I Can't Believe It's NOT Butter by Nadia...
6:00 PM
hkFashionGeek
, Posted in
Just because you don't want to shell out the dough to buy something, doesn't mean you can't own it. Or at least the cheaper knockoff version of it. That's fast fashion for you.
I'm not the biggest fan of knockoffs. After you've seen every Tom, Dick and Harry on the streets of Hong Kong with a monogram LV tote or a very passable Bottega woven slouchy bag, you'll know what I mean. But to me, "taking inspiration" is kind of different from knocking off. For example: copying logo and intending for your bag to pass as branded = bad. High street retailers doing the red sole a la Louboutin = not good. DIY-happy bloggers studding jeans and cutting holes in leggings and shredding tights and tees = legitimate. Etsy shop owners taking a hoop of fabric and attaching two long strips of fabric to create some version of the super-convertible Butter by Nadia dress I mentioned I'd been wanting for two years: totally okay in my book, as long as it gets me closer to the object of affection.
Below: jocole's black jersey knee-length, by danalynn's short 'n swishy teal, DarciJuliette's cobalt satin tunic.
There are a lot of neat items on etsy. Some of the stores i have bought from are princess pumps (www.cybertosh.etsy.com) and clover treasures (www.clovertreasures.etsy.com) These users have some really cool items.
what's really crazy about Butter by Nadia, the infinity dress and all the convertible dresses and tops that are popping up everywhere. They are basically a wrap dress, but with two set straps and a set skirt. Smart, except the wrap dress was a knock off of asian clothing (the indian saree), and they have been doing a ready made (pre-sewn) version for years. Which is a skirt with a long strap attached... all these people did was add a second strap and slap on an enormous pricetag. I don't disagree that these are beautiful, but it's interesting how fashion works.