Fourteen years ago, I walked down Dong Khoi street and it was mostly packed down earth with bits of pavement here and there. I hopped on the back of a Xe Om and the driver would take me to work; with a pit stop at Paris Deli on Dong Khoi. There, I would savor my cafe sua da and croissant, before heading into District 3.
Today, I strolled down Dong Khoi in the hot February sun and slipped into an air conditioned store advertising itself as an outlet for high-end designers. The dress looked just like the one gracing the glossy pages of Vogue and Marie Claire. One particular dress was purple with polka dots in silk with lace cut-outs patched on the sides. I took a closer look and flipped the tag over to see the Dolce and Gabbana label, complete with a hologram label. I flipped back the hem seams to reveal a mesh and mess of jumbled thread that was loose and unraveling. Clearly someone did not set the correct tension on the sewing machine. I was shocked to see shoulder straps sewn on after the lining had been completed; leaving about 2 inches of strap dangling open inside the dress. This particular dress listed for about 25million vnd - about $1250USD. I was appalled at the audacity that someone would pass off an obvious fake for an astronomical price. The sales gals stared at me in curiosity. I asked her where the dress was made and she said, it's made in Italy. The two sales gals looked at each other and commented on why the customer would be skeptical of the authenticity of their products. She looked at me again and said, it is made in Italy. I wondered if she has ever seen a real Dolce and Gabbana dress? I asked her, do you think the tailoring on this dress is professional? I inverted the dress and exposed the dangling jumbled threads and the excess shoulder strap . Sincerely, I do believe these gals thought they were selling the real thing, which made me wonder, did the retailer get swindled when he bought wholesale? It's possible as well, since some really good fakes are actually made in the same factories that sell the authentic luxury brands. In fact, counterfeiters spend an exorbitant amount of time and expense on labels and holograms. I left the store, informing the sales gals that I did not know where their dresses were made, but they were NOT Dolce and Gabbana.
A few stores down at Milan, I was relieved to see real Dolce and Gabbana, at real Dolce and Gabbana prices. Which obviously was way over my shopping budget, but I couldnt help admiring the materials, seams and designs. They were meticulously put together, the seams were flawless and the Alencon lace was breathtaking. Each piece, with delicate ruching in key areas, would have hidden many imperfections and beautified the woman it graced. The colors were defining and striking, from classic black to deep hues of majestic purple. It branded someone as classy with an edge; definitely not boring, nor attention-seeking. But it had gravitational pull, because it was compelling. More importantly, it was the woman who carried the apparel that would bring it to life.
