In April 2020, exactly one year ago, we wrote our first newsletter dedicated to the Covid emergency and made the prediction that the Pandemic would cause a significant expansion of online sales and, as a consequence, an increase in the production and distribution of fakes.
Perhaps this wasn’t all that difficult to foresee, given that all we needed to do is apply common sense reasoning. Still, when we looked at the data gathered one year on, we were quite startled by the extent of the phenomenon and its negative impact on consumers. Those same ever more environmentally sensitive consumers to whom today the Fashion industry promises to commit to steer its supply chains onto the path of transparency, sustainability and conscious consumption.
It goes without saying that the growing attention paid to sustainability on one hand and the dramatic increase in sale of fake products are two glaringly conflicting developments, a circumstance that can no longer be overlooked. In fact, counterfeit products are by definition unsustainable because their environmental footprint is illegal, hence totally unwarranted.
Even before the pandemic, the counterfeit industry was frustrating the creative and financial investments made by brands, and thwarting innovation. Now, counterfeiters are also overshadowing their commitment to sustainability.