Style Guide

New Digs

2009-03-23T13:24:00.001-04:00

The Authentics Foundation is proud to report that it has upscaled its online home. Check us out at myauthentics.com. And while you're there, check out our new blog. We'll be posting there from now on, but will leave this site up as an archive of our online anticounterfeiting efforts.

Fake Discount in Brooklyn

2008-07-09T05:28:00.008-04:00

From Gawker, a story close to my Brooklyn-born heart, literally. The Brooklyn Museum has been hosting the © MURAKAMI exhibit in which Louis Vuitton handbags designed by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami appear.

The exhibit also contains a fully functional Louis Vuitton store. Now, agent provacateur Filip Noterdaeme has decided to print flyers suggesting patrons ask for special discounts on all Murakiami-designed Louis Vuitton products. The flyers are fake - there is no discount.

What does this have to do with counterfeiting? Well... the Murakami exhibit opened this spring with actors pretending to hawk counterfeit Murakami Vittuons on a mock Canal Street set. The only different was that the bags "hawked" were real.

And what does all this prove? Maybe that conceptual art is over my head.

Check out the comments for some funny snark.

(Hat Tip: Counterfeit Chic)

Crime of Fashion

2008-07-02T12:43:00.004-04:00

From the blog Fashion Intelligentsia, a writer laments her choice of internet vendors to purchase a Prada Phone only to find it was a fake. Having spent considerable money on this fake phone, the writer presses home the solid advice to talk with as many people as you can if you want to rectify a counterfeit purchase. After being initially stonewalled by the internet vendor of the phone she purchased, she contacted the Better Business Bureau, which helped pressure the vendor into a settlement.

The Purse Forum

2008-06-25T09:41:00.006-04:00

The Purse Forum is an example of how online communities are popping up to help consumers discern the authentic from the fake. As detailed in this article by Amanda Kwan of the Associated Press, the Purse Forum provides a web community-based authentication service of experts - lovers and connoisseurs of luxury handbags. Registered users of the forum post pictures and details of suspected counterfeits by brand, with members of the forum providing feedback and rationale on whether the handbag in question is real or fake.

The brands discussed on the Purse Forum evoke strong feelings of loyalty, which in turn engender a dedicated community. Unpaid monitors patrol the discussions, while the community responds quickly to members seeking authenticity opinions. In addition to authentication, the Purse Forum allows its members to "show off" their handbag collection, as well as share electronic coupon codes for trusted internet retailers such as Bluefly, eLuxury, Neiman Marcus and many others.

Check out both Kwan's article and the Purse Forum for this example of an organic, community-based anti-counterfeiting initiative.

June 12 is World Day Against Child Labor

2008-06-11T10:40:00.002-04:00

The Authentics Foundation
Partners with
CARE USA
Supporting the Global Launch of the
Pasty Collins Trust Fund Initiative
Advocacy Grants Program

Quality Education: Unlocking the Power Within
Liberated from Exploitation, Empowered to End Poverty

World Day Against Child Labor
12 June 2008

In observance of World Day Against Child Labor (WDACL), the Authentics Foundation is pleased to announce its partnership with CARE USA’s global launch of the Pasty Collins Trust Fund Initiative (PCTFI) Global Advocacy Grants Program (AGP) focused on increasing the educational attainment for girls marginalized by hazardous and exploitative child labor.

The Authentics Foundation recognizes CARE’s leadership and efforts in combating hazardous and exploitative children labor around the world and is pleased to be a part of this year’s WDACL observances. CARE is staging and participating in global observances in Indonesia, Tanzania, NW Balkans & Serbia, Togo, Ghana, Mali, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and the United States supporting this year’s WDACL theme “Education, the Right Response to Child Labor.”

Along with the financial support of the Authentics Foundation, CARE USA, the International Labor Organization-International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC), and its national partners are working in tandem hosting national public awareness events around the world focusing on the importance of a quality education for children engaged in hazardous and exploitative child labor, especially girls. This advocacy initiative being launched today will give a voice to girls who are hidden, often along the margins of society quietly toiling away in isolation, never having the chance to realize the promise of an education-much less ever seeing the inside of a classroom for themselves. No longer will their voices go unheard. Central to their struggle of lifting themselves out of poverty is unlocking the power within through the provisions of a quality education.

The Authentics Foundation will be funding a four-year policy and advocacy program aimed at bring about lasting change for adolescent girl child laborers. By working towards a more conducive policy environment in favor of specific policies that liberate girls trapped by hazardous and exploitative child labor and that ensure the promise of a quality education, the Authentics Foundation envisions a world free from the exploitation of children, empowering the end of global poverty. Through specific interventions targeting sustainable change will this vision become a reality for 216 million child laborers around the world.

For more information on the Authentics Foundation, please visit www.myauthentics.com and to learn more about CARE’s efforts to eliminate hazardous and exploitative child labor please visit www.care.org and do your part by making a contribution today.

How to Spot Fake Fragrance & Suglasses

2008-04-01T10:26:00.003-04:00

The UK's Daily Mirror just alerted their readers to the dangers of counterfeits by writing a short 'How to Spot a Fake' piece in their Sunday Consumer section. The Authentics Foundation thought we'd share with you some of their tips:

"Sunglasses

Sunglasses are seen as an easy target by counterfeiters, as consumers are attracted by the promise of "designer" versions at bargain prices.

The dangers: Fake designer shades are unlikely to provide protection against UV rays, which can permanently damage your eyes.

How To Spot A Fake: Watch out for "designer" sunglasses sold unpackaged or in flimsy, unmarked plastic sleeves. Test the hinges, which are inferior in fakes, and examine the designer name - often you can just scratch it off. A lack of the peel-off certificate proving UV protection is another pointer.

Perfume

If you're planning to buy perfume, stick to trustworthy shops, chemists and department stores or look out for legitimate bargains at airports.

The dangers: Counterfeit perfume can often burn your skin or leave you with a rash. Tests on some have found them to contain urine.

How To Spot A Fake: Be wary of products with lowquality packaging, no logos, or misspelt brand names. As perfumes are highend products, they're mostly sold in reputable outlets - not from a suitcase."

Read the full story here

Photo Credit

Canadian Authorities Seize Counterfeit Hair Irons

2008-02-05T17:14:00.000-05:00

Much is done in the name of beauty. But using counterfeit hair irons to look chic on the cheap? Authorities in the Quebec City region of Canada say some consumers unwittingly did just that; the police announced a seizure of 4,500 fake hair straightening irons last Tuesday. The raid was held on January 15 after a months-long investigation beginning in March 2007.

"We have to keep in mind that everything can be counterfeit," Cpl. Richard Faucher told the Packet & Times. Faucher went on to admit that while flat irons aren't the usual seizure for his force, they must be taken seriously, as they can cause injury.

As with many counterfeit electrical products, the flat irons contained cheap, poorly made electrical connections that could "malfunction and could cause a fire.''

Even if a fake item doesn't go on the fritz, myauthentics.com warns that there are other side effects to using such products. Hair straightening irons in particular give off a great deal of heat, and counterfeit versions of these items could reach temperatures dangerously higher than company-tested products, burning the hair and skin.

Photo Credit

Find and Report Counterfeit Coach

2007-12-19T15:28:00.001-05:00

Coach has strengthened their name as a quality leather goods company in the past decade, and consumers are simply crazy about everything from their logoed purses to keychains. The problem with Coach knockoffs is as big as any other at present, and it's good to stay aware of a few things that make Coach products so special.

Know your abCs: The CC logo Coach has become famous for is done in a particular style on each bag. Beyond familiarizing yourself with the font of the C, remember that Coach takes pains to line up the Cs in the middle. See Bag Bliss' "How to Spot a Fake Coach Bag" for pictures of fakes vs. the real thing.
Dust Bags: The dust bags for Coach products are a deep chocolate brown, with orange trim. We just love putting our wristlets back in their chic cases, and the flimsy white dust bags for copies do not compare.
Glue vs. Stitching: Coach stitches all of their authenticity and logo tags in the interiors of their bags. Often, fakes have giveaway glue seeping outside the authenticity tags.

"I strongly advise against [fakes]," says online marketplace blogger JennyHow. "You would only be cheating yourself. As someone used to say, we are too poor to afford cheap products. The handbag knockoffs are not only visibly less elegant, they are also considerably less durable."

Want to report a fake Coach product? To report counterfeiters, please call the counterfeit hotline at (800) 396-1807 or e-mail information to Counterfeits@coach.com.
You can remain anonymous if you wish. Click here to learn more about reporting Coach counterfeits.

Photo Credit

Carried Away with Imitation Luxury

2007-12-17T10:17:00.000-05:00

For this writer, Goyard once represented the kind of quiet, enduring luxury brand owned by those in the know. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if you are in accounts at the company), the 144-year-old luggage maker has become utterly ubiquitous in New York City as of late. Since Barney's began trumpeting their St. Louis totes a year or so ago, everyone has wanted a canvas bag inscribed with the Parisian company's "Y" design.

But with serious popularity come serious threats of counterfeiting, cooing at the design-conscious from carts off Fifth Avenue.

Writer and product designer Peri Wolfman sat down with the New York Times to discuss why she had been craving the status bag, and why considerations for a fake were not out of the question. After some thought, Ms. Wolfman emphasized avoiding "those shoddy pretenders now bargain priced at $40 that are popping up around Midtown. The discerning are quick to spot the replicas’ vinyl handles and piping, which are far less pliable than Goyard’s signature luggage leather and the leather trim on the best of the quality knockoffs.

At lunch with friends not long ago, she compared her classy counterfeit with their originals. “We looked at the details, the lining, the stitching,” she recalled. “I promise you, you couldn’t tell the difference.”

Such assertions do not amuse Maison Goyard, the 144-year-old Parisian luggage maker that prides itself on pedigree. “Goyard is fully committed to its brand protection,” said Charlotte Letard, a company spokeswoman. She added that the company is addressing the issue of street vendors through targeted civil seizure orders, and is working closely with Customs to seize counterfeit merchandise." [Read full story here.]

In the final weeks of holiday shopping frenzy, it can be easy to purchase a counterfeit. With fakes, there are no waiting lists and no hefty price tags. But, as New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly can attest, raids on these knockoff stalls and stores are rampant. What do you think of buying fakes?

Some guidelines for purchase are:

Dealer: You are always encouraged to buy through reputable channels. In New York City, Goyard bags are sold exclusively at Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman.
Sheen: Just as cheap patent leather is far shinier than that of better quality, the sheen on fake bags can be much more striking than the originals.
Interior Lining: Goyard is renowned for its use of a unique linen, cotton and hemp material which it lines it's luxury bags in. The cloth is durable, and markedly different from the flimsy cotton counterfeiters have been using to imitate the original.
Stitching: As always, stitching is what sets apart a luxury bag from a factory produced replica. Are the straps crooked? Does the stitching match the bag or is the seam white as it should be?
Too cheap to be true: If a "luxury item" in the Goyard range is being offered for considerably under a $700 price tag (where the line begins), there is a reason.

Photo credit

The Alligator Bites Back: Lacoste Ramps up Anti-Counterfeiting

2007-11-05T10:24:00.000-05:00

The allure of Lacoste has endured since its inception in 1933 by tennis great Rene Lacoste. Once indicating a modicum of authentic preppy style, it's now been adopted by consumers of all style preferences. As with any brand of note, Lacoste has seen counterfeits produced everywhere from Thailand to South America. In fact, the company just seized $1 million worth of phony polo shirts in Puerto Rico. Even more recently, Lacoste has increased it's focus on counterfeit production in Vietnam, where the company is working with local police in Hanoi to stamp out the problem.

One common myth concerning this alligator-embellished merchandise is that product being sold more cheaply on the internet or on the street is authentic but simply has a few "flaws" that barred it from being sold in official stores.

"With global sales of 45 million T-shirts, some errors surely occur during the production process," says Christian London, Lacoste's legal manager. "However, this volume of goods is separated and just a small part of it is sold at Lacoste shops."

As Mr. London notes, any merchandise with slight errors is sold at any number of official factory outlets Lacoste runs throughout the world, in places like New York's outlet center Woodbury Commons. Never is it cast off in such a way that it's accessible to local merchants or unofficial online vendors. Be aware that any merchandise being sold under this guise is questionable at best, and most likely counterfeit.

You can find more info on Lacoste merchandise in the e-auction world here.

Our own guide to staying away from fakes:

Use official commercial channels. Buying the product in the store allows for warranty and guaranteed authenticity.
Buttons: The first thing counterfeiters skimp on is price, and with it, quality. Lacoste shirts are renowned for their mother of pearl buttons. Since mother of pearl is a naturally occurring organic compound, no two buttons will ever look alike in terms of sheen and pattern. Also, authentic buttons are free from any lettering.
Unlock the code: Official codes in your merchandise are unique. Counterfeits generally have a generic code (one such example is 8558).
Crocodile: We have seen all manner of absurd versions of the illustrious croc, but usually consumers know the real thing when they see it. Fakes can be lopsided, pointing too far up or down, or have a number of other giveaways discussed here.

Photo Credit

NY's First Counterfeit Case: It's Bad for your Health

2007-10-23T09:19:00.000-04:00

Women's Wear Daily has reported the first ever successful suit against a counterfeit perfume store in New York. The offending store, called Price Right and Watches is located at 1205 Broadway in Manhattan; when raided by police, it was found to house hundreds of fake fragrances bearing the marks of many name brands.

And that's not all these phony perfumes were bearing--the $3 million dollars worth of fakes are said to be a health hazard.

"Because fragrances are applied to the skin — and some counterfeits have been shown to include additives such as urine and antifreeze — fakes can pose a significant public safety issue, said Bradley Schnur, president and chief operating officer of SES and a former assistant district attorney in Brooklyn. "It's a health issue."

Source
Photo Credit

The Debate Over Design Piracy Continues

2007-10-17T11:00:00.000-04:00

Photo Credit

I'm Not a Real Bag

2007-08-28T12:17:00.001-04:00

Dear Bag,
I know you are not plastic. I also know you are not real.

The only thing worse than copycat eco-chic is the fact that you actually have a plastic interior.

Get the info on how to tell the real deal from the fake on "Rock the Trend."

Caught in Notting Hill's Portobello Market.

How to Spot a Fake Pearl

2007-08-17T07:20:00.001-04:00

Pearl necklace
Originally uploaded by tanakawho

I'll admit it--I own some fake pearls. But they are fake as in "costume jewelry" and not as in knockoff x-designer necklace with some curious cc's on it (you know the necklace. Not that I wouldn't mind an original of that!) There's no harm in buying fun costume jewelry--it's a cheap and easy way to update and expand your wardrobe. But it's good to know how to spot a fake pearl so you don't get hoodwinked at the jewelry store.

The Blog Bulletin had this great post about how to spot a fake pearl, which includes giveaways like the weight of the necklace. Usually, the real thing is considerably heavier.

I also enjoyed Absolute Pearl's "Tips for buying a Pearl Necklace," which gives advice on the meaning of each size, and e-Zine's "A Timeless Beauty," which reminds us that Romans thought pearls were tears of Venus. That Venus! Even her sadness is beautiful!

Whoever said diamonds are a girls best friend clearly never saw this picture:

Image courtesy of Beads by Mail.

style news roundup ed. 1

2007-08-16T10:23:00.000-04:00

The Design Piracy Act Heats Up (AP)
Knockoff Makers Beware: New Bill in Congress Aims to Protect Designers' Copyrights (Bulldog News)

Yellow There

2007-07-28T11:38:00.000-04:00

Dear Topshop,

Dungarees are great, especially when they’re the color of my grandma’s lemon custard. But, according to the news, the yellow jean minidress in your stores may have been an imitation of another brand’s. Hmmm...

Topshop Destroys its ‘Chloe’ Dresses (Telegraph)
Topshop Ordered to Destroy Dress ‘Copied from Chloe’s Design’ (Independent)

Totally T'd Off

2007-07-24T11:33:00.000-04:00

You know those eco colored pencils we were loving last week? Turns out they’re quite handy right now, since Harper’s Bazaar is running a contest called “We’re T’d Off,” where you can design a logo to the slogan “Fakes are Never in Fashion” that will be released on t-shirts. For all you aspiring designers, or the math majors who secretly dream of swapping Abstract Algebra for Accessory Design, this is the the competition for you.
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