seen the people you’re talking about in the facebook groups unloading all their purchases and even pre selling their quota bag offers! I always comment there when I see it. They are so shady. I don’t know who anyone is on instagram though to connect who they might be. Would love to see Hermès ban these people.Speaking of people who are posing as something they’re not, I wish the FBS would go after the “influencers” who pretend they live a life of luxury but when in actuality they scammed their way to a bkc offer by buying a bunch of prespend and hawking them in fb groups online.
You’ve seen those accounts. Look at me in Paris at a cafe with a beret having a pastry and drinking a coffee. The reality is they’re in Paris in the dead of winter
It’s the same people who do it over and over. They go to different boutiques, buy a bunch of Hermes items (fj, orans, watch, belt, scarves, Avalon blanket, etc) and get a couple of non qb and a coveted qb. They list the prespend items including non qb (which are listed at inflated prices) and sometimes the qb (at least double what they paid) which they find undesirable on fb with tags like “bnib” “closet clean out” and every holiday is an opportunity to boost their sale. It always amazes me how people are so willing to throw away money. Just for a bag and so they can flex momentarily and feel like they belong.
I’ve seen some of these ”influencers” even showcasing fake bags recently, passing them off as real. Just so desperate to keep up the charades.