Golly That's A Bit Strong

[joggerjayne]

Just heard an American guy on Radio5 talking about the Primark move into Boston.

He described Primark as "one of those brands that rip off the high end fashion".

Surely the point of "high end" ... meaning catwalk ... fashion is to show the trends which they hope will be "in" for each season. Very few people are going to buy the catwalk clothes. Apart from anything else, they tend to be over exagerated ... so, if the designers think that big shoulders will be in, then the catwalk designs have huge shoulders, and if floaty is going to in, then they look like billowing sails.

The catwalk designers then hope that all the other fashion houses and labels will mimic their designs. They will be more in demand for the "high end" work next year if they can show that their design blazed the trail this year. High end designers would be mortified if they showed their new season designs at Milan or Paris, and then the High Street lines ignored them and did something completely different.

Anyway, I'm just saying.

Perhaps, instead of saying that Primark "rip off" the high end designs, he should have said that they bring the new season's fashions to the High Street, and reflect the designs that were seen at the fashion shows.

Has this become ... a "rant"?

I hope not.

[Buenchico]

A good point, JJ.

Further, I'm not sure that Primark actually design any clothes (or copy the designs of others) themselves. I suspect that their buyers largely look at what manufacturers in the Far East are offering them, and then buy in what they think will sell best. Yes, those manufacturers will have looked at what's being offered by the big fashion houses and yes, Primark's buyers will be conscious of the current trends as well, but that's not the same as saying that Primark are actively copying designs from Paris or Milan.

[237SJ]

Reminds me of that quote in The Devil Wears Prada http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458352/quotes Anyway, the US doesn`t need Primark to rip off high end fashion - they`ve got Old Navy already doing that.

[joggerjayne]

It IS fashionable things on the cheap.

But that really is their whole point. Even on a budget, you can buy this year's "look" and then, next year, throw it all out and start again. It's quick turnover fashion. and it's incredibly popular, especially with people who don't want to be stuck with fashion clothes which have gone out of fashion. With Primark, you can go back and buy the next look.

[237SJ]

I wish we had Primark when I was a teenager. We had Dorothy Perkins and Etams and that was about it. I`d have had a field day buying different outfits to wear to college.

[Buenchico]

>>>We had Dorothy Perkins and Etams and that was about it.

I've always regarded Primark as filling the gap in the market that was left by the departure (from the UK market) of good old C&A.

[237SJ]

We had to travel 50 miles for a C&A (or anywhere else for that matter). My mother bought me a coat from C&A and I thought that was the height of sophistication.

[Prudie]

Oh No! Primark is way down the spectrum (ie at the bottom) from C&A

[RATTER15]

I just refuse to go into Primark, full of absolute tat and I hate the way that there appears to be more clothing being kicked about the floor than hanging on the racks.

Dreadful place!

[kvalidir]

I'm more interested in who produces clothing ethically, I don't give a rat's behind who rips Dior, Boss and co off- that's what they are there for, to be trend setters and to be emulated. Anyway you should always make a look your own and mixing and matching top end and bottom end designers and makers often comes off really well, so he should just get over himself:)