By Melissa Vanderplow

 

We can’t help it. We get pulled in by the glitz and the glam. However, in the fashion world today, many of us think that luxury brands are of better quality than others- and this isn’t always the case.

 

There are many well-known designers and brands that are so over-hyped; we have most likely fallen in the trap at one point or another. The reason these brands continue to drive sales and keep up this “high-end” facade is because they receive the backing of many other well known names in fashion, such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle to name a few. Many of these high-end brands rely on these publications to showcase their new collections and have developed relationships with editors, so it’s not really a matter of quality anymore- just a matter of selling magazines and promoting products that are not what they seem.

 

Take Michael Kors, for example. This brand used to be highly coveted and seen as a status symbol. However, after the decline of the Coach brand, MK took a huge dip in sales. This is because while Coach also used to be a well sought after brand, the quality of these products went down, and with MK being at a similar price point- they took a dip as well.

 

Nevertheless, we still see many ads promoting these products with high-end photo shoots and runway shows, but in those cases, we can’t touch the product. And that is becoming a concern in the quality of products we purchase and these high price tags.

 

Another brand that is not only outrageously over priced, but also known to be extremely uncomfortable is Christian Louboutin. Of course those red soles provide quite the statement, but even Christian himself has referred to himself as “the king of uncomfortable shoes.” This brand is seen all over celebrity red carpets- but what’s the point? Walk the carpet and then spend the rest of your night with your shoes off? That does not sound like how I want to spend my $900.  But hey, people buy them, ads are plastered all over the place, and once again- a ridiculously over priced brand is backed by all the high fashion publications- making us believe that this something we need- when clearly the blisters on our feet are screaming “we don’t need this!”

 

What’s the deal with all of this?

 

Since we have already learned that there is definitely no deal on these crazy price tags.

 

In an effort to bring quality and consistency back to the world of high-end fashion, perhaps it’s time to start a conversation about what we are really putting our hard earned cash into supporting.

 

And, next time you are flipping through Vogue, don’t believe everything you read and see- because most likely Michael and Christian just finished dinner with Anna Wintour.