Last summer, I went to a tea at an anime convention where Putumayo was a guest. Because the brand wasn't as well known the rules were lax and many people bought a small accessory to attend.
Metamorpose is a much bigger brand but I've sold almost all of my Meta. I'm buying something to wear to meet the designer at a convention.
Imagi Nation doesnt fit in Angelic Pretty, so she commissions someone to sew her a dress that looks just like bunny pockets to wear to meet the designers.
I'll admit straight out that the "fake" in quotes was mostly because of all the talk about [not actually] fake geek girls, which made me think of this parallel. But, is it really the same? Are there ethical issues with any of these situations?
And to take it a step farther, when is someone actually a lolita? And in this somewhat brand centric fashion, what qualifies someone as a fan?