Counterfeit Luxury. Louis Vuitton's Special Installation

Tonight, Louis Vuitton is unveiling a new camouflage print developed by Murakami and Marc Jacobs called Monogramouflage. Why? It's a special installation designed to bring attention to counterfeiters! Genius.

Rather than alerting potential customers about the importance of protecting original designs, the French luxury goods house will be taking a novel, somewhat intriguing route. Outside the exhibition with a "Brooklyn Ball" at the Brooklyn Museum tonight, Vuitton is setting up 10 New York-style street vendors. They won't be selling fakes, but rather authentic Louis Vuitton product and special Monogramouflage canvases that Murakami has created specifically for the exhibition.

"We always thought that counterfeit requires zero tolerance for several reasons," Yves Carcelle, chairman and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton, told WWD in an exclusive interview. "It's a gray economy that escapes all rules of normal labor and normal economic rules and taxations, so it's a bad thing for every state in the world. Secondly, it's bad for any kind of creativity, research and development, because if you don't protect intellectual property, why should people dedicate time and energy to create?"

According to WWD, Vuitton now employs a 40-member team that focuses exclusively on protecting its trademarks, designs, models, copyrights and domain names. Since 2003, the company has conducted over 30,000 raids against individuals or companies selling fake Vuitton merchandise.

"Thanks to the law, if you are a landlord and you authorize your tenant to sell counterfeits, you can be liable if the tenants cannot pay the fine," Carcelle said. "There is a self-regulation about this, which is good. Our commitment is to fight not only by ourselves but really also with our colleagues. It's a joint effort for everyone in luxury and fashion and also pharmacy and automobile spare parts and so on.

Sales from the Brooklyn Museum's store and the street vendors on the night of the gala will benefit the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation.

The Monogramouflage collection featuring luggage, handbags, small leather goods, costume jewelry and ready-to-wear will launch at the museum on June 1 and will be available at select Vuitton stores worldwide starting June 15.

Read "Fighting the Fakes: Louis Vuitton and Murakami Make a Show of It"

Source & Photo: WWD

Comments

[thestylepage@yahoo.com]

Hi,

I found your blog via BlogRush. Although LV products are way beyond my means, I think it's great that they're combatting counterfeit goods in this creative way.

One thing that wasn't mentioned is that terrorists often use the sale of counterfeit goods to finance their activities.