Via April 2017 | Page 16

How do you feel replica clothes has changed your style?

They've made it better in many ways. Before replicas I'd save up for a grail, and then when I bought it, the reality would hit me like a truck. Like, I just spent $500 on a pair of shoes. They're just shoes. I love the aesthetic that the shoes would add to my outfit, but I couldn't get myself to wear them.

Replicas have definitely helped me with this struggle. I feel like I can express myself through my clothing, but without being forced to pay thousands of dollars just to do so. And I think there's a positive value in wearing replica clothing. I never state that my replicas are real, because my choice to not pay up to a thousand dollars for one clothing item, helps expressing who I am and what I stand for.

In some way I feel that replicas have helped me express myself more, than if I had the same items bought from a legit store.

Have replica clothes changed your perception of fashion?

It sure has changed my view. Before replicas I'd sort of idolize items like geobaskets, or the undercover ethnic rider (a beautiful piece by the way!), because it was mostly through the screen, that I saw these items. But when I held it in my hands, then I became disappointed and thought that it was just a regular shoe or jacket.

Now that I've been into replica clothes for half the time that I've been into fashion, I've started to appreciate fashion more. I know that there's a reason for some items to be priced like they are, because you can't compare the quality of a legit Rick Owen's Exploder leather jacket, with a fake one. Or the specific dyes, materials, functional design and construction that makes up the acronym jackets.

You also start to realize that some fashion items are not really that unique. You see, when someone can make almost perfect replicas of a certain item, then it loses its uniqueness. Sure the quality of the materials might not be the same, and the stitching might be a bit off. But 95% of the aesthetic is replicated. Some might say that the last 5% is worth the extra $1000, and that's up to them. To each their own.