A quick search online will yield dupes for just about anything. A cocktail of the ever-spinning trend cycle, mixed with financial instability that makes people want more for their money, has shifted the perception of dupes from uncool knock-offs to a way of sign-posting fashion savvy and finesse.

Dupes – skin and beauty products that perform near-identically to brand name mainstays and holy grails – are on the rise. Blogs and TikTokers help savvy consumers to get the effect they want without breaking the bank, meaning that brand names might struggle to maintain loyalty and keep up.

Brand loyalty as we know it is declining among Gen Z audiences as they renegotiate the terms of the business-customer relationship. While this generation has the capacity for some of the deepest bonds, brands will need to meet them where they are with a new set of priorities.

Reddit’s r/RepLadies community is challenging the cultural cachet attached to authentic luxury goods by discussing and trading counterfeit bags and clothes. They’re not doing so out of necessity or frugality, but rather because of a sense of alienation from high-end labels.