Is it real or fake? The answer is in the details.
Salvatore Ferragamo is an Italian design house that creates luxury handbags in addition to shoes and apparel. Counterfeiters have attempted to replicate Ferragamo bags, often with poor results as they do not have the same quality of materials, proprietary information or construction team as the original. However, some of these faux bags can be quite convincing, and you will have to look closely to find out if it is a fraud or the real thing. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Feel the fabric. Salvatore Ferragamo bags are made with high-quality leathers like calfskin and goatskin, as well as exotic skins such as leather. If the material feels thin or like plastic, you probably have a fake.
2. Check the stitching. Luxury design houses like Ferragamo spare little expense in construction details. All stitching should be uniform without loose threads.
3. Test the hardware. Run the zippers up and down, making sure they move smoothly, and then compare them to the other hardware on the bag. They should all be made of the same metal, and there shouldn't be any spots of metal where the color has rubbed off.
4. Find the logos. Salvatore Ferragamo logos are etched on metal on the exterior of the bag, as well as on a metal rectangle on the interior.
5. Look at the lining. It should be sewn in, not glued, and it should lay flat against the walls of the bag without bubbling. Often times, the interior fabric will also have the Ferragamo logo. The country of origin tag that appears in the interior should say that it was made in Italy.
6. Ask for the packaging. If you're buying secondhand, make sure to get the dust cover in which the bag was originally packaged in, which generally also bears the Salvatore Ferragamo logo. It's doubtful that a savvy shopper who had spent the money purchasing one first-hand would have tossed it as it adds to so greatly adds to the bag's value. If you're buying first-hand, there should be no question about getting it with the designer's dust cover.
Tags: Salvatore Ferragamo, dust cover, Ferragamo bags, Ferragamo logo
