How to spot a fake Prada Cleo bag?

The "Cleo" bag from Italian luxury brand Prada, launched in December 2020, was the star bag of winter 2021. Its retro, minimalist design was a hit with women. Available in a range of different colours, the bag represents the design of Prada in the 1990s. The bag starts at €1,800 on the luxury brand's official website.

If you buy it outside an official shop, here are a few tips to help you recognise whether it's a real or fake Cleo bag by Prada.

The contours of the Cleo bag

First of all, on the whole it's very easy to tell a fake Prada Cleo bag from a real Prada Cleo bag just by the quality of the leather used.

Here we're going to focus on the outline of the Prada Cleo bag. On a real Prada Cleo bag, the outline is shinier than the rest of the Prada bag. On a fake Prada Cleo bag, the outline is made from the same material as the rest of the bag, i.e. matt leather.

On the left, a real Prada Cleo bag, on the right a Prada Cleo replica.

Pay particular attention to the stitching, as you can imagine that on a genuine Prada bag, the seams are perfectly executed. If you notice the slightest defect on your bag, you've undoubtedly purchased a counterfeit Prada Cleo bag.

The Prada logo

Let's move on to the Prada logo. A genuine Prada logo is supposed to be soft, shiny and perfectly legible. Counterfeiters regularly reproduce this logo very badly, making it blurred and matt and with illegible inscriptions. Also check the stitching around this logo, which is supposed to be of very high quality but rarely is on replica Prada Cleo bags.

On the left, an authentic Prada logo, on the right, a fake Prada logo.

Closing the Prada bag

A poor-quality fastener is only noticeable over time, and if you have a fake bag, the fastener will wear out very quickly.

However, you can already see that on an authentic Prada Cleo bag, the fastener is thinner and deeper inside the bag. Whereas on a replica Prada Cleo bag, the closure is thicker and appears to rest directly on the front of the bag.

On the left, a real Prada bag, on the right, a fake Prada bag

The Prada bag buckle

Nothing is left to chance on an authentic Prada bag. Every detail is perfectly executed.

On the buckle of the bag is the inscription "PRADA". On a genuine bag, this inscription is perfectly legible, larger and more deeply engraved into the metal than on a fake Prada Cleo bag. Also, on a fake Prada Cleo bag, the details attached to this buckle are usually bigger than they should be. Keep your eyes peeled.

On the left, a real Prada buckle, on the right, a fake Prada buckle.

Buy your used Prada Cleo bag with Obvy

If you want to buy a Cleo bag from Prada outside official shops, through second-hand markets or simply by approaching resale sites, complete your transaction on Obvy.

Obvy is a secure payment platform that helps you avoid the scams that are common in transactions between private individuals. When you make a transaction on Obvy, the funds are only credited to your seller once you, the buyer, have certified that the goods purchased are in order. If this is not the case, you are automatically refunded and the item is returned to the seller.

By using Obvy to carry out transactions between private individuals, you can also benefit from payment in several instalments.

Finally, if you're a die-hard fan of luxury brand Prada, we've also written an article that will help you spot the 2005 Prada nylon reedition counterfeit bag.