The Difference between a REAL LV and a fake

Alarm bells rang when I was sent photos of a “Louis Vuitton” bag by a reader, who has likewise doubted its authenticity. No mention of store names here, but the bag was seen on display at one of the malls in Makati. I had seen the bag personally as well, and had immediately informed one of the owners of the store about it (and it’s good that they took it off their shelves before someone purchased it). Why?

Because that bag above is NOT a Louis Vuitton. It is a fake LV. And here’s the number 1 reason why it is a fake. Louis Vuitton NEVER produced a Lilac epi ST JACQUES. The lilac epi line came out in these styles: Reverie, Petit Noe, Speedy 25, Croisette GM & PM, Ramatuelle, Nocturne, Soufflot, Noctambule, Rochelle, Verseau, Honfleur, Pochette Demi-Lune, Jasmine, Pont-Neuf, Dinard, Pochette, Biarritz, Mabillon, St Tropez.

But NO Alma and definitely NO ST. JACQUES in Lilac Epi. *And no such thing as a special order for these 2 styles in lilac epi* (Special thanks to my alva boardies for the confirmation)

So here are the other obvious reasons why that LILAC epi bag is a fake. (The yellow epi st.jacques is REAL, thanks to a seller, who had brought this bag in a week ago to sell)

1. The zipper on this bag. Lilac epi bags have matte silver zipper. The photo on top (lilac) has SHINY gold zipper. Even if there were gold zippers such as this particular style, it would never be shiny. Check the yellow epi stjacques photo below the lilac and compare them. The yellow epi zipper is MATTE gold (satiny finish, and it’s not Smooth gold).
2. Datecode. This is already a dead giveaway. The datecode of the Stjacques is never inkblotted like the top photo shows it to be. See the difference with that yellow (bottom) and the lilac? Look at the clean stamping on the yellow!
3. Interior LV stamping. Again, another ink-smudged print on the top photo (lilac bag). How sloppy! In fact, look at the way that leather trim is cutout. The shape itself is already different. More importantly, LV stamping on bags are clean. I mean, if we are paying big bucks for a bag, it Better be clean, right?

(photo of the interior of the yellow stjacques is purple. photo was taken without flash hence the more bluish undertone)

The lilac epi bag was apparently for sale at Php20,000– and that’s not chump change. Again, buyers, please be very careful when buying 2nd hand designer bags. I always believe that designer bag resellers should know what they are selling since buyers rely on sellers’ credibility and knowledge about bags. It’s a designer bag reselling “creed”! Even I would be quick to advise buyers to know bag resellers thoroughly. A newbie baghag who is just learning to love LV won’t really quite know the difference just yet. But again, when in doubt, just purchase them straight from the LV boutique (heck you can use your credit card to pay, and get flight mileage for free! :-D).

And for the record, here is what a REAL Louis Vuitton Epi St Jacques looks like. The condition may not be impeccable, but at least this is a real LV. You are frankly better off with a beat up LV bag, than a brand new LV fake. So, please do not support the counterfeit designer merchandising industry. And please be extra careful of where you purchase your designer bags. LV especially– the ONLY legitimate website that sells NEW LV bags that are AUTHENTIC, is www.eluxury.com . All the other websites that claim to sell “authentic” LV bags, are actually fakes (hence the cheaper price). Please. Know your seller.