Don’t be a Shauwn Mkhize: Red flags to look out for in fake designer bags and shoes

South Africans’ love for counterfeit goods continues to be a scourge for the fashion industry.

Among notable culprits is Shauwn Mkhize, whose assets are going on auction after her recent tax troubles with the South African Revenue Service. Hundreds of designer pieces were vetted by authenticators, with only 23 passing the test.

Last year Carte Blanche followed raids in Johannesburg to uncover fake products, including designer bags and sanitary pads. Some of the designer fragrances found were blank, which investigators said had labels that would be manufactured in South Africa. The topic has also been the main focus of the new Netflix series Bad Influencer.

With unpredictable market trends and ever-shifting interests from incoming big spenders including Gen Z, luxury goods have experienced waning interest. The counterfeit market is not helping.

KwaZulu-Natal police found counterfeit goods with an estimated street value of R400m at a freight depot at Edwin Swales, south of Durban. These included fake Gucci, Balmain and Louis Vuitton bags, Karl Lagerfeld shoes, jewellery and Le Creuset kitchen ware. — KwaZulu-Natal police found counterfeit goods with an estimated street value of R400m at a freight depot at Edwin Swales, south of Durban. These included fake Gucci, Balmain and Louis Vuitton bags, Karl Lagerfeld shoes, jewellery and Le Creuset kitchenware. (SAPS)

At a launch held earlier this year by luxury resellers Luxity, co-founder Luke Callitz shared valuable tips on how to distinguish between fake and genuine goods when shopping for designer items.

BAGS

Most designer bags have a stamp on the label inside. According to Callitz, it has to be crisp and clear, while most dupes typically lack the craftsmanship to duplicate the effect. With Gucci bags, you will find codes under the tag with the logo that are always a dead giveaway.

“The code will show you the serial number for authentication measures, which you can find on Google,” he said.

Popular bags tend to be the biggest targets due to high demand. While it might be easy to catch some, embroidery can be hard to distinguish.

“You don’t need 10 things to be wrong, you only need one.”

SHOES

Christian Louboutin shoes have historically been difficult to wear. Callitz said when the milliner saw a slump in interest, he opted for the red bottom heel paint that was made to push customers to keep buying new ones once they were damaged. This makes worn-out Louboutins an easy spot.

“The counterfeiters will make them with rubber,” he said, due to wanting to make the colour last longer. “The real Louboutin is hand-painted, so it will chip off.”

KwaZulu-Natal police found R400m worth of counterfeit goods an estimated street value of R400 million at a fright depot at Edwin Swales, south of Durban These include bags of fake Gucci, Balmain, Louis Vuitton and Karl Lagerfield shoes, jewellery as well Le Creuset kitchen ware. — KwaZulu-Natal police found R400m worth of counterfeit goods at a freight depot at Edwin Swales, south of Durban. (SAPS)

It’s also important to check for crisp and bold fonts that will not be as clear and well-made as the originals. For flat-shoe wearers and sneaker lovers, you can also look for the hot stamp and the neat stitching on rivets can indicate a genuine purchase, while sloppy jobs show the rushed work found in fakes.

Regarding how to distinguish legitimate resellers, Callitz said it’s important to authenticate them: “If you buy luxury goods from a social media page which does not have contact details, it’s always a red flag. Do not buy from those pages.”

Other red flags include: