Fact of the matter is, people at Reload (and other small, locally owned businesses) tend to grow a chip on their shoulder when companies like Urban Outfitters take their "spin" off their product, have it manufactured in China or Vietnam, slap a price on it that is less than half of what Reload sells it for and calls it quits for the day. Sure, not everything in our world is sweatshop free. That's obvious. It is actually pretty damned alienating if you ever stop and try to get your head around all the problems we face in our modern world. I think what is trying to get across is that Reload and us at Fabric Horse try to do our part. We are doing what we know best and contributing in perhaps a small way, but at least it's something. If everyone tried to make a change in at least a small way, then isn't it nice to believe that perhaps our world would start to change as well? Call me idealistic, but I would much rather have a positive spin on the world than a negative. When a large company like UO makes a $50 version of a $100 USA made product, then everything we have been working towards as domestic manufacturers becomes bastardized. Not only are we trying to make quality, custom products that our customers cherish, but we are aiming towards helping to educate the public about the importance and value in supporting domestic production and small business. So, when that large company who shares the same home town of a reputable small business and bastardizes their product it's like a thorn in your side, and yet another obstacle in your path; but hey, that's the name of the game, and we all knew that when we chose the path of doing our own thing. You, Mr. Anonymous, have your feelings on the issue, we have ours. We will never agree, and that's why you work for Urban Outfitters, and we are working towards change. By the way, I am familiar with how UO has "some domestic manufacturing" but that cannot be an excuse to say they are doing their part as well. They are exploitative and treat their employees likes slaves. I can say that because I personally know several people that have been thru their ringer.
If you are real creative, and you can change the colors of this bag with the colors UO chose, then you can see they look pretty darn similar. . .
Reload:
Urban:
You really have nothing to stand on stating that these bags look nothing alike, my dear Mr. Anonymous. Let's just call it a day shall we?
i must admit that i was employed by urban when they opened their store in birmingham, and it's sad how frequently they rip off any and everything. i worked there for 6 months and after becoming extremely disillusioned by the way that "youth culture" is taken from something original, sent to china, boxed up and sold back to the masses i packed up and went to work for a small photo studio.
ReplyDeletei love what you at fabric horse and the folks over at reload due. keep it up please.
i can't spell.
ReplyDeletei've said it once before, and i'll say it again. those bags look in NO way similar. in fact, they look like dozens, if not hundreds, of messenger bags i've seen throughout the marketplace.
ReplyDeletewho ever said "anonymous" was a man? that's pretty sexist.
ReplyDeleteThis blog never really got anywhere, but I always thought it was a cool idea: http://urbncounterfeiters.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteIn other words you aren't alone.
Though I do kind of agree that the UO bag could just be called "generic messenger bag that no messenger in their right mind would ever wear"
Yes, dbag. You are absolutely correct. I stand corrected. Anonymous could be a Mr. or a Ms.
ReplyDeleteWhy the hell are so many people defending UO of all places? I think the RELoad bags and the UO bags are totally different (especially since I own a RELoad bag), but any UO bashing is always welcome. They steal other designs then EVERYONE buys them and I have to see the same shirt over and over and over...
ReplyDeleteI totally understand where REload is coming from on this one. i work for a messenger bag company and would be pretty upset if UO was selling a bag that looks exactly like the one's we make. and this isn't the first time that something like this has happened with UO and we all know it.
ReplyDeletethe shitty thing is that we also know that a company like this wont stop as long as they are making money on it.
im not trying to defend uo but if someone doesnt have $250 to buy a reload bag and they buy one of these whats the problem exactly, its a free market place. If these bags are nothing like yours then why get all bitter about them making bags?
ReplyDeletei think what needs to happen anonymous is the people just need to understand the power that their money has. spending $50 on an imprted bag doesn't help anybody really, especially on a local level where as buying something that is made domestically goes a lot further.
ReplyDeleteim totally for all that and i really want to get a reload once i get some funds but if said person needs a bag to carry shit in and they only have $50 doesnt that help them because now that have a bag then can afford.
ReplyDeletei just hope that if someone "needs" something they don't up in uo.
ReplyDeleteSERIOUSLY... I'm over this whole 'messenger' thing.
ReplyDeleteBut.. don't buy anything from the big guys, support the small guy who is supporting US. US being cyclists, punks, drunks, whatever. They maek the stuff so we buy the stuff and support them. In turn, when one of us makes something they buy it and support us. That's how it works !!
I have to say, I've been in exactly the same situation but had exactly the opposite reaction to this situation. I am Rob Honeycutt, founder of Timbuk2. We were probably knocked off more times than anyone else in the bag industry. TheGap, Old Navy and tons of others. My partner used to get all wigged out every time another one came out. My response was always, "Hey, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!" You can't stop the knockoffs. You just keep doing what you do and hope to improve. Cheap knock offs will come and go. It's your job to just brush it off and do what you know you do well. Why waste time and energy on the likes of those guys? And personally, I always felt like a challenge in the marketplace was good for me. Like Nietzschi said, "What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger." And hey, if a little competition causes you to close your doors, you're in the wrong business.
ReplyDelete@robhon:
ReplyDeleteYou know what? I completely agree with you. I was pretty back and forth on this subject but really, the only visible solution to this issue is to just accept this as reality and move on. I myself am 100% for supporting the small locally owned company in favor of helping out the domestic economy but I cannot argue with a quote. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." The reality is this, the big name company/corporation will do whatever it can to make some extra money. All that can be done is for the individual to recognize when knock-offs happen (and I'm inclined to say that it's nigh impossible to know this every single time) and abstain from them.
okay i did it, i bought the bag for urban, i am a big fan of reload and never would try and knock anyone off. here is the story of the bag. i was at dinner at good dog with a vendor of mine, he rides bikes and so do i. so we were talking about bike shops in philly and he wanted to make a line of bike bags, i said that would be cool let em know how it comes out. so he made some bags showed them to me and we at urban bought some. end of story. we talked about re load and all the other bag companies. but no where was i like hey knock off re load. so calm down.
ReplyDeletewhere he made the bags and how i do not know. i am not a fan of sweat shops and i know i work for urban. and also i know i "sold out" and i really do not care. at the end of the day i want to make rent, pay my student loans, save up to buy a house and may be buy a ring for my gril friend. oh and be able to go to the doctors. so if having a good job is not selling out i am good with that
hahahahah thats awesome they got all butt hurt for nothing, calm down over there at reload and just dont sell out like timbuk2 did
ReplyDeletei hear Dustin Klein of Cadence fame shops at urban.
ReplyDelete"About a year and a half ago I was very interested in the idea of the subliminal effect of different positive phrases in our everyday environments. I also felt that a hand painted message would have a stronger and more humanistic effect. It turns out that not only has someone else enjoyed my work but they have sold photos of it to Urban Outfitters who markets it in a "wall mural package" with a modest price tag of $200.00. Standard move on the part of OU exploit all that is orginal. Ohh and they said no way to getting me one of these things...fuckers!"
ReplyDeletefrom the cadence blog