Designer JJ Valaya: Faking fashion

Fake and creative — Two fittingly conflicting words sit side by side in a perfectly chaotic yet creative  universe of fashion. Many of us have rejoiced over finding a dupe in any form, but it is a matter of concern  for our creative genie. Extending his discomfort  over the matter, fashion guru JJ Valaya along with copyright lawyer Safir R Anand and fashion editor Nonita Kalra hosted a panel discussion  on Plagiarism in Fashion. They discussed the need for awareness and action, the challenges, the application and more.

Talking about the easiest way  to protect ourselves from fakes, Valaya says, “The easiest way to avoid buying fakes is to regularly visit listed stores. Designers list out where they sell and the customer must ensure that they buy only from these places. An educated client is as important as a responsible seller.” He also felt that there should be proper gate keeping to ensure quality checks. “There’s definitely no dearth of talent in India but we need to have quality checks. We have over 25 fashion institutes and 30 fashion weeks but that doesn’t mean we should churn out fashion designers just like that. These are young kids who have popular brands as their first references and lack guidance. The first step to keeping the originality intact in fashion is the tool of editing,” he said.

Safir Anand explained, “Counterfeiting is the replication of work. Our country has struggled in protecting intellectual property when it comes to fashion because many new launches are not documented. The shopkeeper has to have a deterrence in his mind before selling a fake, which can only be created if he has the fear of action being taken against him.” Asked if designers should come up with a mass market range to overcome the problem of catering to the middle class, Valaya said, “ Consumers want the same amount of work (in their clothing) in a lesser price bracket and sadly, that’s not possible in reality. If you want to look original, buy an original.”