Stop worshipping brands and designers, you sheep!
7-4-2026
Translation: Elicia Payne
Why’s there such a huge fuss about certain products? I just don’t get it and in my opinion, you’re paying a lot of money just to fit in.
Is having designer furniture important to you? Are Android phones completely out the question for aesthetic reasons? If you had the money for one, would you definitely have a Louis Vuitton bag?
If you answer a single one of these questions with «yes», you probably won’t like what I’m about to say. Trigger warning, you trophy shopper: I’m about to give you a real talking-to.
First of all, let me say: begone pretentious nonsense!
Of course, I’m not advocating buying cheap junk from Temu, Shein, and the like. Quality comes at a price. But I think it’s ridiculous to pay several times what you’d pay for an equivalent generic product just to get a designer item or a brand-name product. Especially when it’s on par in terms of functionality – that is, when it serves its purpose.
Meaningless movement
This whole prestige thing is really just a pyramid scheme fuelled by peer pressure: someone started it all by portraying themselves as superior, hyping up an object or piece of clothing as something special. And because no one wanted to make a fool of themselves by telling that person it was complete nonsense – perhaps out of fear of being excluded in some way – everyone went along with it. And just like that a trend was born.
This takes me back to the 1990s – in high school, practically everyone had an Invicta backpack. It was the school bag you HAD to have. If you didn’t have it, you weren’t cool. But what was so special about it? Nothing – except that it had «Invicta» written in big letters on it. Was it any better than any other backpack? Not that I could tell. But woe betide you if you didn’t have an Invicta.
Back when I was in school, «Invicta» used to be in much bigger letters, and it looked a lot more like a school bag.
This harmless case shows that I grew up in a time when people didn’t pay as much attention to branded clothing. Later came Levi’s jeans, Adidas sneakers, Casio watches, Air Jordans, Lacoste shirts, Ray-Ban sunglasses, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Doc Martens, Fila, Timberland, iPhones, Ugg boots, Ed Hardy, Crocs, Vans, and Beats by Dre. And so on, and so on. And things got even worse.
Spend my pennies on something like this? No way!
Designer or no designer – that’s the question
Today, people don’t focus on comparable attributes, but on name, image and prestige. Those are all things that seem to carry a lot of significance, but are reflected nowhere else except in the price. This shows there must be much more at stake than just functionality – and we find ourselves caught between illusion and reality. Or, between having and not having. And those who own designer pieces, branded clothes and the latest iPhone are simply the cooler ones, the better ones.
Get it? It’s like on in the school playground. Because it’s about identity and setting yourself apart from others. Unfortunately, this problem extends far beyond school age and is leading to more and more young adults falling into debt. How stupid!
Among older adults, brand obsession is often accompanied by a fascination with design. Of course, an Eames chair is both beautiful and comfortable. But why should I pay several times as much for it as I would for another chair that’s nice enough and pretty comfortable?
The cushion for the chair alone is expensive enough.
What’s wrong with Ikea furniture? To me, it’s the epitome of functionality – and well-designed, I’d say as a design newbie.
The funny thing is, with Ikea you see a sort of backlash against mainstream taste – once everyone has Ikea furniture, it becomes uncool. At least in the eyes of those who want something exquisite. When you flip this on its head, though, would Gucci lose its cool factor if everyone had Gucci?
Let’s face it, it’s all about «belonging» and setting oneself apart from the «riffraff». That’s why we look up to the Kardashians, the Beckhams, and other nepo babies. We believe they have an advantage over us. So we buy the things that they – and Hollywood stars, professional football players, and influencers – also have (though a Rolex usually remains out of reach). It’s like peer pressure to «fake it till you make it».
It’s like with art: «Wow, this installation is so avant-garde! I don’t really understand what it’s trying to say, but if I don’t understand it, it must be remarkably good.» Or along the lines of «Interesting ending to this arthouse film. I don’t really get it – so it must be a genius piece of work!»
I’d prefer having no taste
This is how we create an aura of exclusivity and luxury that no one dares to challenge. Otherwise, you might end up coming across as someone with no taste or no appreciation for «beauty».
I don’t agree. I also wear clothes from C&A and shoes from Dosenbach; every room has Ikea furniture, and I have an Android phone that was already outdated when I bought it second-hand. And no, these things don’t end up in the trash after a year. Because I’m the type of person who doesn’t mind if my smartphone isn’t super fast or if a T-shirt that was originally black eventually turns grey.
I'm not doing this out of spite, nor out of conviction (at least, I don’t think so). But simply because it’s enough – it works just fine this way. And because I’m not willing to pay a lot for some kind of «aura» just to make myself seem more special than I am.
And that’s exactly what I want to say to everyone who’s fallen victim to brands and trends – you don’t need that to feel good about yourself; you’re good enough.
What brand or product hype do you not understand?
Header image: Unsplash / Ramsés Cervantes
I'm a freelance journalist, communications manager and versatile writer. I prefer to write about topics that fall somewhere between drivel and social relevance.
Opinion
This is a subjective opinion of the editorial team. It doesn't necessarily reflect the position of the company.
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