From Copy to Culture in the Rise of Dupe Bags on Indonesian Social Media

<p class="ql-align-justify">The emergence of dupe bags on Indonesian social media reflects a shift in the meanings attached to digital consumer behavior. Imitation designs inspired by iconic luxury bags are increasingly framed by users as a means of expressing self-identity, financial pragmatism, and alternative forms of positioning within a global brand-dominated consumer culture. Across posts on Instagram and TikTok, dupe bags are depicted through visual displays that emphasize affordability, everyday lifestyles, and local pride. This study employs a qualitative descriptive approach within the framework of Stuart Hall’s theory of representation and Michel Foucault’s concept of discourse. Data were collected from social media content produced by local brands such as Sincerely Sea and Kaynn and analyzed using visual semiotic and critical discourse analyses. The results show that consumers actively construct symbolic meanings through digital aesthetics, which reconfigure prevailing notions of luxury and authenticity. Additionally, platform restrictions on the term “dupe” on TikTok encourage users to develop alternative communicative strategies, such as using substitute terms or providing meaning indirectly through images and visual narratives. These dynamics indicate that dupe bags not only function as consumer goods but also serve as symbolic sites within the negotiation of meaning between global brand norms and local user creativity. Within Indonesian digital culture, dupe bags operate as symbolic sites where values, identities, and forms of cultural belonging are continuously negotiated.</p>