less fake Jimmy Choo shoes and Gucci shades

Below is an “open letter” by Slimane aimed at Cathy Horyn, the longstanding fashion editor of the New York Times. Although Horyn had not been invited to the YSL show, which took place during Paris Fashion Week, her review of Slimane’s YSL collection debut can best be described as “ouch.”The means streets of Philadelphia just got a little bit … well, they’re still pretty mean, but now there are less fake Jimmy Choo shoes and Gucci shades all over the place.

 Earlier this year, we talked about the nationwide effort by law officials to crackdown on sales of counterfeit luxury goods. Well, a story hit the web today in which one Philadelphia knockoff kingpin was busted with so many fake apparel, authorities hauled nearly 80 boxes off to a New Jersey warehouse to be destroyed. From Philly.com: “Wedged into one of South Street’s busier blocks, the Philadelphia store boasted the most stylish brands of bags and accessories: Gucci, Coach, Prada, Jimmy Choo, Fendi, Ugg, Dior, Chanel, Tiffany, Kate Spade, and so on. The only problem: Most of the goods were frauds.

 On Wednesday, a federal judge sentenced the shop owner, Yi Ping Zheng, to 44 months in prison for trafficking counterfeit goods. Zheng, a legal alien, also could face deportation back to China. The case represented a microcosm of the counterfeit goods racket, one that effectively steals billions of dollars in profits from legitimate manufacturers and is sometimes fueled by consumers who know but don’t care.”Unless you’re Katie Perry, Kerry Washington (Good morning, Kerry. I hope the day finds you well …) or Justin Bieber, you’ve got to have one of four things in order to garner a massive following: Clever Tweets Racy Photos An Awesome Twitter Name [@shoprdr] News that is important to your core audience At ShopRDR.com, racy photos aren’t really our forte — we’d rather show amazing pics containing discount fashion finds and the latest designer styles — so we’ve got three out of the four.

So if you love fashion, celebrities and up-to-the-minute info on your favorite luxury labels, join our social media movement and add us on Twitter today. Oh and hey, did I mention we’re also on Facebook?Ok – so maybe Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, and comparable American icons weren’t as concerned with fashion faux pas as they were, you know, establishing the United States Constitution – but you’ve gotta admit, a lot has changed since July 4, 1776, and if the Founding Fathers had to deal with the fashion woes of the modern world, perhaps they would’ve added a line or two about style in one of our nation’s official documents. Well, there is a bit about “the pursuit of happiness” in there. The definition of happiness, as we all know, can vary depending on whom you ask. Which is the point of today’s blog, defining your own sense of happiness within the world of fashion – for some, it may mean a strict adherence to the age-old rules that govern the fashion elite; for others, it may mean breaking said rules in order to discover your own fashion niche.