dislikes...donna karen

"we need fashion shows, but that's industry, it's not for the general public.  all of the communication has got to stop.  it doesn't go out on the wire, it doesn't go out on the internet, it doesn't get out to the manufacturers to copy the designs.  i mean, we're killing our own industry.  there's too much information going out there.  we have to learn the word restriction." - donna karen

alright, i don't dislike donna karen, i just don't like her view on this particular situation.  in fact, she starts out sounding rather elitist with the first sentence.  i understand where ms. karen is coming from, but at this point, is there any turning back from the digitalization of fashion?  i honestly don't think it's possible, what with pictures of looks given to websites the day of shows, and live streaming of runways.  embracing all media outlets will only make the fashion industry stronger in the future.

there are always going to be leaks of designs, and lower priced lines will always "copy" the higher priced ones.  the only difference is whether they get to copy the style a couple months earlier or not.  imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and it really is difficult to draw the line between duplication and merely being inspired by a certain style.  i can understand the outrage at blatant copies, but do you really think the girls buying steve madden's motorcycle bootie ever had a chance of affording alexander mcqueen's real thing, let alone even know who mr. mcqueen is?  i'm not saying it's right, but i also wouldn't say that a significant amount of sales are lost due to women scrambling for their very own madden knockoff to save a couple bucks; those who can afford mcqueen damn well know the difference.

images via the cut