Located on 16 rue de la Faisanderie, walking through the tiny doors of the quaint museum is a mental test. You immediately start to wonder what is real and what's not. It is a trove of unharmed counterfeit goods, selected and placed to tell a history, that even as far back as the Romans counterfeiting was inevitable.
Visitors will start their tour in the main room, where behind glass displays you have various examples of counterfeiting. This ranges from direct copies to parody plays on luxury market iconic features. You are encouraged to examine the fake merchandise against their original counterparts, ranging from Chanel, Hermes, and bootleggers favorite brand Louis Vuitton.
Created in 1951, the museum is a testimony to counterfeiting, giving an overview of all the sectors that it affects, not just luxury fashion. Examples of fake prescriptions, pens, hair tools, and cigarettes are on display. A majority of their goods are from customs seizures, others donated by weariful consumers.
Although it seems harmless, purchasing counterfeit goods, the estimated revenue loss because of the knockoff products is evaluated at 500 billion. Of this, 40 million worth of goods were seized by EU customs. Consumers themselves put themselves unknowingly (sometimes knowingly) at risk. In several countries buying or holding these goods is an offense.
For students, and the educated fashion consumer alone this Musee is worth a visit. Next time you are in the Victor Hugo district of Paris stop by the Musee de la Contrefacon.
Source| Photo - Shria Nene
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