Which puffer jacket?

[The Darkness]

Are you a Puffer Snob?

when it forms part of a layer system and it's critical to my wellbeing then yes

 

[airborne]

I.am.Sam lols at that?

Counterfeit goods: a bargain or a costly mistake?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Web Site

www.unodc.org

Fake designer products likely benefit cartels, other organized crime rings: CBP

The scheme can be likely traced to organized crime groups around the world, including drug cartels, the Russian mob and the Asian mob, authorities say.

abc7chicago.com

https://www.unodc.org/documents/counterfeit/FocusSheet/Counterfeit_focussheet_EN_HIRES.pdf

https://news.un.org/en/story/2014/01/459622

It's pretty well documented. Nothing new.

Well considering how high-end fashion houses like Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Loro Piana, and Alviero Martini were recently bust using sweatshops and shady double dealing to conceal not made in Italy but actually majority made in China, even the highest end producers aren't much better than mafias themselves and they are just as greedy and unethical. It’s a horrible industry no matter who is running the show.

The quality of the "replicas" industry has gone mainstream, they used to be poor quality knock offs but these days the quality is often not far off legit stuff and it’s often become very difficult to tell between the counterfeit and legit stuff.

That being said I don't support counterfeiting but the quality issue is not the differentiator as it was in the past.
That being said for technical garments that people will be relying on to survive harsh weather you wouldn't want to be wearing counterfeit goods but thats not the question here, a fake NF jacket worn for day to day use will be totally adequate and fit for purpose as an original NF jacket would be, except that is for the fashion police/snobs.

 

[airborne]

Let's not conflate things. Christian Dior, etc. are not generally criminal organizations. Greed is one thing, organized crime is another level. The Mafia, Camorra, Triads, and Yakuza on the other hand...

Well considering they were knowingly supporting organised crime which was profiting off of human suffering it’s not so far off, which was my point but I digress...

 

[airborne]

Yes it is far off. I don’t think you understand the comparison.

Dior et al was knowingly profiting off of slave labour so they in essence became the mafia bosses albeit higher up the chain. Just because they weren't directly involved in the exploitation is besides the point, they made their henchmen do the dirty work like any clever mob boss. Obviously they aren't a direct equivalent but the point is the rot goes right to the very pinnacle of the industry.

 

[I.am.Sam]

so which puffer jacket

 

[airborne]

When Christian Dior and Giorgio Armani were investigated by Milan prosecutors, they forced the brands to clean up their supply chains, vet their contractors, and fix their internal audits. The brands cooperated with the law, paid massive regulatory fines, and adjusted their corporate behavior to protect their public stock prices and brand images.

Basically unscrupulous Chinese-owned subcontractors in Italy hired undocumented immigrants. They cut safety guards off leather-gluing machines to speed up production, made people work 90-hour weeks at €2-€3 vs the legal minimum wage of €10 per hour, and had them sleep on-site in horrific conditions to keep production moving 24/7.

So Dior et al were basically doing Mafia lite, just as I said they were, thanks for expanding on my thesis.

 

[saor]

so which puffer jacket

Real Afrikaners know this in their bones.

 

[S_L_Y_G_U_Y]

I had one lols