AUTHENTICATING GUCCI BAGS AND PURSES
MATERIAL QUALITY
An authentic Gucci bag will be made of the finest quality leather and materials. If you notice your bag is made of cheap “unnaturally perfect” machine-made synthetic material or fake leather – it’s probably a counterfeit! Real Gucci leather will have natural imperfections because it’s genuine leather. It should have a natural leather scent instead of a chemical or plastic smell. Make sure it has a smooth texture that doesn’t feel rubbery like fake leather.
THE ICONIC GUCCI MONOGRAM
Monogram-style Gucci bags feature the iconic double G logo, inspect the consistency and spacing of the pattern. The left G should be forward-facing while the right G should be backwards and upside down. Fake monogram will have irregularities like different sized Gs and inconsistent spacing.
THE GUCCI LOGO
Depending on the style, the
Gucci logo on the exterior of the bag may differ. The standard interlocking Gs are the standard logo, and it’s usually placed on the front of the bag, flap or closure. It should be gold-plated, but in some cases the Gucci name or logo is embossed or printed on the leather.
HARDWARE QUALITY
Counterfeiters can’t replicate the hardware of authentic Gucci bags. Genuine Gucci bags have high-quality hardware that is gold-plated or made of solid metal.
Zippers, locks and other hardware should feature a Gucci engraving that has a high-quality finish with even spacing and official Gucci font.
QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP & STITCHING
Watch out for broken threads and uneven stitching, these are signs of a counterfeit! Genuine Gucci bags’ stitching will be perfectly even, with thread that’s the same colour as the leather.
THE GUCCI DUST BAG
Gucci purses come with high-quality dust bags, usually they are a light honeycomb or dark brown colour with a printed GG logo or the Gucci brand name. Newer Gucci bags come with a white dust bag with the Gucci emblem sewed on the front.
Imitation packaging will be made from cheap materials. Make sure that you check the symmetry and spacing of the Gucci label.
CHECK THE TAG AND SERIAL NUMBER
Authentic Gucci bags will have a heat stamp or label stitched on the interior, which features the brand name, the registered trademark and mentions it was “Made in Italy”. The underside of the label has to show the serial number, which is usually two sets of 6-digit numbers.
Many modern Gucci bags also have a QR Code printed on a tag, usually located next to the tag that contains the serial number. On vintage bags the number sequencing may vary and have 5 or 7 digits in the first set of numbers and 4 digits in the second set of numbers.
The serial should be comprised of only numeric figures and never include any alphabetic letters! The font used has serifs similar to the Times New Roman font, most fakes get this wrong and use a wide, blunt font similar to Helvetica or Arial.
THE PRICE TAG
Authentic Gucci products aren’t cheap, if you find one that is selling for far less than the listed retail price, be wary and make sure you aren’t being fooled into buying a fake! If the price is too nice, think twice!
Gucci bags are the perfect investment, because they retain their value. They usually retail for around $650 (R11,500) to $34,000 (R601,500)! The most expensive Gucci handbag is the Sylvie medium top handle bag made from genuine crocodile leather. Gucci purses and wallets usually retail new from $400 (R7000) to $1,600 (R28,300).
AUTHENTICATING GUCCI SHOES
MATERIAL QUALITY
Authentic leather Gucci shoes are made from and smell like genuine leather. Fake Gucci shoes use tough canvas, mimicking the double G logo. Authentic Gucci’s will use printed cloth which has an iridescent fabric quality.
THE LINING
The lining of authentic Gucci shoes uses supple, high-quality leather and the heel of the lining should be stamped with “Gucci” and “Made in Italy”, counterfeits will have a cheap lining. Make sure you inspect the logo for sloppy lines or bleeding corners, the print should be crisp and clean!
THE SOLES
If the soles are made out of synthetic material instead of leather, it’s most likely a fake. Authentic Gucci soles should be stamped above the shoe size with “Gucci” and “Made in Italy”. Some Gucci shoes will have a silver or gold plate engraved with “GUCCI” located below the shoe size.
GUCCI SHOE BOXES & DUST BAGS
The iconic Gucci shoe boxes haven’t changed much over the decades, to this day there are only two known shoe box designs: the black and white version and the iconic brown version.
With the black and white shoe box, the entire box should be black except for the cover, which should have a black frame surrounding the stark white top, this makes the box appear seamless. The Gucci logo will usually be placed on the bottom area.
The brown version should have the ‘Gucci’ logo printed on the centre of the cover. Fake boxes often use a tightly-spaced logo or print it too big. The genuine box will look sophisticated and the iconic double G emblem will be embossed in a chain-like pattern all over the box. The box should feel strong and not flimsy. Dust bags also come in black and white or brown versions. They are a bit harder to distinguish since they have changed several times over the years. If you encounter a dust bag that is unfamiliar, always check the following: quality material, accurate print, alignment and stitching. Authentic dust bags should achieve this all perfectly.
The newer dust bags are usually white with a black drawstring, the material should be satin-like. The Gucci logo should be on a grey background surrounded by a black frame.
QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP & STITCHING
Make sure the seams have been hand-sewn, stitching is usually visible to the naked eye. If the seams are sewn haphazardly by a sewing machine or have a zigzag formation they are likely fakes. Counterfeits often use glued-on soles and synthetic materials. Authentic Gucci shoes are perfectly constructed, so expect the stitching to be perfect and be suspicious if you notice even one stitch out of place.
CHECK THE SERIAL NUMBER
Authentic Gucci’s have a serial number which should consist of two things: a six-digit style number and the sizing (eight numbers in total). With sneakers, the serial is typically found at the heel of the lining. For women’s shoes, the serial should be found on the sole just above the sizing.
THE COLOUR
If the colours aren’t consistent with Gucci’s official green and red, it’s probably a fake. Counterfeits usually have brighter greens and reds, and if you encounter shoes with glossy or loud textures for the stripes, be suspicious. Gucci typically renders their iconic stripes in a matte and muted manner.
THE PRICE TAG
New Gucci shoes retail from $200 (R3,540) to $3,500 (R62,000). The Python Horsebit Knee Boots are the most expensive pair of Gucci shoes - they retail for $3,500 (R62,000) and are made from python leather.
BUYING AUTHENTIC GUCCI IN SOUTH AFRICA
Wondering
where to find Gucci in South Africa? There are two official brick-and-mortar Gucci stores, one is in Sandton City, Johannesburg and the other is in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. If you’re looking to
buy (or
sell) genuine Gucci products, try
Luxity. Luxity offers one of the largest collections of pre-owned Gucci beauties, all of which have gone through a strict authentication process that guarantees that all products stocked are 100% authentic. Luxity has an online store and three physical stores in Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton; Cape Quarter, Cape Town and Menlyn Maine Central Square, Pretoria.
