i couldn’t agree more. i grew up partly in pakistan, mostly in the middle east and the obsession some people over there have with labels is ridiculous. people are definitely more aware of how to use a label as a status symbol. and more often than not, it ties into wanting to be more “white”, whatever that means. the funny part is, most of the white people i know don’t care about brands and even if they do, recognize that they might not be able to afford them and that’s ok.