Can you discern a $10,000 CHANEL bag from a $200 imitation? The truth is, hardly anyone can, causing a massive upheaval in the luxury fashion industry.
I recently found myself strolling through the streets of Paris with a counterfeit CELINE handbag draped over my shoulder. In France, a nation that takes pride in its fashion heritage, the penalties for counterfeiting are strict, with possible consequences including three years in prison for merely carrying my seemingly innocuous knockoff. Yet, my bag’s inauthenticity was virtually indistinguishable. I harbored a thrilling, maddening secret: my bag appeared identical to the genuine article in both design and quality. It was, however, deemed fake and deceitful.
My journey into the realm of exceptionally realistic counterfeit handbags, known as “super fakes” to frustrated fashion brands and intellectual property attorneys, or “reps” to their ardent purchasers, began a couple of years prior during an impulsive moment. It was early 2021 when I was drawn to an advertisement featuring Kaia Gerber clutching a CELINE Triomphe, a simple, tiny rectangular bag with a seemingly outrageous $2,200 price tag.
As a first-generation immigrant, I was determined not to be someone who coveted luxury handbags. However, I succumbed to temptation and began searching for affordable CELINE Triomphe options.
As a first-generation immigrant, I was determined not to be someone who coveted luxury handbags. However, during the seemingly endless days of quarantine, I succumbed to temptation and began searching for affordable CELINE Triomphe options. This led me to a Reddit community of replica bag aficionados who shared information about “trusted sellers” offering CHANEL 2.55, LOEWE Puzzle, or HERMÈS Birkin replicas indistinguishable from the real thing at just a fraction of the retail price.
These astounding replicas originated in China, where a new breed of counterfeit bags has emerged in the last decade, boasting impeccable quality and evading customs effortlessly. These superfakes can deceive even the most discerning eye, leading to a vast and pervasive issue in the luxury fashion world. According to Hunter Thompson, who oversees authentication at luxury consignment site The RealReal, “It’s gotten to the point that you can see something in season replicated within that season.”
With consumers facing rampant inflation, the allure of a $100 replica of a $10,000 HERMÈS Birkin is hard to resist.
Superfakes have become a massive market fueled by the pandemic, stimulus-check spending, and social media platforms like Instagram. With consumers facing rampant inflation, the allure of a $100 copycat of a $10,000 handbag is hard to resist. The challenge of addressing duplication in fashion is a complex one. While design houses spend billions combatting counterfeits, even authentic luxury bags like PRADA Cleos and DIOR Book Totes are produced using machines and templates, begging the question: what truly distinguishes a genuine bag from a fake? Is it simply about who profits from the sale? As the world of super fakes evolves, the lines between authentic luxury and these hyperrealistic replicas become increasingly blurred.
The market for replica luxury bags and superfakes is thriving, with shoppers eager to find a good deal on designer-inspired items. In China, where many of these counterfeit products are made, millions of people are involved in producing and distributing these bags. Guangzhou is considered the epicenter of super fakes production, with bag-making technology and skilled artisans contributing to their rapid proliferation.
The production of superfakes is often reliant on high-quality materials and craftsmanship, with some manufacturers sourcing materials from the same suppliers as luxury brands.
These counterfeit operations have adapted to avoid detection, utilizing a fragmented supply chain that makes it difficult to track and dismantle. The production of super fakes is often reliant on high-quality materials and craftsmanship, with some manufacturers sourcing materials from the same suppliers as luxury brands. Chinese authorities have little incentive to shut down these operations, as they benefit local economies and enjoy support from some consumers who see replica bags as a more accessible alternative to high-end fashion.
As the quality of counterfeit luxury bags improves, there is a growing sense of subversion among those who embrace them.
Though experts claim that there are always subtle differences between superfakes and genuine luxury bags, some admit that discerning can be challenging. As the quality of counterfeit luxury bags improves, there is a growing sense of subversion among those who embrace them, challenging the dominance of luxury brands and their exclusive pricing. Replica bags have become a symbol of the democratization of fashion, particularly for middle-class consumers who feel empowered by having access to these sought-after items.
In the face of global wealth disparity, attitudes towards fake bags are shifting, with some arguing that they represent a more accessible and honest approach to luxury fashion. Pursuing designer bags and their superfake counterparts continues to spark debate and challenge conventional notions of value and authenticity.
Introducing the enchanting VALENTINO GARAVANI Straw Summer Petite Tote.
Experience the epitome of luxury with this exquisitely crafted tote, complete with a sophisticated gift box, elegant literature, a protective dust bag, and an authenticity card as a mark of high-end quality.
Embrace the allure of charming summer bags inspired by rattan, raffia, and canvas elements. Fashion icons and Vogue connoisseurs have popularized woven bags as a year-round accessory. With chic designs from VALENTINO, it’s never been more effortless to join this stylish trend.
The VALENTINO GARAVANI Straw Summer Petite Tote captivates with its intricate raffia weave and the distinguished brass-toned VLogo plaque, an unmistakable emblem of the prestigious Valentino Garavani brand. The detachable shoulder strap is embellished with iconic Roman Studs, another signature element of the brand’s refined aesthetic.
Wondering how to style a straw bag with panache?
Our stylist suggests considering three key factors: size, structure, and color. “The key lies in the harmony of the overall outfit. For instance, a black straw crossbody paired with a blazer and tailored shorts creates a distinct vibe compared to a brown straw tote matched with a dress,” he explains. “However, some styles are versatile enough to complement anything from a graceful, billowy summer dress to a classic professional ensemble, like a blazer and trousers.”
We’ve all seen it. Bags that totally eclipse all conceivable expectations and become so sought after and cult worthy that it appears their reign over street style guides, editorial spreads, and our wish lists will never end.
An It bag is a high-priced luxury handbag that has become a hyped best-seller. The phenomenon arose in the luxury industry and was named in the 1990s and 2000s. Examples of handbag brands that have been considered “It bags” are CHANEL, HERMÈS and FENDI.
But, alas, the harder they rise, the harder they fall. It seems the desirable levels of popularity some bags once possessed can just as quickly turn against them. Overexposure, increasing competition from new designs, and fashion fanatics simply getting sick of certain styles can all contribute to the downfall of beloved bags.
And so enter, handbag has-beens. Sometimes a direct result of our collective purse fatigue, and sometimes something more. These styles once ruled fashion’s handbag hotlist, now seeing their popularity dwindle. But what makes a design in danger of becoming a handbag has-been? And is there any way to predict which bags will meet this fate next? Let’s find out.
The Danger of Overexposure
A little bit of mystery goes a long way when it comes to luxury bags, and it’s one way to combat that dreaded handbag fatigue we’ve discussed. And while it’s great for sales when a design becomes the ‘It’ bag of the moment and is spotted on every billboard, Instagram advert, and influencer at Fashion Week, too much exposure too quickly can threaten the longevity of a bag’s popularity.
Case in point, the LOUIS VUITTON Multi Pochette Accessoires. Released in late 2019, this design arguably started the multi-bag phenomenon, which saw handbag aficionados scrambling to carry a multitude of bags incorporated into one design. The trend, and this style in particular, became a cult favorite, and the bag (which is, in fact, two pouches resembling the Pochette Accessoires and a Round Coin Purse all attached to a thick cross-body strap) was sold out everywhere for months after its release. But fast forward to 2023, and the design is nowhere to be seen.
The problem with bags garnering wild levels of popularity and exposure very quickly is that this momentum is hard to maintain and can leave fashion insiders and consumers prematurely bored of seeing the bag.
The wild hype surrounding certain bags notoriously drives up resale prices, this investment potential is often overinflated and short-lived.
One bag that could potentially fall victim to the curse of overexposure is the BALENCIAGA Le Cagole. Providing today’s trendsetters with a rush of Y2K nostalgia, the Le Cagole has been the breakout bag of the 2020s so far. With its overembellished studded design, inspired by BALENCIAGA’s famous Motorcycle line, and coveted curved shoulder bag silhouette, the style has quickly risen to widespread popularity. But since the Le Cagole has experienced so much exposure and popularity in a reasonably short time, it’s arguably lost an element of its mystique. It’s faced with the difficulty of maintaining momentum and continuing its relevance.
The luxury resale market has long been an avenue for shoppers to score ‘It’ bags sold out everywhere else. The wild hype surrounding certain bags notoriously drives up resale prices and leads shoppers to believe that a bag has lucrative investment potential. But when bags climb to cult-favorite status very quickly, this investment potential is often overinflated and short-lived.
When a bag’s acclaim is largely thanks to a popular new trend or aesthetic, the design risks becoming a has-been.
Fashion can be fickle. Trends that show no signs of stalling are often over before you know it. So when a bag’s acclaim is largely thanks to a popular new trend or aesthetic, the design risks becoming a has-been. Take the PRADA Re-Edition bags. Many designs have come to be associated with the resurgence of early 2000s fashion, but perhaps no bag selection is more synonymous with fashion’s Y2K revival than PRADA’s Re-Edition styles.
Crafted from the label’s signature nylon material and shaped to a sleek and functional shoulder bag silhouette, bags from the line were on the arm of every celebrity. They dominated trend guides during the early 2020s. But just a couple of years later, PRADA’s Re-Edition bags noticeably lack the popularity they once enjoyed despite repeatedly being dubbed as classics, and styles from the range struggle to receive the same level of interest from editors, stylists, influencers, and consumers today. The fashion world has moved on and is obsessing over new styles.
When a bag is commonly associated with a certain era in the minds of consumers, it is often prematurely labeled as outdated.
A bag doesn’t have to perfectly embody a specific trend or the style of a particular era to be at risk of ending up a handbag has-been. Sometimes when a bag is commonly associated with a certain era in the minds of consumers, it is often prematurely labeled as outdated once the era is over. One example is the CHANEL Maxi Classic Flap. As fashion waved goodbye to the compact purses of the early 2000s, it ushered in a new era of tote bag love which saw large and slouchy styles reign supreme. As a scaled-up version of a CHANEL icon, the Maxi Classic Flap became the go-to CHANEL bag of many during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Paparazzi images featuring the likes of Lauren Conrad donning the super-sized CHANEL favorite, along with the decade’s other must-have styles, such as skinny jeans and wedge sneakers, have cemented the bag’s association with the era’s fashion.
There are countless examples of designs that have remained must-haves for decades, like the HERMÈS Birkin, CHANEL Classic Flap, LOUIS VUITTON Speedy, and many more.
There is, of course, the concept of a bag becoming so sought after that the only direction its popularity can go is down. This doesn’t happen to all beloved bags. There are countless examples of designs that have remained must-haves for decades, like the HERMÈS Birkin, CHANEL Classic Flap, LOUIS VUITTON Speedy, and many more. But there’s a growing list of once classic bags with dwindling popularity.
There are certainly some styles that are more likely to miss out on continued long-term popularity.
Two obvious examples come in the form of the CHANEL Grand Shopping Tote and LOUIS VUITTON Neverfull. As some of the most sought-after tote bags of all time, these two designs reached peak popularity during the 2010s, and while they are undisputed classics, they simply don’t boast the same widespread popularity they once did. Some social media users have even taken to platforms like TikTok to brand the styles “over.”
Handbags gaining and losing popularity is an inevitable part of fashion. Whether styles fall from grace because of fickle trend cycles or consumers getting sick of seeing the same thing, handbags becoming has-beens is nothing new. But there are certainly some styles that are more likely to miss out on continued long-term popularity. And for handbag lovers eager to invest in enduring classics, it won’t hurt to be on the lookout for signs that a style’s popularity could be doomed to plummet.
First of Its Kind, Last of Its Kind. The new BOTTEGA VENETA knot clutch highlights the brand’s signature woven leather.
Since its founding in 1966, BOTTEGA VENETA has been producing leather goods in the small northern Italian city of Vicenza, where artisans make handcrafted bags and other accessories using a centuries-old technique called Intrecciato, weaving strips of leather into a tightly crosshatched pattern.
Maier was determined to protect BOTTEGA’s bags from trends. Shortly after his appointment, he came across a rounded box clutch circa 1978 in the archives and decided to make it his own.
Since its founding in 1966, BOTTEGA VENETA has been producing leather goods in the small northern Italian city of Vicenza, where artisans make handcrafted bags and other accessories using a centuries-old technique called Intrecciato, weaving strips of leather into a tightly crosshatched pattern. Refined yet durable, the interlocking motif came to signify discreet luxury.
In 2001, when the German designer Tomas Maier arrived as the brand’s creative director, the fashion industry was at the height of It bag mania and the accompanying obsession with monograms, flashy hardware and other embellishments. But Maier was determined to protect BOTTEGA’s bags from trends.
Shortly after his appointment, he came across a rounded box clutch circa 1978 in the archives and decided to make it his own, swapping out its rectangular clasp for one shaped like a nautical rope and naming the curvy pochette Knot. Since spring 2002, most seasons have included iterations of the clutch, which has been reimagined in an array of materials, colors and sizes.
The hypertextured Knot Clutch, which comes in onyx and bone, is unmistakably BOTTEGA— synonymous, said Blazy, with “style over fashion in its timelessness.”
Last November, Matthieu Blazy, who had been overseeing ready-to-wear at BOTTEGA since 2020, took over as artistic director. For his fall 2022 debut, the 38-year-old designer — a French and Belgian national who previously worked at CALVIN KLEIN, CELINE and MAISON MARGIELA — took inspiration from Umberto Boccioni’s 1913 Futurist sculpture “Unique Forms of Continuity in Space.” “BOTTEGA VENETA is, in essence, pragmatic,”
Blazy said in the show notes. “Because it specializes in bags, it is about movement … there is fundamentally an idea of craft in motion.” Not surprisingly, Intrecciato showed up in many of Blazy’s creations, including over-the-knee boots, miniskirts, bucket totes, chunky belts and driving loafers — and, notably, his reinterpretation of that now-iconic Knot Clutch.
Blazy’s foulard Knot is composed of interwoven strips of paper-thin calf leather, with a slightly softer silhouette than the original and a twisted, brass-toned clasp. The hypertextured bag, which comes in onyx and bone, is unmistakably BOTTEGA— synonymous, said Blazy, with “style over fashion in its timelessness.”
BOTTEGA VENETA’s iconic Knot gained immense popularity even without loud monograms or shiny logos.
The BOTTEGA VENETA Knot Minaudière is available in Barolo (deep red), Bone (white) and Black foulard Intreccio leather.
With its curved corners, magnetic frame closure, structured body and knotted hardware, BOTTEGA VENETA’s iconic Knot gained immense popularity even without loud monograms or shiny logos. Over the years, it became a go-to favourite, carried as a chic clutch for evening parties and the like. And then it disappeared.
Matthieu Blazy has brought back the beloved icon in a refreshing new interpretation.
The good news? Matthieu Blazy has brought back the beloved icon in a refreshing new interpretation. Along with the classic, there’s also the Knot Minaudière On Strap with an extra intreccio strap for wearing over the shoulder.
The woven leather on the bag has an extra plisse-like detailing that gives it extra character. This acts a way of identifying newer versions of the Knot unveiled at Bottega Veneta’s Fall-Winter 2022 line-up.
You will notice that the knot isn’t placed on top this time. Instead, it appears on both sides as a securing mechanism for the 20cm (drop length) leather shoulder strap. Each bag measures 19 cm wide and 11.5 cm high, coming in Barolo (deep red), Bone (white) and Black foulard Intreccio leather pairing with gold-tone brass hardware.
“I didn’t know that I wanted the CHANEL 2.55 Double Flap Bag until I got the replica.”
Let’s unpack my latest arrival. I got the CHANEL 2.55 Classic Lamb Skin Double Flap. She is in size 30. The bag came in a CHANEL gift box with a very smooth, almost velvety to immediately give a feel of authenticity.
I also love that the box has magnetic closures. As I take the bag out of the plastic, I notice the dust cloth it came in. So cute. So pretty. And there you can see Lady Coco Chanel on the dust bag. I love that.
As I said, I ordered CHANEL 2.55 Classic size 30 lamb skin, double flap purse. It’s so pretty. I’m just taking the plastic off of that Double C CHANEL symbol. And as you can see, opening the bag with just the turn button is effortless. And yeah, they had the little paper inside to protect the bag, and I love that peekaboo burgundy flap that’s inside as well. But first, I like that it has a zipper on top, and you can place something small at the top of that flap.
In the back of the inside of the purse, you can stuff something down in there, maybe you put the chain to the bag and it won’t disrupt the main part of the bag. I love that burgundy. And this is your main compartment of the bag where you would put most of your items at right there. On the inside of the bag, it did come with two CHANEL cards. One was in an envelope. It carries the bag’s serial number, you will see inside the bag. as well.
You get a decent size front pouch in the front of the bag. I love that. This bag has so many different compartments for you to hold stuff. I love the CHANEL engraved into that leather with the burgundy peek-A-boo flap. The CHANEL logo is engraved into the gold hardware. There you have a pouch in the back of the purse. One of my favorite features of this bag is the adjustable strap, where you can take it from regular to long.
So as you can see, the bag is beautiful. I didn’t want the CHANEL Classic until I got it. I had no idea. I did not know what this bag was. As soon as I pulled it out of the box, I was like, this is an It bag. This is it the real stuff. She is it. She is everything. I love this bag. I love the quality.
I love the versatility of this bag. This bag has the most versatility out of any bag I’ve ever owned. I love the double straps.
Just push the strap up, and then you get that cross-body look. You can see, then you get that cross-body look. So cute, so elegant. I really should have put some pearls on today. But I love that look as well.
Also, if you want to do a clutch-style look, even though the flap bag is kind of big if you still want to do a clutch look, all you have to do is pull it through from the inside and make sure you got it tight enough. You’ve got that back pocket that you could use to put your straps in that won’t disrupt any of your options on the inside of where you’ll be putting your other belongings, and also with that front pocket up there as well. And don’t forget, you still have the top part that you can use for whatever you’d like to store in your bag also.
I love that it has a back pocket as well. You do not get any posts on the bottom of this bag. This is like a mirror image of the actual CHANEL bag.
I almost missed the gold square pieces in there, there with the CHANEL symbol. And it also has the serial number and the CHANEL symbol engraved into the gold hardware. A nice size, mid-size bag. And you can get this in a smaller bag if you’d like. You can get it. They do have them in smaller sizes. Whatever fits you, whatever fits your style. I am happy with this size 30.”
