With designer handbags among the top counterfeited products in the world, Galway fashionista, Gayle Poppers of The Sustainable Studio, has advice on how to spot a fake luxury bag.
OK, so let's rule out the fantastic plastic lookalikes on market stalls for a tenner on your sunshine holiday! Hate to tell you, but they’re not actually handmade classics from the likes of Chanel, Gucci or Louis Vuitton.
However, there are so many near perfect replicas and super fakes out there, that even retailers can get caught out. And, with the circular fashion economy gaining ground, and many of us buying and selling pre-loved designer style, it does pay to have a little insider knowledge.
I have training and have developed a professional eye for the tell-tale signs of fakes. Plus, reputable resellers will use AI software such as Entrupy to conclusively verify the authenticity of bags. This type of technology compares images on a database of millions of both authentic and inauthentic items.
For the untrained eye, two important points are that, firstly, designer handbags are made by craftsmen to exceptional standards, often hand-finished. And, secondly, if the price seems too good to be true, it usually is.
Flaws you simply won’t see in designer bags include irregular stitching, uneven brand or date stamps, the wrong colour lining or poor-quality fabric. Hardware on authentic pieces, like straps and fastenings, is generally solid brass, and its weight and quality is not usually replicated in fakes.
Direct comparison is helpful, so if you’re buying a bag a friend already owns or can access photos on a brand’s website, that could useful. Look out for stampings and compare the font and symmetry, and do a little research on serial numbers and date codes. If you know the year a particular design was launched or ceased production, the date stamp should correspond.
As well as ensuring a bag is genuine, savvy shoppers want to find purchases accompanied by the original box and dust bag, and ideally a store receipt or guarantee. Sadly, these can be faked by serious counterfeiters, too.
Louis Lookalikes
Replica Louis Vuitton bags are common and, with the huge variety in style and finishes, it can be tricky to decide if you have an original or not.
The trademark heat stamp, the embossed Louis Vuitton label, can be on the outside of the vachetta trim, on hardware detailing, or on the strap. Inside, it may be stitched on the lining or, in newer styles, on a leather or cloth tag. This stamp should be clear, centred, with crisp letters and no signs of sloppy or bleeding letters. Lettering is thin and crisp and the 'o’ must be a perfect circle shape, not an oval.
Any engraving which is shallow and not very sharp should ring alarm bells!
Authentic Louis Vuitton handbags since the 1980s have date codes; although some vintage bags don't. They are usually inside a seam on the inside, or within a pocket. Date codes begin with two letters followed by four numbers. The first and third numbers represent the week of the year, and the second and fourth numbers represent the year.
Since March 2021 Louis Vuitton date codes were discontinued and bags now have an RFID chip inside, which can be scanned.
LV, in particular, always ensure items are symmetrical, including printed tags. Even the fabric pattern always matches up at the seams, whereas fakes generally don’t have this level of detail.
To be 100% sure, it's best to buy from reputable resellers offering independent certificates of authenticity.
Bag Rescue
Most people will covet and care for a designer handbag, storing it in its dustbag, and keeping it off floors and dirty surfaces. And, that is why our business in preloved designer items is so good; most of the stock we take in is in excellent quality, barely used, and can look almost new.
That’s not to say, however, that you should disregard a jumble sale find or a preloved designer bag that’s maybe had a little too much love!
When you have a well-made piece, crafted in quality materials from the start, a professional restoration expert can do marvellous things with luxury items like a bag or wallet. Piping and trims can be repaired or restored, and straps or fittings can be newly made, or replaced with genuine hardware from the same label, for authenticity.
Luxury items are strong on sustainability. It is easier to get long-term use from a designer purchase, or to perfectly restore a good quality bag or wallet; unlike something that is badly made in the first place, and not intended to last.
The Sustainable Studio online promotes circular fashion and sustainable shopping, with high-end preloved clothing and accessories, such as Chanel, LV and Dior handbags and wallets, and handmade upcycled jewellery. See www.sustainablestudio.ie.
