Michael Kors bag: 5 tips to spot a counterfeit

Michael Kors gained international fame after the brand's creative director and founder, Michael David Kors, joined Project Runway as a judge at the height of the reality show's popularity. Kors, born in 1959, was already established as a sportswear designer when he burst onto the set of the series, but took the opportunity to convert his brand into a household name by moving into a new direction: handbags. Today, Michael Kors leather goods are coveted by men and women the world over. Buying a designer handbag is an important decision, and it's important to make sure you don't get ripped off. Brands such as Versace, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors are common targets for counterfeiters. While some customers buy fake handbags and deliberately destroy their wallets, many others simply can't tell the difference when shopping online. We'll give you some tips on how to spot a fake Michael Kors bag.

MK logos

Real MK handbags sometimes have their MK sign on a suspended metal ring. Sometimes the logo is written on the bag itself. The circular MK logo is used as a metal logo label for a zip fastener or the K part of the MK logo is connected to the vertical M letter, giving the impression that the sloping lines of the K are emerging from the M. When it comes to the brand's all-letter logo, make sure the font looks the same as the original. Pay attention to the spacing of the letters, the font, whether all the letters are the same colour, whether the logo is correctly centred on the front of the bag and whether it looks straight. The writing and engraving of both "Michael Kors" and "MK" are neat and clean with a fine finish in original bags whereas fake bags have a poor quality logo.

• Sometimes you'll find the round metal logo used for decoration hanging from the handle on the side of the bag.

• The circled MK logo and other metal decorations are heavy.

• The name of the Michael Kors logo is often engraved in the centre below the cut-out letters MK in the circle.

• The MK metal logo and other metal decorations are finished in brass or gold.

• The MK logo is usually printed on the lining of the handbag.

The inner lining

The original MK bags are made from a soft satin blend with leather trim. When you touch it, you feel the softness with a subtle stiffness. But this isn't a universal rule to follow, as some of the MK bags come unlined, like the Greenwich Tote collection. Also, the bags in the Vintage Michael Kors collection only have a simple canvas material but never has a real bag been made without the logo on the lining. If you see one, it's definitely a fake.

Until 2013, genuine MK handbags were produced with the iconic circular logo on the lining, but no longer. So any bag claiming to be a new MK bag with such a logo should be considered a fake. In addition, inauthentic bags sometimes have slightly oval logos that apparently resemble a circle. The logo on the lining is usually made up of shiny threads that glow in fainter light. In fake bags, the lining is brighter than the logo, making it barely visible.

Some originals from the 2015 collection have large MK letters all over the lining while the late 2016 and 2017 collections feature Michael Kors writing. Fake MK bags are likely to have a honeycomb lining and misplacement of the logo letters.

Seams

They are quickly overlooked or considered unimportant, but stitching can also indicate imitation. The difference with the original designer handbag is usually clear in the corners. Seams should be clean and straight. Anything less than perfect craftsmanship in a designer bag is a red flag. Genuine Michael Kors handbags are designed to be long-lasting luxury, so they will be well stitched to achieve this. In the case of fakes, the seams are frayed, unstitched or have small knots. So keep the stitching in mind before you buy a Michael Kors bag!

The shape

If you use your Michael Kors bag, it should always keep its shape. Bad bags are usually not particularly stable and very badly structured, which is why they often deform, fall over or simply lose their shape. The shape is decisive for the overall impression of the bag - it must be of high quality. You should pay particular attention to the side view of the Selma bag. A genuine Michael Kors Selma consists of one piece of leather, which runs completely through, whereas in the case of non-genuine bags, the sides are often only stitched at the front and back.

The price

It's hard to resist a Michael Kors bag - especially with particularly tempting sale or second-hand offers. On the one hand, it can be surprising if you find yourself an MK bag for €50, but on the other hand, it's a good idea to work out whether or not this is realistic. Michael Kors handbags range from €150 to €500, depending on size and style. If it's lightly used or has flaws, then of course a big price cut might make perfect sense.

That's why it's always very important to know what price is still realistic. So always have the original price of the bag you want at the back of your head. Because if it's too good to be true, it's often a scam.

Buy your used Michael Kors bag with Obvy

Buying a luxury bag is not a trivial matter, and many people choose the second-hand option to find the bag of their dreams at a bargain price. Although this is a very good option, you should nevertheless beware of the many online scams found on classified ad sites such as Leboncoin, Vinted and Facebook Markeplace. To avoid buying a fake Michael Kors bag from a private seller, you now have all the information you need thanks to our help guide above.

Once you have gone through all the authenticity checks, it is essential that you use a secure payment method like Obvy to finalise your transaction. Obvy gives you a 100% guarantee against scams, thanks in particular to the fact that your money is kept safe in a digital safe throughout the transaction and is only released once you have received the parcel and confirmed that it is genuine.