It's hard to understand people's fascination with all things branded.  And when I say branded, I mean high-fashion brands like LV, Prada and the likes.  No offense to people who are actually patronizing these products.   

For years now, I've always wondered what was so gratifying about wearing a ridiculously expensive piece of clothing or pair of shoes or a bag, with all those monograms.  I mean, to my way of thinking...these people should be paying the consumers for actually buying their stuff.  It's like the designers are having their cake and eating it too.  Tons of cash from sales and free advertising.

But my gripe isn't with the designers and makers of these ridiculously expensive items, it's actually with the consumers.  People who use the "fake" versions or as I've discovered, class A or whatever "Class" it is they call the stuff that's almost like the real thing. 

It's funny and somewhat pathetic really.  How rational people end up going loco over a piece that's not even genuine.  I know someone who was actually disappointed to find out that it wasn't advisable to use Class A LV luggages when traveling to the US because she might end up being denied entry for using replicas.  And she grumbles about how she might as well buy ordinary luggages from UCB (though original)...and I got to wondering.  What was wrong with that?  Does using stuff that is less expensive demeaning?  Is using stuff with no brand at all revolting?

Has consumerism really consumed our humanity that we can't even appreciate beauty and art without attaching a price tag to it?