Has your life lost all meaning now that the APEC summit is over?Are you afraid you'll never feel as good as you did those first moments you saw Putin, Xi, Obama, Harper, Abe and the gang strutting around in their weirdly Star Trek-esque silk tunics?
If so, you're not alone; and help is at hand thanks to the benevolent graces of His Holiness Jack Ma.
Taobao, China's largest online retailer, has once again come to the rescue by offering the perfect antidote to the Post-APEC Blues: knock-off “APEC-style” traditional Chinese silk shirts as worn by world leaders and their wives at the annual gathering.
This year’s APEC attire got some worldwide attention, unfortunately not because of the reason Xi Jinping had hoped-which is “spreading traditional Chinese cultures as a signal of cultural renaissance”- but because of its resemblance to Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms and the costume worn by President Snow in The Hunger Games. As usual, pop culture triumphs.
According to a report by Beijing News, one doesn’t even have to break the bank to get their hands on the outfits, with some being sold at the low, low price of RMB 289 for men and RMB 399 for ladies (Putin coat sold separately). One seller said he had received over 20 orders in less than 12 hours.
However, a lawyer quoted in the article warns that making and profiting from these clothes could be illegal if the design is patented, which is obviously what every Taobao merchant dreads.
But on the bright side, the merchandisers can also easily dodge the copyright infringement charges by adding a pin to the shirt and sell them to cosplayers.
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