Counterfeit news and archive

How to become an expert in fashion anti-counterfeiting?

The burgeoning second-hand market has thrust a profession once shrouded in obscurity into the spotlight: the anti-counterfeit expert. It's a highly sought-after profession today, with many candidates and few chosen ones. Yet, the demand for experts in luxury goods is increasing as the second-hand fashion industry gains traction. "There's a...

BusinessFeatured

Dupe culture: The new threat to China's luxury sector

Luxury brands are facing a new landscape: the rise of dupes and the changing purchasing behaviours of Chinese consumers. As the Chinese economy transforms, consumer behaviour is also undergoing a significant shift. The rise of counterfeit products and the decline in demand for luxury products illustrate a broader paradigm shift. The rise of...

Business|Interview Featured

AAFA president on the US election year, counterfeiting and conscious regulation

The US election is continuing to heat up, with voting day now visibly on the horizon. While at the forefront of debates are the policies and outlooks presented by political candidates, there is much behind-the-scenes work by industry representatives that goes well beyond the deadlines of ballot entries. For fashion, the American Apparel &...

Fashion

The UK is the fake watch capital of the world, a study reveals

A recent analysis by Watches2U has unveiled a startling trend in the global market for counterfeit timepieces, with the UK emerging as the epicentre of online searches for fake watches. This development comes in the wake of a 2023 report that identified over one million counterfeit watches circulating in the UK market, accounting for a...

Business

Adidas loses its lawsuit against Isabel Marant and Sandro

In a major blow for Adidas, the Court of Cassation, France's supreme court for civil and criminal cases, definitively ruled on June 26, 2024 in favour of Isabel Marant and Sandro, thus ending six years of litigation. The German sportswear manufacturer filed a lawsuit in 2018, accusing the two fashion brands of counterfeiting its famous three...

Fashion

Fake luxuries supplant tradition in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar

Cut-price branded perfumes and fake high-end handbags line the ornate alleys of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, with traditional merchants saying the luxury counterfeits are stripping the marketplace of its character. Where heritage Turkish crafts once flourished under the Ottoman-era marketplace's painted ceilings, the elegant carpet store run by...

Fashion

Tips from an expert: How to spot a fake designer handbag

Recent data reveals a concerning trend that a significant portion of young consumers, approximately 37 percent, purchased counterfeit designer goods in 2022. Moreover, the global counterfeit goods market exceeded the GDP of Austria and Ireland combined in 2019. This surge in counterfeit products has persisted, with estimates suggesting that up...

Background

Plagiarism in fashion: Why is there so much counterfeiting, and is it even allowed?

Trends have always traditionally been dedicated by the runway.The apparel industry looks to runway designs, haute couture as well as ready-to-wear,for inspiration. Designs are reinterpreted for a wider audience or diluted and made more accessible while being sold at ever-lower prices. Source: the article ‘Fashion: from catwalk to closet’ Some...

Fashion

LVMH in talks with TikTok to counter counterfeit challenges

LVMH is reportedly engaged in discussions with TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance Ltd., to tackle the issue of counterfeit products on the popular video-sharing platform. Toto Haba, Senior Vice President of Global Omni-Marketing for Benefit Cosmetics, an LVMH-owned beauty brand, disclosed that the talks are centered on cultivating an...

Fashion

Gucci amplifies battle against US counterfeiters

Gucci is escalating its efforts to combat counterfeiting, initiating legal action against three U.S. retailers: Sam's Club, Century 21, and Lord & Taylor. The lawsuits, filed by Gucci's American division in federal court in Manhattan, allege these retailers' involvement in the illicit sale of counterfeit Gucci products. The luxury brand...

Fashion

US confiscates 1 billion dollars of counterfeit luxury goods

In a significant coup, federal prosecutors have announced the largest-ever seizure of counterfeit designer handbags, shoes, and related items in the United States. The estimated street value of the confiscated items surpasses 1 billion dollars, reported Bloomberg. Two individuals have been charged with trafficking in counterfeit goods, as...

Fashion Featured

Zippers don't lie: the secret behind spotting a true luxury handbag

The zip on a luxury handbag is more than just a detail: it can be one of the best ways to tell whether it's the real deal or a cheap copy. The zips found on the handbags of major brands are often made by Switzerland's Riri, which was bought by Swiss group Oerlikon in March. Based in Mendrisio in the Alpine country's southern, Italian-speaking...