The famous Coco Chanel said that fakesOnly the best things are awarded, and therefore a fake is the highest degree of recognition. That's true, but today almost 90% of premium and luxury clothing is fake, and the cost of fakes is quite high.
The popularity of fakes. To each his own
Fashion houses often provoke people themselvesacquisition, and therefore production of counterfeits. Let's say a famous brand releases a new accessory, a famous actress or model advertises it, and the photos are immediately placed in glossy magazines, and the model receives a handbag or a bottle of perfume absolutely free as a gift. As a result, everyone wants the same handbag, but not everyone can afford it. That is, demand creates supply. You can't escape the laws of the market. Those who buy counterfeits are divided into two groups of people: some buy them consciously, while others do not even realize that they are looking at just a copy, not an original item. The first ones console themselves with the thought that since the counterfeit is a copy of the original, those around them will not notice the substitution. But the second category of people is sincerely confident that they are buying a real branded item and do not even realize that their bag is just a pathetic copy of some other one, which costs much more.
Designers in the fight against counterfeits
Any designer hates it when their name is undersell low-quality counterfeit products. But designers alone have not yet been able to cope with this giant of the global industry; yes, the counterfeit market has become a huge economic scam. Both consumers and couturiers suffer, including the famous Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld, as well as Russian designers Denis Simachev and Maxim Chernitsov. Armani is currently expressing his extreme indignation: not long ago in Hong Kong he was offered to buy a watch from the fashion house Armani for only 18 euros. This offended and insulted the designer so much that he sent a complaint to the Chinese government demanding that the laws protecting the market from counterfeiting be made stricter. And Maxim Chernitsov wrote a statement to the police and described in detail which websites are selling counterfeit items. But the Frenchman Christian Louboutin organized a whole show in defense of his shoes: in broad daylight, a huge excavator destroyed a large batch of counterfeit Christian Louboutin shoes on the street. It would seem that the law protects the craftsmen, but it does not always decide cases in favor of famous brands. It is enough to recall the court hearing on the claim of the jewelry house Tiffany against the Internet auction eBay, when real diamonds lost, since the auction and the sellers were found not guilty.
Caution! Fake !!!
How to distinguish a fake from a real thing?Sometimes the quality of fakes is quite high, and the store that sells them is also quite pretentious. The price issue Pay attention to the price tag. Taking into account the most enormous discount, Prada shoes even from the collection before last cannot cost 2,000 rubles, it is ridiculous and absurd. The same situation is with bags. There is a certain price minimum, beyond which the cost of branded items will never fall. On the official Louis Vuitton website, the cost of handbags starts from 9,000 rubles for a small cosmetic bag and reaches 200,000 rubles if we are talking about a good suitcase, and the boutiques of this fashion house never have sales. This means that a Louis Vuitton bag with a price tag of 5,000 rubles that has appeared out of nowhere should arouse suspicion in a normal person. Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada have a similar pricing policy. But these fashion houses, unlike Louis Vuitton, are not shy about sales. But, even when coming to the sale, do not forget that if the sandals cost 20,000 rubles, then with a discount their cost will not be less than 10,000, and in the best case 7,000 rubles. Place of purchase Some brands are sold only from a network of their own boutiques, but, in any case, a list of stores where designer items are sold is on the official website of the fashion house of the same name. And of course, expensive brands can only be found in an expensive and respected store, for example, in TSUM. And if a new stock store suddenly appears, claiming that they sell items from past seasons, then these are unlikely to be designer items. Discount centers exist, but only at large stores, and they sell only items from old collections. Appearance The authenticity of any item can be determined using three simple rules. We start with examining the label, you need to remember that the design of the label of famous couturiers changes every season, at least once a year. A new hologram, code, even a serial number of the collection, in general, any details that certify the authentic origin of the item may appear. It is not necessary to know exactly what the label looks like - just look at how it is sewn on. On fakes, especially inexpensive ones, labels are sewn on carelessly, sometimes crookedly, easily torn off, often threads hang from the labels. And original items have beautiful, richly decorated labels, often stitched with silver or gold threads, you can also find intricate embroidery on the label. To tear off the label, you will need a lot of effort and time - and even then, it is not a fact that you will succeed. Next, look at the quality of the seams. A crooked, torn or uneven seam is a sign of an obvious fake, and protruding threads will indicate the underground origin of the item, even if the seller assures you otherwise. And if the item has passed the first two stages, then lastly look at it as a whole. A quality item is always pleasant to the touch and pleasing to the eye, it holds its shape even on a hanger. We can say with a high degree of confidence that the authenticity of the item has been proven.
Helpful Tips
Let's now take a closer look at clothing,shoes and bags, to protect you from counterfeits as much as possible during your shopping trip. Bags and other leather accessories Designer bags are sold exclusively in boxes, and before putting the bag in the box, it is packed in fabric bags. If you open the bag, you will see the designer's stamp on the lining of the inner pocket. Many retailers have certificates of authenticity, which indicate the registration number of each bag, and the certificate is protected by a sticker with a hologram. Before buying, take the time to visit the manufacturer's website to examine the design details, the location of the clasps and pockets, the pattern and its symmetry. If you buy a Louis Vuitton bag, then these bags always have a monogram symmetrically across the fabric of the bags relative to their horizontal line, the same with the sides of the bag and its bottom. And of course, designer bags are made of good, high-quality leather, which will be soft to the touch. The leather should be evenly colored and have no stains, unless this is implied by the design of the bag. An unpleasant smell, traces of paint after contact with the bag, wrinkles and folds, as well as other defects are a sign of a counterfeit, and of low quality. If the design involves the presence of metal or other parts, then all of them should be securely and firmly attached, and paired parts should remain symmetrical. Clothes Internal tags are what you need to look at first, and not at the label or the store's design. All tags are made of soft fabric, and not of rough synthetic fabric that scratches and feels like waxed paper. The quality of the seams and interior trim will also help determine the real origin of the item. Blurred and poorly printed inscriptions are a sign of an obvious counterfeit. Most designer items, in addition to good labels, also have a branded hologram. Pay attention to the size range. Letter and numeric values \u200b\u200bdepend on the country in which the item was made. That is, Dolce & Gabbana will have a size range from 38 to 46, as is customary in Italy, S, L, M and so on - this is a completely different country. Therefore, knowledge of sizes is needed not only to easily pick up an item, but also to avoid buying a fake. Shoes Any high-quality (not necessarily designer) shoes should bend easily and just as easily restore their original shape. Bend a shoe or boot, if it cannot “come to its senses” for a long time, and there are folds, cracks or creases on the leather, then this is a fake, and of disgusting quality. Look at the joints, there should be no unevenness on them, and especially no traces of glue. The insole of high-quality shoes is securely fixed inside. Designers also take care of their customers - there are special stripes on the backs of good shoes that will prevent the formation of calluses on the feet. Fraudsters, alas, do not show such attention to ladies. We recommend reading:
