There is an important debate that’s very current in the design world about buying genuine authorised versions of a particular design vs. buying a reproduction (or fake). This debate has always been there simmering away, but the lid was blown off recently whenever Samantha Cameron, the Prime Minister’s wife, purchased a reproduction of the Arco Floor Lamp. A design classic, Arco was designed by brothers Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1962 and is manufactured by Flos. Samantha Cameron bought her version for £250 from Iconic Lights. An authentic Arco retails at £1,620 (from Aram). Quite a difference.
Michelle Ogundehin, Editor-in-Chief of ELLE Decoration UK, blogged about her disconcertion and irritation when she read that Samantha Cameron had purchased a “knock-off” Arco lamp. Michelle believes that whether or not we purchase replica designer furniture is a “moral issue”, saying the argument is “about authenticity and the principle of respecting design authorship.”
I firmly believe reproductions are rip-offs. I feel strongly that buying an iconic design piece means buying the genuine article. I value design that is aesthetic, timeless, distinctive, sustainable and honest. I would ask how is it possible to have an emotional connection to something that is fake? My relationship with design is an impassioned one. The look, feel, craftsmanship, history and effort are all of consequence, be they in a chair, a light or a designed interior. I do wonder sometimes though about the place of furniture, home products and lighting design in the UK. I think many people have an unconscious relationship with such design; they are disconnected. They often don’t think about a sofa for example as anything other than what you sit on. Consequently they don’t invest in a sofa in the same way they might invest in a car.
Developing a relationship with design is, I believe, important in helping to inspire a shift in attitude about the place and history of good design. As a nation we’ve been swamped with so many quick fix programmes and so-called celebrity designers who can transform a house in a matter of hours. A quick fix or cheap purchase really is a false economy. I see nothing wrong in thinking about design as aspirational. We aren’t all in a position where we can, forthwith, go out and buy every design piece that we want. Rather than compromise, making do and waiting for the right time to buy is perfectly respectable, even admirable.
Reproductions of iconic design pieces are cheaper than the real thing, but think about why that might be. The quality of the final product will certainly be substandard, attention to detail will be minimised and craftsmanship will suffer. I believe that when you buy a product from Vitra, Flos or Republic of Fritz Hansen for example, you are not only buying the genuine article, but you are buying a piece crafted with love, attention and knowing. Furthermore with the real thing comes excellent functionality and sustainability; it should be seen as an investment. Lastly, there is, I believe, a responsibility on all of us to treat iconic design with due respect.
