Imitation game theory

Blurry monograms, stitching shortcuts, uneven seams. Are you buying legit fashion or clever fakes? Here's help

- Noor Anand Chawla

Muddled-up monograms, stitching shortcuts, fabrics that feel cheap, lining that lies. Fake versions of designer goods pop up in the oddest places. Influencers show them off in HD videos, socialites flaunt them at parties. Bosses claim they got them as presents. Spotting them calls for a trained eye and lots of research. Couturiers Shantanu Mehra and Nikhil Mehra of label Shantanu & Nikhil, and Shehlina Soomro, founder of luxury resale platform Saritoria create a primer for your benefit.

First, some homework.

Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton are some of the most copied labels in the world. There are factories dedicated to producing both cheap and high-quality replicas at a fraction of the price of the hard-to-find originals. Soomro believes that recognising a well-crafted fake is difficult for anyone who isn't familiar with a brand and its back catalogue.

"I've been to supposedly authentic consignment stores in Europe and found fake Chanel bags," she says. She recommends shopping only from trusted sources, especially for secondhand items.