Are you wearing a designer label?

Have you ever wondered why 'branded' items can afford to be marked up significantly even though the material and design can be found and easily substituted with something similar at a fraction of the RRP sans the logo? Does it even make sense to pay more while being a walking billboard for the brand / designer, knowing that they are manufactured in China or 3rd world countries? I certainly don't get it. Could it be possible that it makes me a better person if I wear a pair of Jimmy Choo heels, when the logo is invisible under your feet? We have a whole generation of people growing up with brands such as Nike and Adidas and they are die-hard devotees who have created a logo culture in the process. 

Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and YSL are a few of the iconic designers I come to appreciate and adore. I read about them in biographies and watched numerous DVDs (different versions / actors/ actresses) which I thoroughly enjoyed. While I can't afford owning their masterpieces nor do I want to, I can't help but admire their ingenuity and creativity, their boldness and fashion sense. But do I want to wear something with their logo imprinted explicitly on my chest? I don't think so.

So what does it mean when we refer to something bought on 'high street'? Brands to me are the equivalence to 'shops'. You are looking at fast fashion moguls like H&M, Zara, Cotton On, etc...where you can find cheap, tat and identical merchandise with a target of the very young ones in every one of them. And of course, it is a euphemism for all brands which are not designer. Why is there a demarcation between the designers brand and the generic to start with? Where does the smaller, independent brand fit in? Get a celebrity donning your pieces and share it on Instagram and you become 'successful' instantly overnight. 

The turn of the millennium brought about a new wave of brand exploitation, thanks to the collaboration culture, where emerging brands leverage their connections with more established companies to increase their exposure. Why do we covet a branded pair of sunglasses, even though the size, shape and colour are far from flattering on our face? Are we just paying to wear the logo on the arms and not  for the actual shades with anti-UV properties? Why is the logo more important than the actual product , the substance of which has become almost inconsequential?

I am a 'brandless' person as I do believe that anyone can look stunning when you are wearing your colour, your style personality, and knowing how to mix and match to create new outfit combinations even out of rags. Money might buy us convenience and some sort of comfort but wearing branded garments or something expensive don't necessarily transform a person's look from meh to wow. Besides, why would you want to be a walking advertisement for someone you don't even know? I'd pay for quality and craftmanship but definitely not the little label attached to the back of the neckline.