Take The ‘Superfakes’ Quiz To See If You Can Recognize Counterfeit Designer Bags
Have you ever had a creeping suspicion that a luxury bag spotted on the high street wasn’t genuine, but you couldn’t put your finger on what made it seem off? Perhaps you have an eye for these things, or maybe you’re just a naturally skeptical person.
Things have come a long way since counterfeits were just laughable artifacts. A new report by the New York Times Magazine centers around a bustling breed of designer copycats known as “superfakes” that have gotten so sophisticated, they can easily sneak past customs checks and are tricky for even experts to tell apart.
“It’s a pervasive, tremendous problem,” Bob Barchiesi, president of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, tells the news outlet.
For the goods to play the part, some Chinese counterfeiters purportedly travel to Italy to obtain the same leather used by the official brands. Others purchase the actual bags to dissect them to the littlest detail.
In the same report, the Times has published a quiz inviting readers to compare between real and “superfake” goods. The tweets below are a little preview.
i guessed all 5 of the real bags correctly in the quiz. i’m an expert and should be hired for it https://t.co/GpFggTn78Q pic.twitter.com/vFh4kgAT1v
— dannica (@dannarebb) May 4, 2023
I will always know your bag is fake. There are many signs. Hut I’m in the ~industry~ FYI fake handbags fund terrorism, sex trafficking, and organized crime. Just don’t buy them if you can’t afford them. Literally no one cares if you’re carrying a luxe bag or not. https://t.co/SCtnEnvBcM pic.twitter.com/wlI0cxExeR
— Marjorie Bouvier (@msdictator) May 5, 2023
You can take the quiz here.
The Times’s Amy X. Wang shares how consumers can now buy a hyperrealistic dupe of a Chanel Classic bag, normally retailing for US$10,200, for just US$390.
A “high-tier” replica of the Celine Triomphe, which starts from US$4,350, on the other hand, can be bought for about US$100. Sellers let you run quality checks on the wares too.
The devil wears Prada, and it’s also in the details.
Hunter Thompson, who is in charge of authentication at luxury consignment platform the RealReal, tells the reporter that copycats are now so professional, they can realistically recreate items during the same seasons they are available.
Sometimes, the goods can be “too perfect,” which ironically raises red flags for inspectors.
While authenticators insist there are tell-tale signs a bag might be fake, which they claim are discoverable under X-ray scans and other methods, one anonymous expert admits that verification is no longer as easy as claimed.
[via The New York Times and Boing Boing, images via various sources]
