A new exhibit is opening at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, called “Faking It: Originals, Copies, and Counterfeits.” This exhibit is exploring the history of authorized and unauthorized copies of high end designs. The exhibit explores not only counterfeit pieces, but also licensed copies.
Assistant Curator of Costume and Textiles at the FIT Museum, Ariele Elia, explained to Blouin ArtInfo, that the recent copyright/trademark litigation increase in the fashion industry sparked her interest in creating this show.
She explained that the current hot topic of fashion law “made [her] think back to the 1950s when designers started licensing out couture copies and raising questions about authenticity.” An example of this phenomenon on display is an authentic Chanel tweed suit from the 1950s and a licensed copy, which look identical.
She goes on to explain that while many think that copying of designs is black and white, there is a lot of shades of grey about what is original, what is a licensed copy, and what is counterfeit.
