When trademark infringement becomes a force for good

The NYU Costume Studies program’s new exhibit “Gray Area; Authenticity, Value and Subversion in Fashion” raises big questions in an industry now trembling under the beady eyes of Diet Prada. While the accepted thinking is that bootlegs, riffs and counterfeits should bring shame, and possible financial ruin, on any opportunist encroaching on the intellectual copyright of our most beloved brands, the definition of authenticity begins to blur when confronted with many of the pieces that have been curated in this gallery setting.