It's always nice to find that you have been thinking along similar lines as A Big Name. Echoing our blog entry on "fake Macs", Tyler Brûlé offers a challenging perspective on design and brand legitimacy in the current issue of Monocle.

„Other than price, what's the difference when both an original and a fake are cut, stitched, glued and bolted together in China, Vietnam and other low-wage markets?"

"Is it really justifiable to get angry with consumers for opting for a fake when the mark-up for a product is extortionate and there's no real difference in quality or the working conditions for the people that made the items?“

Brûlé points out that companies that flaunt their geographic heritage – e.g. European luxury goods manufacturers – need to back their claims with local production processes to maintain their credibility. The issue seems to be one not so much of product quality (although there may be quality issues when you outsource production), but one of integrity. Promoting your heritage is a brand claim, after all, that consciously evokes certain manufacturing traditions. By outsoucing production to Asia, European manufacturers may improve their margins now, but risk hurting volume sales in the long run.