Given that it has been estimated that about 80% of designer bags sold on the streets of the world are fake, it is, however, no longer acceptable to assume that most designer bags in South Africa are also fake.
From Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Christian Louboutin and Burberry, Luxity, located inside the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton, buys and resells all preowned luxury fashion items in South Africa.
But don't think you can fool them with fakes.
WATCH: How to identify if your Louis Vuitton bag is fake
There is an intriguing trend that's emerging, where consumers are willing to pay top dollar for a 'good' replica close to the price of the original.
Fake bags are seen on the arms of social media influencers every day, wanting to flaunt gifts from their 'blessers'.
Fake bags
Netflix break-out reality show star Song Jia of the popular Singles Inferno was called out and widely cancelled by the Korean fashion community after she appeared on the show wearing fake clothing and toting counterfeit bags.
Tagged as the glamour girl of the show, her following dipped as fans berated her for being a fashion impostor.
Jia was compelled to issue a public apology on her YouTube channel to her 1 million subscribers and even write a handwritten apology to the brands due to the intense international pressure to carry genuine items.
So why not just buy the original rather than take a risk, mainly when appearing on an international platform?
A bit confusing, but it also opens up a space for the resale market of original designer bags.
Taking the number one spot for the most faked bags in the world is the Louis Vuitton.
The South African Louis Vitton store first opened its door in the Sandton City Mall in 2004 and ever since, tricksters have found a way to try to replicate most of the merchandise.
Fake bags are seen on the arms of social media influencers every day wanting to flaunt gifts from their blessers.
Louis Vuitton is the top seller in four categories, shoes, bags, accessories, and clothing.
All of these are replicated in dodgy sweatshops that are not associated with the designer brand, it's also the most searched-for brand online.
A secret of an original designer piece especially a handbag and why it's a better purchase is that it's the ultimate investment piece.
Resellers like Luxity have opened stores nationwide for owners of original designer pieces to resale and make a pretty penny back.
The Citizen spoke to Claudia of Luxity, a specialist in luxury brands who can identify a fake without blinking.
Here are her top tips:
Tips on how to identify a fake Louis Vitton bag
- All Louis Vuitton bags come with a code: two letters and four numbers telling you where it's made, if those don't corollate it's fake. All bags have a microchip that can be traced to the original manufacturers
- Check that all the LVs are aligned
- Check that the stitching across the bag is properly done and clean
- The flap on the inside of the bag must go all the way to the bottom of the bag, if it ends halfway or is shorter it's a fake
- The L font on the logo needs to have a short foot and the O needs to be round.
- On the fake bag, the O's is more oval and the N is skewed and not correctly embossed.
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