No wonder, they fall for replicas of such brands as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Burberry, which are much cheaper than what original versions cost, and their penchant has created a huge demand for the knock offs in the local market.[break]
Louis Vuitton handbag, for instance, costs around US$ 1,890 in the international market. That´s a whopping Rs 1,68,210 in Nepali currency. But go to any mall here and you can fetch the bags with the ´LV´ inscription for Rs 6,500 and less.
Same holds true for designer bags from Chanel. The handbags manufactured by the French fashion house bear price tags of US$ 2,000 and up in the international market. But replicas are up for grabs at stores here for Rs 5,500 and less.
Sushma Joshi, a salesgirl at one of the shops at Blue Bird Mart, in Tripureshwore, which sells such handbags, said most buyers are well aware of the fact that they are purchasing copy-cat versions.
“They don´t care,” she said. The store sells around 28 replica handbags of Gucci, LV and Coach, among others, per month, which are imported from Singapore.
Surprisingly, people don´t hesitate to fork out a huge sum despite knowing about the “fakeness” of the items.
Replica handbags of Prada, for instance, are available here for around Rs 8,500. Although the amount seems miniscule compared to US$ 1,600 and up the original ones cost, Rs 8,500 is still quite a huge sum for something that does not come with warranty.
“Most of our customers are young and they do not care about prices as long as the products please their eyes,” Ashok Agrawal, the owner of Elegance showroom at City Centre, said.
Kabita Khadka, one among countless customers who are driving the replica bag business, was seen poring over replica handbags displayed at a store at Blue Bird recent afternoon. She has bought such bags before and was scouting for yet another one. “Flaunting a branded bag, even a copy-cat version, gives a boost to your confidence level,” Khadka said.
Bikash Lama, one of the owners of Gorgeous store in Civil Mall, said people are increasingly becoming brand conscious these days. “But since they cannot afford original designer bags, they have no option than going for the replicas,” he said. “Most prefer bags with brand tag of LV, Prada and Gucci,” Lama said.
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