BEAUTY
What's The TikTok 'Dupe' Trend?
By JOSEE NG
TikTok is an endless hole of trends, and while some people find these trends entertaining, others see them as controversial. One such topic is the ‘dupe’ trend, where TikTok users joke about finding products from lesser-known brands that are cheaper duplicates of products from recognized brands.
For instance, TikTok user ethancheatwod uploaded a clip of two people picking up a bra from Walmart and referring to it as a Victoria’s Secret dupe. However, not everyone finds this trend amusing, like Marie Dewet, founder of MaisonCléo, who called out online retailers for selling lookalikes stolen from her brand’s design.
The dupe trend has given owners of original products a headache because it’s one thing to snatch a great deal, but it’s quite another to buy an exact copy of a product and promote plagiarism. Additionally, the popularity of dupes encourages unrestrained consumption of fast fashion, which could be detrimental to the planet in the long run.