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Dupe Culture
Some brands like Lululemon and Olaplex are embracing the rise of #dupe subculture.
Kieran Ryan
June 10, 2024
You used to get ridiculed or made fun of for getting caught wearing a counterfeit good.
Today, consumers love a good dupe–Internet slang for a “duplicate” product.
Nearly one-third (31%) of U.S. adults intentionally bought a counterfeit product, and brands are leaning in. Lululemon, the popular athletic apparel company, offered fans in Los Angeles the chance to swap in their dupe of its popular $98 Align tights in-store for the real thing. Olaplex, the premium haircare brand, joined the narrative around dupe culture with a playful campaign by duplicating its product under a new name, OLAPLEX, which became OLADUPÉ.
While most people buy dupes for the savings, many admitted to doing so even though they could afford the authentic version.
Experts predict the trend will have staying power, as dupe discourse can be found across every online medium, from blogs to YouTube to TikTok. TikTok videos with the #dupe hashtag have already racked up ~6 billion views.
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