In New
York, Century 21 is a well known and retailer for anyone looking for a
deal. Yes, it may be every
fashionista’s dream to purchase their favorite designers at insanely lower
prices, but many of us have always trusted that the high-end designer discount
store is selling us legitimate products and never counterfeits. Apparently that is not always the case.
In August, New York fashion blogger FARPITZS bought a Foley + Corinna tote bag for her sister from Century 21. Said fashion blogger
purchased the bag for herself previously, direct from the designer, and was
surprised to find it at a similar price at Century 21. Unfortunately, when she
went into the Foley
+ Corinna boutique to buy a longer strap
for the bag, the sales team inquired about where she purchased the bag. They informed
her that they do not make straps that short, nor do they sell to Century 21.
Her bag was a fake.
(Picture of the fake taken from
FARPITZS)
Who
knew – a well known store, with a very realistic knock off? Who could?
When
it comes to authentic versus fakes, we always say, “Do your homework.” You can
learn about the brand, the website/store, and how the product is made. On top of that, shouldn’t you be able to
trust that an established store that has been providing high-end designer deals
for almost 50 years in New York City would not sell their consumers a
fake? Today, you simply can’t.
In
March of this year, Fendi won an injunction against Filene’s Basement and Burlington Coat Factory was ordered to pay $4.7
million to the luxury brand in February. Burberry took T.J Maxx and Marshalls to
court earlier this year for allegedly selling counterfeits in mass
quantities.
This
also stems from our last blog post discussing the NY Times article where peddlers are now
charging extremely similar, or in some cases, higher prices to those of the
actual designer. Every year, it is becoming tougher to spot a fake for the
average consumer. So I ask you, if you cannot trust that your favorite discount
designer store or outlet does not sell the real thing, then who can you trust?
The bottom line is, if you see a fake in a well known store, report it to us at fakes@harpersbazaar.com.