For decades, buying a fake was shameful. You hid the logo. Today, finding a $20 "dupe" (duplicate) of a $2,000 designer bag and bragging about it on TikTok is a status symbol. Marketing analyst Jason Fields investigates this massive cultural shift in "The Dupe Economy." Fields argues that Gen Z sees through the "brand tax"—the artificial markup for a logo—and views finding dupes as a form of financial intelligence and anti-capitalist rebellion. He analyzes how fast-fashion giants like Shein and Temu have weaponized this trend, destroying the mid-market. The book warns legacy brands that their traditional storytelling no longer works. When "good enough" is just a click away, quality and heritage are harder to sell. Fields offers a roadmap for businesses to survive in a post-loyalty world, where the customer cares more about the aesthetic than the authenticity.