Copycat fashion: Bang for your buck?

Lowdown on discord between expectations and delivery when ordering designer replicas from online stores

KARACHI: Every fashion diva wants to don designer wear today, whether affordable or not. Those with a snug pocket gladly settle for close replicas and take pride in opting for the economical option. With demand so high, the market is saturated with online shops luring customers with clone copies of designer wear. So, to determine whether these inexpensive options deliver expectations, we made a list of popular Facebook retailers and identified the top three based on the number of page likes. Here is what they had to offer in terms of affordability and accuracy when it comes to delivering what is promised in pictures.



Double trouble

Eesha’s collection is high on runway designs and prices, but gets a low customer satisfaction score. They are quick in delivery and replying to messages, but the product rarely resembles the original. If you sport their version of a fully-embroidered, pearly-white Baroque suit (the unstitched version priced at Rs3,600, after discount) you will not be able the escape the ‘copycat’ label .

Eesha's collection original designerwear. PHOTO: FACEBOOK

The fabric delivered was a cross between georgette and crinkle chiffon, and had prominent yellow stains and tears around the edges. After paying an additional Rs150 for delivery, taking the cost of the outfit to Rs3,750, spending another Rs1,500 on tailoring makes the product a complete rip-off. Although the embroidery is detailed, it is executed on different pieces of fabric which might give the stitched outfit a patchwork feel. Keeping all these imitation flaws in mind, customer loyalty seems slim.

Eesha's collection replica

Eesha's collection replica that was delivered at home

Budget buys

The description of a Zainab Chottani outfit on Karachi-based retailer Sisterz Collection’s Facebook page said the material would be ‘chiffon’, but the fabric delivered wasn’t pure chiffon. However, it was expected, given the price of the dress. That said, the material was not as bad; it was soft enough to be comfortably worn.



Zainab Chottani orginal pic shown by Sisterz Collection

The other major difference was that the trousers were not embroidered, as shown in the original designer version, and the cloth given was flimsy, plain satin. The colours, however, matched the designer’s picture to the tee. And the dupatta was a good length, which was enough to make one forgive the fact it came without the bigger motifs shown on it, rather it just had small circles on it.

Replica photo shown by Sisterz Collection

Replica delivered by Sisterz Collection

There was very little motif on the shirt itself and the amount of material given may have been a problem for someone moderately tall. The machine embroidered bits mostly came on separate bits of organza, the intent being to have them sewn onto the shirt. This is probably done to cut costs but it brings the buyer a new dilemma; the bits of organza have to be sown using applique, which is something most tailors are not very good at. This makes the fact that the embroidery is not done directly on the shirt very obvious.

The dress was priced at Rs2,500 with no delivery charges. A formal dress at this price today is nothing short of a mini fashion miracle.

One lawn, two different outlets

To determine which retailer gives value for money we ordered a Zara Shahjahan three-piece embroidered unstitched lawn for Rs2,350 from a Faisalabad- and Lahore-based start-up Deals of the Day and the same outfit from an Islamabad-based retailer, Hooriya’s collection, for Rs1,499.

Original Zara Shajahan outfit. PHOTO: FACEBOOK

Although comparatively more expensive, the replica from Deal of the Day came pretty close to a carbon copy of the original. The colour scheme — grey lawn with white embroidery and colourful sleeves — was almost identical, barring the slightly louder hues on the dupatta. When it came to the fabric, however, it was no match to the designer wear. Even though the lawn is light and durable, it lacks the softness and glossy finish of the original.

With nearly 200,000 likes and relatively low-priced copies, Hooriya’s collection delivered a comparatively superior replica of the lawn outfit. But if you have eagle eyes, you spot out the light embroidery on the kameez and the slightly inferior fabric.

HooriyaCollection replica of Zara Shajahan

So, even though both retailers delivered a passable replica with almost identical detailing, Hooriya’s collection gives value for money. When it came to delivery, Deal of the Day values customer convenience. Although, their page states the free-of-cost delivery takes two to four working days, they deliver on weekends upon customer requests. Hooriya’s collection took two days to deliver as well and there were no delivery charges.

DealsOfTheDay replica of Zara Shajahan

Proceed to purchase

Overall, designers have nothing to fear from this new knock-off market, their product is still quite safe. For those who purchase these clothes not with the intention of passing off as designer wear, but rather to save time and money can rest assured they’ll be happy with their purchases.



However, for a first-time buyer, disappointment might be inevitable. You need to be invested in the imitation game to make the right choices. Here’s a beginner’s tip: Reign in the excitement and opt for outfits with minimal embroidery.

While the simple three-step process to order outfits online (select the outfit, message/WhatsApp the code to get a preview of the replica and then place the order) is time-saving and cost-effective, it rarely yields satisfactory results in terms of quality. But if you’re willing to make a few compromises, these copycat designer wear outlets would be right up your alley.