Despite Kim Kardashian using hers as a diaper bag (this is more a testament to how much money she has), the Hermès handbag is still the ultimate luxury style accessory, one that has been coveted by royals and celebrities alike for years. However, with popularity comes the fakes…
If you are fortunate enough to be gifted an Hermès or even buy one yourself – most of the brand’s totes have a famously long waiting list – then it’s always annoying when that seemingly sassy fashionista walks in carrying what looks like the same bag, but costs a fraction of the price.
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Counterfeiting is a huge problem within the fashion industry, generating an estimated seven per cent of global trade, annually – the industry is worth about Dhs2.2 trillion. To ensure you don’t get stung by a fake, Matthew Rubinger, International Director, Asia & EMERI for Handbags and accessories has revealed his top secrets on how to spot a fake Hermès:
Kim Kardashian is a big fan of the Hermes bag
Stitching
Each Hermès handbag is a piece of craftsmanship and hand made. Therefore the stitching cannot be too perfect or too erratic. Too perfect gives you an indication that it is made by a machine and too erratic can indicate that the bag is handmade but by a craftsman who would not have been working for the calibre of Hermes.
Stitching on an original is not 100 per cent perfect
Stamps
There are different stamps that need to be on the handbag, apart from the Hermès stamps on the leather and hardware, there will be one with the initials of the maker to look out for.
This is what an original should look like
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Quality and type of materials used
The bag needs to have a high standard of the highest quality and the best leathers used. This is where even the best replicas can fail. The biggest giveaway is the inside of a bag where attention to detail is less.
There’s a clear difference in the quality of leather used in the lining (fyi the fake is on the left)
Colour
Some colour schemes are used during certain years so you can relate back to the year of the making of the bag to the usage of certain colour palettes – if there is no match, it might be a sign to ask more questions.
This yellow gold is an obvious fake
Construction – shape and formation
The shape of the bag needs to have the right dimensions and the right feel. Also the toggle should be easy to turn. Toggles on most fakes are a little tough. Also look in the inside the closing strap and you should see a letter, this letter indicates the year the bag was manufactured. Another sign is the hardware materials – the strap clasp, the lock and the studs at the bottom of the bag should all be the same material/metal.
Struggle turning the toggle? It could be a fake
A fake or the real deal?
The above image is of a fake. This is the real deal uber-exclusive Birkin Hermes handbag in Boite Orange
