Christian Dior died more than 40 years ago, but the fashion force that is the Dior brand is still influential today. His death rocked the fashion world and sent shockwaves through the industry. Fashionistas were devastated by his early death and the world felt the tremendous loss of the talented creative icon. The fact that Dior has been dead for almost a half century may come as a shock to the average reader, but that merely reinforces the continuing prevalence of the Dior brand name.

On any sunny day on the Pullman campus, there are a number of sunglasses featuring the “Dior” name across the sides — products that easily retail for more than $300. The reason for this phenomenon is not that those sunglasses are vintage and original. Or even that the ghost of Dior is designing from the grave. The reason is marketing. The House of Dior has licensed out their illustrious name as a way to increase profit – at the expense of fashion. Dior is not alone in these deceiving money-making ploys. Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein all license their name brands to other companies to produce scarves, jewelry and fragrances that the designers themselves had no say in designing. Designers are not the only ones that bank on their names. Celebrities, sport teams and corporations such as Coca-Cola, NASCAR and Martha Stewart all participate in licensing. Even WSU does it. The university manages more than 300 licenses to companies to produce clothing, school supplies and dinnerware that we all purchase just because it is emblazoned with the Cougar logo. So my question is, why spend money on expensive labels that boast the name of someone who has no hand in the actual production? The key to being a fashionista is not to buy the biggest name brands, but to be a smart consumer and knowing who really designs what. One way to start is to stop purchasing items from dead designers.

So, fashionistas, beware before you splurge on that pair of Dior sunglasses, Chanel perfume or even that Cougar sweatshirt. Make sure you are really buying a product from your favorite designer and be wary of who really is profiting from your purchase.