Sam* has an entire wardrobe full of designer handbags. The Chanel Classic Flap, which retails for more than $10,000, sits pretty at the centre of her closet. Right beside it is the highly sought-after Hermès Birkin.
To the untrained eye, her collection is a dream; however, what Sam has told no one is that every designer item she owns is fake. They’re actually “super fakes”, which is another term for a high-quality dupe.
Watch: The Hermes Birkin Bag. Post continues below.
“Ever since I was young, I’ve always loved designer handbags, but I just can’t justify the cost. Also, why should I pay thousands of dollars when I can spend a few hundred for a really good fake?” she told Mamamia.
Sam isn’t the only one who buys fake luxury handbags. There’s an entire community on TikTok who dedicate their time to finding the best quality fakes.
Replica handbags are not a new concept by any means. Before the age of the internet, people would travel to places such as China and Turkey to get their hands on exclusive fakes. Now, those same people visit websites like DHgate, a Chinese e-commerce website where replicas are sold for hundreds of dollars.
“I would never rip off a small business, but these big designers are earning millions of dollars a year, so I don’t feel too guilty about it,” said Sam.
While a fake handbag won’t send a label bankrupt, it’s naïve to assume that no one is affected negatively by the industry.
“It’s important to know that if you are buying counterfeit designer goods, you are supporting the unethical manufacturing and distribution of fake items. Consequently, you are supporting the manufacturers’ unethical work conditions and other illegal activity,” Bianca Picherit, co-founder of Trading in Style told Mamamia.
