In New York all that glitters is not gold

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China Town, in New York. Photo Sarai Campo

In the city of fashion and luxury per excellence, all that glitters is not gold. Rolex, Prada, Gucci, Versace… many firms choose the Great Apple to settle their business and offer the latest in bags, shoes, suits and even bed linen to clients with money in their pockets.

The famous Fifth Avenue is just the gathering of all luxurious firms, but it's usual to find such boutiques throughout the whole city.

Thus, there are many outlets with interesting sales and possibilities to buy. A last-season Armani suit can be bought cheaper than half its original price, and searching and searching, bargains are quite usual.

But it's not all luxurious shops and outlet stores. There are many shops that sell copies of well-known items in the Great Apple.

China Town is the Mecca for copies. We all know brand copies, and are used to seeing street vendors selling bags supposed to be authentic, but China Town is a totally different world.

Copies are of an unimaginable quality and small shops are just showcases for a huge market of copies of luxury items.

Many come every day to the Chinese district to buy the "bargains" that are just copies of the originals. The organisation of salesmen is such that as you come into one of those shops they order you to switch off your camera and keep it in its case. Apparently there is no mystery in the shops, they hide "luxury items" with bags, glasses, watches and even humble suits, but after analysing the client and his buying intentions, they offer the possibility to get to know items imitating important brands.

False-bottom walls hiding tiny rooms full of copies of bags, ancient dirty factories with workshops and warehouses of such items… it's really a different world.

Police patrol the area without rest, but skilful salesmen challenge the strong security measures with much secretism and telephone in hand to offer items they describe as authentic and much cheaper than in department stores.

Even if all that glitters is not gold, this is also New York.