Fashion Police

Brides can get dresses anywhere, so it pays to keep an eye out for knockoff gowns

By Nola Sarkisian-Miller
CTW Features

With a troubled economy and rising bridal prices, some brides-to-be may be apt to bite on what seems to be an Internet steal for a coveted designer gown. Even budget-minded brides still have champagne tastes.

But, the Internet has led to the rise of knockoff manufacturing, with Web sites devoted to selling counterfeit goods or replicas of gowns typically priced above $2,000 retail. The ubiquity and transparency of the Internet opens up the door to dodgy designers who watch for photos uploaded from seasonal markets and runway shows. They can take note of that ombre waist or Chantilly lace detail and copy them into gowns with identical characteristics but with inferior fabrics and craftsmanship.

"The Internet has played a big factor in this," says Heather Levine, fashion and beauty editor of TheKnot.com. "On TheKnot.com, we alert brides to buy from authorized dealers. If they're nervous about the site, they should contact the Better Business Bureau."

Bridal designers such as Watters, Jim Hjelm, Demetrios and Maggie Sottero are fighting back by also posting warnings on their own Web sites for customers to be wary of buying gowns over the Internet.

"We're on it," says Joseph L. Murphy, president and CEO of JLM Couture, Inc., whose lines include Jim Hjelm, Lazaro and Alvina Valenta. "We send legal letters to these sites. We want to protect our brand, and also to protect brides. We get calls all the time about brides complaining that their dresses fell apart and they're not our dresses."

Bridal retailers are stepping up enforcement by preventing customers from taking pictures in their stores, which could wind up on the Internet as well. So at certain boutiques, brides will have to forego that signature moment of preening in a dream gown with mom and friends.

"With the iPhone, it's hard to enforce, but we try not to make it ugly," says Renee Strauss, owner of Renee Strauss for the Bride in Beverly Hills, where a gown with a veil and accessories averages $4,500.

There still are ways to trim costs when buying that fantasy gown. TheKnot.com suggests buying your designer favorites in simple styles that can reduce the amount of fabric needed in the silhouette. Brides can also shop winter and summer sample sales when designers are shedding inventory, often at 80 percent off retail prices.

Others may want to troll eBay and Craigslist for deals. For those feeling green, another alternative is to buy a used wedding gown, an option that may not appeal to all purists. SmartBride.net brings buyers and sellers together, most recently, featuring gowns from Christina Wu, Melissa Sweet and Rivini. Granted, these cost-cutting moves are all about self-service, leaving the customer-service element of the dress-buying ritual.

"When you're a bride, you want the full experience," Strauss says.

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