| As someone who knows a lot about the design and manufacture of outdoor wear, I can tell you this:
Some of the fakes you can find at Xiang Yang (if you shop very carefully) are virtually at the *same* quality level as the brand names they imitate. Consider this: The famous brands only use contract factories in places like China to manufacture their "high-end" products. All the materials originate in Asia, the nylon and polyester fabrics, the laminates, the hardware, and the exterior coatings. The intrinsic cost to manufacture a full-fledged, fully-equipped outdoor jacket with all the correct hardware and surface treatments is *not* anywhere near the retail price in USA or Europe! This stuff is nylon and polyester, which literally spews out from giant looms in China. North Face, Nike, - not one of those brands manufacture anywhere in any economy higher than China, period. Whether it's bound for the North Face store in Berkeley, or any other market, it's made in harsh labor conditions by factories that are squeezed down to the penny by their "high end" Western contractees. I spent a whole day at Xiang Yang, turning jackets inside-out and scrutinizing down to the smallest esoteric detail (for example, the way armpit vent slashes are stitched and terminated under the lining, right into the hot-taped Gore-coated seams - none of which can be seen without removing the inner lining). While a lot of the stuff tourists are exposed to is fake junk, some of it [at Xiang Yang market] is of top quality. With focused bargaining, the two jackets I bought there were just a small adder above the true cost of manufacture. You really do have to be careful, and most of what you will see is junk or so-so. Pay close attention to detail and set aside at least a few hours to do careful research if you want to buy anything. |
Xiangyang Market - the Shopping Paradise