Cheap Contemporary Now Favored Over Fake Louis Vuitton on Canal Street

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Despite the hard evidence that counterfeit goods are a drain on the fashion industry, tourists are still flocking to Canal Street looking to find a cheap approximation of their luxury favorite. But these days, as WWD reports, they're not trying to save thousands on Louis Vuitton or Hermès, but merely a hundred bucks or so on fake Michael Michael Kors and Tory Burch.

Recent trips in the name of research found hawkers whispering of their illicit goods as tourists walked past and then showing slideshows of available products on their smartphones to interested customers. Many versions of these contemporary brands were going for around $65, while the real thing isn't too much more at $150 to $300.

A recent seizure of counterfeit goods in Queens—largely made up of Ugg boots, North Face jackets, Michael Kors bags, and MCM wallets—points to the trend toward contemporary over luxury. Though New York City currently doesn't have any punishment for those purchasing knockoffs, those who want to purchase a good bag on the cheap know that they're better off hitting up a sample sale rather than negatively impacting the world of fashion.