How to know if a Louis Vuitton is original and not a copy

One of the most coveted luxury brands among fashion makers is undoubtedly the French Louis Vuitton. Their brown monogram bags are a must in a woman's closet, but their prices can become so high that many opt for piracy, which, by the way, is a crime.

Sometimes copies can be so well made that only by looking at small details can you know if you're in front of an authentic bag. That's why we talked to Estefania Mendiburu, a specialist in authentication at Troquer, a second-hand luxury goods store, to share some of her secrets to know what to look at and to know if your bag is authentic or not.

Manufacturing

Stephania mentioned that one of the most important points to look at is manufacturing, that is, how the bag is made, the hardware, the material, the colors and even, for the most advanced, the smell.

"they may lack structure, they have loose hardware or the closure doesn't close as it should," Stephania said.

[photo: Pixabay]

When talking about the structure it refers to the shape of the bag, which should be maintained and not easily bent or extremely rigid. As for the hardware, you must make sure that any part of metal is well attached to the bag and the zipper must have Louis Vuitton inscribed.

LV codes

The authentication expert mentioned several details that the French maison includes in its products to assure the customer that it is in front of an original article and one of the most obvious are monograms.

"there are bags like the speedy that are made of a continuous canvas and that's why on one side the LV initials are shown standing and on the other side of the head. Nor should it have a seam on the bottom, "he said.

[photo: Pixabay]

Another sign you need to look for are the serial numbers printed on the leather tabs and the code inside that is made up of a couple of letters and four numbers. "the letters are from the factory where it was made and the numbers are two for the week and two numbers for the year," Estefania explained.

He's also looking for the place where the bag was made. There are models that were made in Spain or Portugal and the label inside will tell you. The key is to investigate the model to find out where the production was made.

The grippers

Contrary to what you might think, the darker the grippers, the more confident that your purse is original. Estephania explained that these parts-the only parts made of leather-naturally oxidize over time and then, if you see a bag with mangoes in perfect shape despite already having their years, you are most likely to be in front of a copy.

Of course there is no need to remind you that buying piracy is a crime because it violates intellectual property, so if you want to make out of a Louis Vuitton bag there are always second-hand shops like Troquer that make sure to give new life to accessories that others no longer want and at prices much lower than those found in boutiques.