The Dupe Economy Exposes the Limits of Appearance
Visual similarity raises a deeper question about the value consumers believe exists beyond the surface.
Image: Cornelia Ng / UnsplashA silhouette, a colourway or a visible logo can be copied within weeks. Dupes have made that plain, and focus-group participants discussed them openly, without much moral heat.
What the conversation revealed was where participants located value once appearance had been reproduced. They spoke about workmanship, materials, provenance, reputation, service and emotional meaning: qualities that a similar look does not establish.
Exclusivity itself meant different things. For some it was scarcity and recognition; for others, specialist knowledge or a piece that felt personal. Choosing a dupe was not treated as a failing, and nor did participants assume every luxury premium is justified by superior making.
The dupe, then, works as a test. It shows which parts of luxury value live on the surface and which consumers believe sit underneath.
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Evidence from an exploratory mixed-methods study. Survey n=104. Qualitative findings are not representative consumer segments or tested business strategies.