Vestiaire Collective finds 73% of women just can't spot a fake

73% of Australian women are not sure how to tell a counterfeit fashion item from a genuine piece, according to findings from a survey commissioned by designer re-sale site Vestiaire Collective. 

 

 

The survey, which consulted more than 500 Australian women aged 25-45, also found that 45% of respondents have been fooled into buying a fake item, while 63% have been tricked into buying a knock-off more than once.

The survey results also indicated that 43% of respondents were angry about how much money they had spent on a knock-off, while 18% of women were not able to reclaim any money spent on a fake, despite their best efforts.

According to the World Customs Organisation, in 2017 counterfeit goods accounted for approximately 10% of global trade, totalling US$1.2 trillion annually. The counterfeit industry is estimated to reach US$1.82 trillion by 2020.
Handbags and sunglasses are the most purchased counterfeit products, with 50% of respondents indicating that they didn't know that the items were fakes until after making the purchase.

Vestiaire Collective head of authentication and quality control Victoire Boyer Chammard said that there are four key signs that an item might be counterfeit.

A few tell-tell signs of a fake include:
- Material: The leather should feel like leather, take time to feel and even smell it.
- Typography: Check the logo, which is often a slip up area for many fakes.
- Stitching: Take a good look at the stitching, uneven or slanted stitching is a sign of a poorly made item.
- Serial number: Look for a serial number and ask to see proof of purchase if you’re buying online," she said.
Vestiaire Collective is a member of the Charter Against Counterfeiting on the Internet and campaigns to stamp out fakes from its APAC hub in Hong Kong.

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Huge LAX Bust Stops Smuggled Counterfeit Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci Products From Entering US

 

Thousands of counterfeit items that would be worth millions --if they were genuine -- were seized in an LAX bust. The items included fake brands like Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and more Aug. 14, 2019. 

Customs inspectors recently prevented thousands of counterfeit items from being smuggled into the country from Hong Kong through Los Angeles International Airport, including products falsely labeled as being produced by Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and other companies, officials said Wednesday.

The 5,300 items that were seized in recent weeks would have had a retail value of more than $3.4 million if genuine, according to Jaime Ruiz of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Among the seized items were 1,242 counterfeit Gucci belts, 678 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes, 531 counterfeit Louis Vuitton handbags, 230 counterfeit Hermes handbags, 192 counterfeit Casio Shock watches, 144 counterfeit Ferragamo belts and 100 counterfeit Versace belts.

"CBP protects businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive intellectual property rights enforcement program,'' said Carlos C. Martel, CBP director of field operations in Los Angeles. "These seizures demonstrate the high level of skill and vigilance of our officers and import specialists.''

The merchandise arrived at LAX via air cargo from Hong Kong, Ruiz said.

"The quantity and value of counterfeit merchandise seized is a clear indication of the profits that are involved in the illegal trade of luxury goods,'' Ruiz said.

Available on illegitimate websites and sold in underground outlets, counterfeit high-fashion commodities multiply the illegal profits of smugglers and traffickers, Ruiz said.

"Consumers are tricked into believing they are buying an original product at a significant discount, and the money they spend on these types of goods is often used in other forms of criminal enterprises,'' Ruiz said.

Ruiz urged anyone with concerns about whether a product is genuine, or who has any information regarding suspected fraud or illegal trade activity, to report the information via the e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System, or by calling 800-BE-ALERT.

 oa here

Amazon Admits to Having a Counterfeiting Problem

image: Amazon

Amazon admits that it might have a problem with counterfeits. For the first time ever, the Seattle-based e-commerce giant made mention in its annual 10-K filing of the elephant on its platform: fakes. In a single line in the “risk factors” section of the yearly report it files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Jeff Bezos-owned company stated, “We may be unable to prevent sellers in our stores or through other stores from selling unlawful, counterfeit, pirated, or stolen goods, selling goods in an unlawful or unethical manner, violating the proprietary rights of others, or otherwise violating our policies.” 

The arguably long-overdue admission comes amidst mounting criticism of and a growing number of lawsuits filed against the world’s largest e-commerce platform, most of which have accused Amazon of being “complicit” in the widespread sale of counterfeit goods on its site. These qualms have largely followed from Amazon’s 2014 move to enable China-based entities to sell directly to Amazon shoppers in the West, and in the process, growing its sales by a whopping 20 percent in a single year and enabling its total revenues to blaze past the $100 billion mark for the first time.

To date, Amazon-specific criticism has come from a multitude of sources, including this website, which questioned the merit of its “zero tolerance” policy when it comes to fakes in light of the fact that searches for things, such as “Fake Gucci” bags and “replica Birkin” bags, readily return results for counterfeit goods.

Independent sellers — forced to directly compete on Amazon’s marketplace with scammers who blatantly steal their intellectual property — have spoken out. Casey Hopkins, the founder of industrial design firm Elevation Lab, penned a highly-cited post on his website last year, calling out Amazon for directly profiting from the sale of fakes.

Brands also have not been shy about taking the $1 billion giant to task. Birkenstock, for instance, publicly cut off Amazon, not once, but twice, “terminating  [its] business relations with Amazon” in the U.S. and the European Union, due to Amazon’s alleged failure to commit to “proactively policing its site for counterfeits.”

Still yet, at least one trade group, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, has urged the U.S. Trade Representative to include Amazon’s international arms to its annual blacklist of “Notorious Markets,” asserting that its “members are growing increasingly frustrated with how [Amazon] protects their intellectual property.”

These complaints, among others, have coincided with legal action. Mercedes Benz’s parent company, Daimler AG, filed suit against Amazon in November 2017 on trademark infringement grounds, claiming that in additional to its problematic marketplace, Amazon’s model for labeling products as “Shipped from and sold by Amazon.com” amounts to a “fraudulent business act.” In particular, Daimler asserted that by using the “Shipped from and sold by Amazon.com” model,  “Amazon itself sells infringing items” and “capitalizes upon and profits from Daimler [and other brands’] reputation and goodwill.”

Less than a year after that legal battle was initiated, fashion brand Ella Moss filed a trademark infringement suit against Amazon, alleging that the giant launched a similarly-named private label, Ella Moon, with a similar aesthetic and lookalike designs  in an effort to confuse consumers and steal sales from Ella Moss.

All the while, Amazon’s PR team has been adamant that it “strictly prohibits the sale of counterfeit products and invest heavily – both funds and company energy – to ensure our policy against the sale of such products is followed.”  

According to CNBC, the newly-added acknowledgement of counterfeit goods in its 10-K filing “reflects Amazon’s increased concern over the counterfeit problem on its marketplace, as the words ‘counterfeit’ and ‘pirated’ were never mentioned in its annual filing before.”

ORG HERE

WeChat Being Used by Counterfeiters to Build up their Fraud Chain

Cashing in on the price difference between luxury goods sold in China and overseas, Daigou (代购) – aka. overseas purchasing agents – have long bought goods on behalf of consumers in China. But, as the Chinese government puts in place new measures to boost domestic spending, many luxury brands have lowered their prices in China, bringing them in line with global price points. Consequently, the role of a middleman like Daigou has been threatened, and a career as an overseas buyer has become increasingly unsustainable.
Now, the overseas purchasing business is evolving in a different, darker direction, coined “Daigou 2.0″. Targeting consumers who are looking for luxury goods at a steal, counterfeiters from China are now providing fake goods under the guise of authentic Daigou vendors.


According to an investigative report by the Chinese state media People’s Daily on August 7, which was trending on China’s social media platform Weibo, luxury goods counterfeiters employ a variety of techniques to disguise the true origin of their products, such as paying insiders for production batch codes to reprint onto packaging, giving consumers the illusion they will be able to verify the authenticity of the item
Another common trick, according to the People’s Daily report, is known as ‘gold plating (镀金)’, referring to a practice of shipping the counterfeits abroad first to obtain overseas shipping documents and entry certificates, in an attempt to prove the product has been bought overseas.
Earlier this year, Jiangsu policemen seized more than 80,000 pieces of counterfeit luxury makeup from WeChat vendors in the city of Suzhou, who had been creating products imitating brands like Dior, MAC and Fresh. The total worth of these products was more than 1.5 million USD (approx. 10 million RMB), according to the local police.
In Jiangsu’s case, the main suspect confessed to purchasing barrels of cheap fragrance from Guangdong province, bringing the manufacturing costs to only 15 cents (1 RMB) per 50 ml bottle of counterfeit perfume. These fake products are then labeled with luxury brands, and sold at upwards of 30USD (200RMB) per bottle, leaving room for a huge profit margin.
The presence of trusted Daigou agents in this process can add a layer of credibility to the counterfeiters. In turn, the high profitability offered from selling fake luxury goods has motivated many traditional Daigou agents to participate in this illegal business. In recent years, the livelihood of Daigou agents has been adversely affected, as the Chinese government implements measures such as lower import tariffs on luxury goods, encouraging international brands to lower their China prices.

Recommended ReadingAlibaba’s Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts Appear to Pay OffBy Yiling Pan

An overseas Chinese student, Li, who admits to helping to sell fake luxury goods on WeChat, told Jing Daily, “the profitability now is attractive, and it’s hard to recognize the difference between counterfeit and real goods.”
She continued, “we don’t handle the manufacturing process of any product, but deliver them to clients. We then keep a certain percentage of the profits from every client we bring in.”
The intimate nature of WeChat as a one-on-one private messaging tool now serves as a shortcut for counterfeiters to strike deals.
“There is a huge loophole in the current law enforcement for the punishment of WeChat vendors” commented one Weibo user. “Wait, I think I might have bought a counterfeit product,” said another, demonstrating the widespread distrust shoppers now have for buying luxury goods via WeChat.
Both luxury cosmetic brands and WeChat itself are taking actions to prevent counterfeiting. Many high-end cosmetic brands like Estée Lauder, SK-II, La Mer, and Sulwhasoo now offer to recycle their customers’ empty skincare bottles for small rewards, leaving less room for Daigou to collect empty packaging. WeChat also claims to have punished more than 72,000 vendors selling counterfeit goods and shut down 875 counterfeit-related mini-programs.
Tencent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

How Well Known Labels Are Changing the Counterfeit Stigma

 

A Guccy shirt from Gucci Resort 2018Photo: Yannis Vlamos / Indigital.tv

Once upon a time, counterfeit designer goods were a fashion no-go. Buying a fake piece of clothing or accessory was associated with a try-hard attitude and an empty pocket. Take, for example, Sex and the City’s “Sex and Another City” episode, in which Samantha Jones bought a knockoff Fendi bag from the trunk of a car. After showing it off to her friends, she noted, “You’d never know it wasn’t real Fendi unless you look inside at the lining.” Later on, Samantha’s dirty little $150 made-in-China secret was found out publicly at a party—a small price to pay for long-lasting embarrassment.

But times have changed. Recently, some of the most influential runway designers have created cringe-worthy, definitely-not-real clothes and accessories—a far cry from Samantha’s trunk-plucked Fendi, inspired by the more modern appeal of bootleg fashion. Alessandro Michele showed Fake Gucci T-shirts loudly emblazoned with the label’s logo for Resort 2017, a design based on counterfeits that were popular on the streets during the ’80s. The brand’s Resort 2018 collection continued with the theme of through-the-looking-glass bootleg culture: A coat with Gucci-monogrammed sleeves became the meme heard round the Internet after it drew comparisons to a similar topper by Harlem-based designer Dapper Dan, the original kingpin of DIY luxury bootlegs, who created a Louis Vuitton monogrammed coat for Olympic medalist Diane Dixon in the ’80s. There were also shirts that read Guccy—reflecting a trend at bargain bazaars, where misspelled names (deliberate or otherwise) are on every corner.

Before Gucci’s foray into faux fakes, there was, of course, Vetements, which turned the concept of fake fashion on its head and shilled “real fakes” to the mass market. In October 2016, the brand held an “official fake” garage sale outside Seoul, where off-kilter remakes of iconic pieces nodded cleverly to the proliferation of Vetements bootlegs in that city. Since Vetements, like Gucci, has become one of the most copied labels in the world, the strategy makes sense: If you can’t beat the copycats to the punch, then join them for a higher price tag. The approach seems to be working. Those Fake Gucci T-shirts have sold out both at Selfridges and Farfetch.

A Fake Gucci T-shirt from Gucci Resort 2017Photo: Yannis Vlamos / Indigital.tv

I recently returned from Tbilisi, Georgia, with hoards of thick plastic “Chinatown” bags printed with the double-C Chanel logo (with the house’s name written as “Ceanhl”) and other totes combining Louis Vuitton’s classic Damier monogram with Gucci monogrammed tabs. The cheap carryalls may be considered the bane of luxury—they are scathingly, shamelessly fake—but there’s also a cheeky charm that comes with proudly sporting something so obviously not real. My colleagues seemed to agree with this line of thinking: The totes were a hit at the office. “It’s a so-bad-it’s-good thing,” said Vogue’s Fashion News Director, Chioma Nnadi, the recipient of one of the bags. “There’s nothing subtle about the fakeness of it. It’s like no-shame fake.”

Fake Chanel tote bags, a fake Versace shirt, and fake Chanel bedsheets from Eastern EuropeCourtesy of Liana Satenstein / @liana_ava

On a smaller scale, there is the rise of millennial bootleg artists. Designer Ava Nirui of @avanope has built a career out of embroidering Gucci onto Champion hoodies and merging Carhartt with the Chanel name. Imran Moosvi, aka @imran_potato, uses the Louis Vuitton and Gucci monograms in almost everything—splicing them into Nike zip-up hoodies or creating natty ties from them. “For me personally, fake stuff is more fun,” he says. “There’s more freedom to do whatever you want with it. I think the stigma associated with something being bootleg or fake is starting to disappear a little bit, because at the end of the day, people just want to see a cool product.”

But does the trend have legs? “I don’t think this design culture has longevity, because people will always find a way to overdo and ruin,” Moosvi says. After all, is there really fun in spending top dollar for an item that mimics a fake $15 one? Luxury consumers so far seem not to mind; it remains to be seen whether Guccy will have the same effect. Until then, maybe it’s more real to stick with the fake deal.

Customs seizes HK$10 million in fake products at popular Hong Kong street market in largest counterfeit haul in years

Watches, handbags and leather goods said to have sold at Ladies Market at five to 20 per cent of genuine products’ price

An investigation revealed the syndicate sold counterfeit goods at four hawker stalls in the market and used computer tablets to show clients photos of the products.

“Some clients were taken to its upstairs showroom nearby, which was packed with about 600 counterfeit products,” Fong said, adding that four nearby flats were used as warehouses.

He noted the investigation uncovered a female ringleader who went to the mainland regularly to purchase the fake products while a male mastermind was responsible for selling them locally.

After a month-long investigation, about 90 customs officers on Thursday swooped into action and raided the four hawker stalls, the secret showroom and the four warehouses.

Seven men and three women, including the two ringleaders, were rounded up in the operation. More than 10,000 fake products were seized, including watches, handbags and leather goods.

Fong said it was customs’ largest seizure of fake products in a single operation in the past three years.

“We believe the syndicate stocked up the large amount of goods to sell during the Christmas and New Year period,” he said.

On Friday afternoon, the 10 Hongkongers, aged 24 to 38, were being held for questioning. None of them had been charged.

Fong said the department would enhance its enforcement activities against counterfeiting during the holiday season.

He reminded traders that the sale of counterfeit goods was a serious crime, carrying a maximum penalty of a HK$500,000 fine and five years in jail.

$1.5M in Counterfeit Goods Seized & 5 Arrested in Nassau County

Photo: Alyssa Reichel, Fern Ciraolo, Jack Huzarsky and Elsa Bonilla
Search warrants conducted Monday morning led to five arrests and the recovery of an estimated $1.5 million worth of counterfeit designer pocketbooks, watches, jewelry and clothing, law enforcement officials said at a Tuesday press conference.
Among the many items recovered during the Nassau County counterfeiting sting, a Hermes birkin bag, which retails for $21,000, was being sold for only a couple hundred dollars, police say.
The birkin, along with a Chanel bag were some of the fake designer items recovered from a Woodmere location. Alyssa Reichel, 49, of North Woodmere, was arrested for the second time for selling fake merchandise out of Ego Trip inside the Cheveux Day Spa and Salon, located at 964 Broadway, police say.

A Chanel bag, which retails for $3,000 to $4,000, and a birkin bag were being sold by Reichel out of a North Woodmere location for a couple hundred dollars each, police say.

The recovered goods, taken from locations in Hewlett, Woodmere, Syosset and Westbury, were being sold out of homes, businesses and cars, police say.
Fern Ciraolo, 53, of Hewlett Harbor, was arrested after police conducted a search warrant at her home. “When we executed that warrant, there was a strong odor of marijuana in the house,” Nassau County Det. Sgt. Patrick Ryder said.
Police say they recovered marijuana, MDMA and acid from the home.

Fern Ciraolo’s 21-year-old son, Justin Ciraolo, was arrested and charged with felony drug possession.

Justin Ciraolo via NCPD

Others arrested during the search warrants were Jack Huzarsky, 74, of Syosset, and Elsa Bonilla, 31, of Westbury. Police also conducted a search warrant in the Hempstead area, but the woman was not at home at the time. An outstanding warrant has been issued for her arrest.

Recovered goods from the Syosset location.

Recovered goods from the Syosset location.

Recovered goods from the Hewlett location.

Recovered goods from the Westbury location.

Recovered goods from the Hempstead location.

Selling fake merchandise is a nonviolent, “housewife” crime that isn’t normally viewed by the public as a serious crime.
However, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas says counterfeiting is not a victimless crime. In fact, counterfeiting is a felony and those convicted face up to four years incarceration.
Counterfeit products are often synonymous with child labor and deplorable conditions, officials say. Fake goods are not tested and may contain toxic materials. Fake electronic equipment have been known to explode or items that people put on their skin or lips have caused burns, Singas says.
Counterfeiting also costs American businesses, including mom and pop stores, more than $250 billion annually, Singas says.
Homeland Security Inspector Jason Molina says all the goods recovered from these search warrants will be destroyed.
“The holiday season is prime time for counterfeiters,” Singas said. “The message for consumers is to be vigilant and buy only from trusted retailers.”

How do you know if a good is counterfeit or not?

• High-end brands do not sell their items out of cars, houses or on the street.
• Check for stitching and the quality of the goods.
• Logos may be blurred out or have subtle spelling errors, such as a "Bolex" watch instead of a Rolex watch.
• “If it’s too good to be true, it is,” Singas says.

Fern Ciraolo was charged with two counts of second-degree counterfeiting. Huzarsky was charged with second-degree counterfeiting. Reichel was charged with two counts of second-degree counterfeiting. Bonilla was charged with four counts of second-degree counterfeiting.
All four who face counterfeiting chargers were issued a desk appearance ticket returnable at First District Court in Hempstead. Justin Ciraolo, who was charged with four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and fourth-degree criminal possession of marijuana, will be arraigned Tuesday at First District Court.

6 REAL REASONS FAKES ARE DANGEROUS

6 REAL REASONS FAKES ARE DANGEROUS

Counterfeit handbags, shoes, jewelry and accessories are not only illegal, they can be toxic to the economy, environment and even your health. According to CBS New York, the sale of counterfeit goods account for a detrimental $250 billion industry. Here are 6 reasons, the price simply does not justify the purchase:

1. Child LaborThe counterfeit market relies on cutting corners to maximize profits - this ideology unfortunately applies to every aspect of counterfeiting process. Counterfeiters do not abide by the standard government regulations put into place with intention to protect workers. Employees assembling counterfeit goods are often children, working for less than fair wages, in less than acceptable conditions. It is not uncommon for these underaged employees to be sent by their families to live and work in counterfeiting factories in order to help provide for their impoverished families back home. 

2. Counterfeit Goods Fund Illegal Activity

Many counterfeit operations are created as a front to launder money acquired from criminal activities. Most often, organized crime networks operate many illegal activities all at once and use the sale of counterfeit goods to either launder money or generate funds for other criminal activities like drug trade, human trafficking, sex trafficking, robbery or terrorist activities. All of these activities hurt both local and global economies as well as cause severe injury and harm to basic human rights.

3. Unsafe Working ConditionsTo make matters even worse, the factories themselves force unsafe working conditions upon their employees. Workplace safety is of no concern and many serious injuries often occur while on the job. Protective clothing such as masks and gloves are not provided to employees and therefore they work unprotected from toxic chemicals, dyes and unclean air quality clouded with dust, fumes, or even fabric particles from sewing, cutting or distressing fabrics. Exposure to these elements can cause serious longterm illness.

4. Health Risks and DiseaseOne of the most common health issues caused by poor working conditions is Silicosis, a respiratory disease that can lead to death if left untreated. Silicosis, is the result of silica dust particles entering the lungs and is most frequently acquired from sandblasting materials to achieve a 'distressed' look (thats right - the faded jeans that literally everyone wears). In 2009, over 20,000 workers suffered from this disease (due to workplace conditions) in China alone.

5. Negative Environmental ImpactLooking at the issue from an environmental standpoint, counterfeiting factories do not dispose of their waste properly or in accordance to any regulation. Surrounding communities can feel the affects by becoming unknowingly exposed to toxic chemicals in their air, soil or water sources. Again, potentially leading to longterm illness and environmental issues.

6. They Can Kill You.Counterfeit goods can be hazardous to your health. The technical construction of counterfeit goods is under par at best. Materials used to make fake handbags, shoes, clothing and accessories are often completely toxic! This is primarily concerning when counterfeiting children's apparel, though the toxins can most certainly affect adults as well. Lead paint can often be found in counterfeit goods which is highly toxic and can be deadly if ingested or if the child puts their hands in their mouth after coming into contact with the product containing lead paint. Many of the fake handbags, shoes and accessories that we have seen over the years have a pungent plastic-like or even gasoline-like odor to them. This can undoubtedly be bad for not only your health but also the environment.

Currently, trade in counterfeit goods is estimated to be a $500 billion dollar global industry. By the year 2025 it is predicted that the global economic loss due to counterfeiting could reach $2 trillion dollars annually. In 2005, customs preformed 8,000 seizures of goods valued at more than $92 million. In the United States alone, it is estimated that 750,000 jobs are lost each year due to counterfeit goods. Please follow this link for an extensive report on the severity of counterfeiting in the global marketplace.

Real Authentication offers expert authentication services for luxury designer handbag brands like Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Burberry and many more. Our handbag authentication experts have truly studied the ins and outs of each and every brand we offer authentication services for. It may seem hard to believe, but with daily research of each designer handbag brand, we are able to confidently pass our expertise off to you through authentication, appraisal and identification services. We are always happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding your preowned designer purchases. We specialize in handbag authentication but also provide many additional services you may need as well!

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Monogram Print is OUT! Its All About Minimalism and a Neutral Look

The logo 'It' bag is officially dead..........

In today’s fashion circles the once-trendy accessory just doesn’t carry the same weight that it used to. The need for loud, shouty branding is flailing in the midst of a sea change.

3.1 Phillip Lim Large Pashli 

But don’t just take our word for it, according to a recent report by market research group NPD a third of handbags bought by US customers in the last year have been quiet, discreet, no-logo carryalls.

Unsurprisingly, those over the age of 50 are the most unobtrusive consumers with 40 per cent opting for no-logo bags - but this isn’t a trend reserved solely for the more mature dresser.

Even Generation Z, a cast of consumers in their late teens and early 20s fixated on big branding are on board too, with their no-logo buying increasing by eight per cent.

Chloé 'Medium Marcie' Leather Satchel

“Consumers are becoming less focused on image and more focused on individuality – especially the younger generations,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at The NPD Group.

“While the cachet of designer logos is still relevant for many, the days of consumers looking to be a part of a designer or brand movement are waning in favour of their desire to find the style and function unique to their personality and lifestyle.”

In the 90s, logos were just as important, if not more important, than the clothes themselves and you had to decide which brands you were going to commit to. Maximalism reached fever pitch.

Oh what should we buying instead? Thanks in no small part to the success of indie brand Mansur Gavriel, whose pared-down bucket bag fired up the masses, brands like Michael Kors and Coach have cut back on their logo heavy handbags.

Instead, subtlety and a discreet, modern take on brand classics dominates. For Michael Kors, the Gracie is the most recent celebrity favourite, while the Mercer offers a chic take on the satchel.

Yves Saint Laurent Cabas Chyc Tote

Also going big with bags that promise to stand the test of time is Coach, who have just released Coach Icons; an installment of three key styles that have been reimagined from the archives to celebrate their 75th anniversary.

The Duffle, Saddle Bag and Dinky offer functionality and super-subtle details that give them an enduring appeal. What’s more, they tend to come at a relatively attainable price, not bargain bucket of course but they’re in general far cheaper than their heavily embroidered counterparts.

It’s refreshing to see the fashion cycle turn towards a trend that’s less about status and more about personal style. The reign of the logo handbag looks to be ending but these new iterations, while less commercial, look set to be just as popular among the fashion forward.