What happens when a $30 “Walmart Birkin” goes viral on TikTok while resale sites list real Hermès bags for $30,000? Values are redefined.
In a world where dupes and fast fashion dominate our feeds and where vintage designer finds are a badge of honor for some shoppers, the definition of luxury is changing. Vintage and second-hand shopping offers a more ethical, unique and meaningful way to access luxury.
“It’s not just about the price tag but instead the thrill and uniqueness of the find,” explains sophomore architecture major Maddie Roh. “I found a perfectly-conditioned Balenciaga bag at an outdoor market in Brickell for less than a fourth of its retail price.”
In recent years, many people, especially college students, are balancing tight budgets and big fashion dreams. While designer fashion once symbolized exclusivity and quality, the rise of dupes, fast fashion and vintage shopping reveals a cultural shift. More people are starting to care more about aesthetics and accessibility than labels, and is this a bad thing?
Scroll through TikTok or Instagram, and it won’t be long before you’re shown ads for fake Louis Vuitton, Goyard totes or other designer brands so convincing they’re nearly indistinguishable from the real deal. But does this undermine the integrity of the original brand? Often, luxury brands spend decades perfecting their craftsmanship and are rooted in artistry.
Duplicates prey on this intellectual work, profiting off the industry without contribution. When you think ethically, the normalization and consumption of these products is damaging to the fashion industry. Beyond simply copying designs, this market is linked to exploitative labor, unsafe working conditions, and even organized crime.
However, when shopping directly from designer brands like Chanel, Gucci or Bottega Veneta, it’s still important to ask if the price matches the quality. There’s growing skepticism about whether the markup is always justified. As logos become more central to a brand’s appeal than quality or craft, some pieces seem to be more about status than substance. If a $100 imitation looks and feels nearly identical to a $2,000 original, it makes you wonder if consumers are being sold quality or just paying for a status symbol.
For most of Gen Z, if the bag looks good, feels good, and holds up over time, it doesn’t really matter if it didn’t come with a certificate of authenticity. This generation tends to value aesthetic and affordability over the legitimacy of the “real thing.” With platforms like TikTok normalizing dupes and vintage finds, Gen Z has helped blur the line between “real” and “real enough.”
Even public figures are starting to recognize the dupe dilemma. “Real Housewives” star Bethenny Frankel took to TikTok to say that the “people who are gonna be pissed off about it are assholes because they’re not interesting people and flexing a bag is the most interesting thing about them.”
While social media helped popularize dupes, it also brought the vintage movement back to life. With second hand shops becoming more popular, people are hunting for vintage designer bags everywhere — from upscale vintage boutiques to their local Goodwill.
The rise of resale platforms like The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, and Grailed represents a major shift in how people consume luxury. Second Hand luxury is now becoming not only acceptable but also arguably desirable. For example, I found my favorite Gucci heels on The RealReal for just $60, a fraction of the original price, and they looked nearly brand new.
These platforms allow consumers to shop sustainably, affordably and ethically without having to compromise brand reputation. Finding an original vintage designer piece is arguably a much more rewarding experience than buying designer directly. These pieces come with a story, craftsmanship, and pristine value that holds up over time.
“Vintage clothing carries more of a timeless element that can’t be replicated in the way fast fashion can,” explains high school student Hudson McDonald. “Old designer pieces hold more character and boldness than modern clothing that is often mass produced.”
So what does this mean for luxury now, when the vintage market has very quickly become its own industry entirely?
Fashion has always been about self-expression, but now it’s less about what something costs and more about how it makes us feel. That shift is both exciting and necessary. It’s important to question what makes something “worth it” and avoid the consumer attitude of wanting whatever the “new thing” is.
Today, new questions are shaking the luxury industry. Do you choose the dupe for the look? The vintage piece for the story? Or the real deal for the craftsmanship? There is no wrong answer however, every purchase affects the market. What you buy reflects what you value whether it’s aesthetics, ethics, sustainability or status.
The important thing is being intentional. In a culture obsessed with consumption, making conscious fashion decisions, no matter your budget, can be a powerful act of self-definition.
But at the end of the day, being “boujee” doesn’t have to come with a $3,000 price tag. Sometimes, it’s about finding a $30 gem at a thrift store and styling it like a million bucks.