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Fendi Bag Lady all about Fendi page
Hi! I love good handbags, and I also love getting a good bargain on eBay. However, fake bags are rampant, especially Fendi, since it has a wide assortment of styles and no VeRO reps. My intentions behind this page are to educate the bidders and point out some differences between fake and authentic bags. I especially want to thank the "Purse Addicts" on eBay for their encouragement and help in making this page.
Here are some helpful pages:
Elviscostellofan's Me page Helpful Bidding tips!
I won a fake! What now? Helpful resources!
A little Fendi History:
Edoardo and Adele Fendi opened the first Fendi store in Rome in 1925, where they sold leather and furs. They first bags they made were hand stitched and pliable. They had five daughters: Paola, Anna, Francia, Carla and Alda fendi, which all joined the company after World War II. In 1965 they hired Karl Lagerfeld, who brought panache and style to the house. Seventies and Eighties bags had stylish caramel and chocolate stripes, and by the 1990's it was time for a change.
In March 1997 Silvia Venturini Fendi, a third generation Fendi, introduced the Baguette. She introduced richer colors and wilder fabrics. Some women think of baguettes as "beanie babies for grownups". Baguettes are made in the Zucca and Zucchino fabrics, and special edition baguettes are introduced each season.
Soon after came the Croissant, a miniature offspring of the baguette. Then came the revival of the Selleria line. Fendi Selleria bags are stitched by hand, much like the first Fendis were, and are made in special editions using the finest pebbled leather and rough hewn stitches. Each bag has a sterling silver plaque inside.
Basic Fendi Shapes:
Baguette- Mamma Baguette- Croissant- Envelope Pouch- Messenger Bag
Smile Pouch- Ostrik Bag- East/West Mamma baguette- Shoulder Bag- Shopper
Here are some differences between fake and authentic bags:
The photos on the left are of a fake Zucca Baguette. The photos on the right are of my authentic Zucca Mamma Baguette.
Please note how the fake baguette has contrast stitching all throughout. The authentic one has tone-on-tone stitching (this can be a little tricky, because Fendi has made baguettes with contrast stitching, but on the leather trim ONLY). Also note that the authentic bag has a more subtle contrast in the fabric. The fake bag has "more" contrast, and also the shape of the bag is a little off.
The strap on the fake bag is a little stiff, also this particular fake has contrast stitching. The strap on the authentic Fendi has smooth leather and same color stitching. Also the stitching is straight and even.
The back of the strap on the fake bag is made of vinyl. The back of the strap on the authentic bag is leather. Also if you notice the side of the straps, you can see the "layers" on the fake bag. The side of the strap on the authentic bag looks like one solid piece.
The buckle on the fake bag shows poor quality. Buckles on authentic bags are perfectly square, are weighty and have FENDI engraved on the sides. Also this fake has gold hardware. Brown Zucca is only done with silver hardware.
The back of the buckle on the fake is lined in vinyl, Fendi never uses vinyl in it's bags! Also note the differences in the back of the buckles. The magnetic clasp is always square. I have also noticed that the screws on authentic bags are almost always aligned. I have two definetly authentic baguettes with screws that are not aligned. Don't worry, just make sure the screws and back of the buckle look like the one on the right side.
The fake baguette has an outdated zipper pull and inside plaque. This particular hardware was used with the older bags (late 80s- early 90s). The baguettes and mamma baguettes have either this zipper pull (this bag is 4 years old) or the newer long rectangular zipper pulls. The Fendi name may be embossed on the leather, or on a square metal plaque.
The lining on the fake bag is stiff fabric. Authentic Fendis have smooth, silky jacquard linings that have the word FENDI woven throughout, or smooth satin that is soft as silk. The color of the lining depends on the outside color of the bag, but it is usually complementary.
And of course, the authentic bag has a serial number! This particular fake didn't have one, although there are fakes with serial numbers out there!
Here is another example:
The photos on the left are of a fake Zucchino Mamma, the photos on the right are of my authentic same model Zucchino Mamma Baguette.
Both bags look very alike. The shape of the bag on the left is a little wider at the base, but what really gave this bag away is the extra stitching in the leather placket on the bag's buckle. Noticed how there is one extra line of stitching. The bag on the left has gold hardware and the bag on the right has enameled silver hardware.
They actually copied the hardware very well on the fake, but another tell-tale sign is that the back of the leather piece is lined in fabric. On the bag on the right, it is lined in the same leather, and again, the screws are aligned.
They did a very good job here! I would go with authentic just by this photo! That is why it is very important to check all aspects of a bag, and if the seller doesn't provide photos of all the details, ask him/her to email photos to you. I do this, and a lot of sellers email them. Remember: a seller who is proud of his/her authentic goods has nothing to hide, and will go the extra mile for a buyer in most cases.
The authentic bag has a serial number, as all Fendi leather goods do. The auction for the bag on the left never mentioned the bag having it.
Older bags:
This goes for the older bags with the round leather Fendi logos: Please notice the differences in the logos. The left logo is for a fake bag, notice how the Fs are fat, and it has extra outer circles. Also, this logo is glued on. The logo on the right is from an authentic bag, notice the symmetry and that it is stitched! On bags with a central leather stripe, this logo is sometimes embossed on the leather (see first bag on the History section).
Older bags also have this zipper pull and logo plaque. There are newer bags with this hardware, they are fake!
These bags are all fake!
If we were to give Fake bag awards, this one takes first place!
The saddest part is that this bag was listed on eBay as Authentic Fendi, and got several bids!
Here is my personal Fendi Collection:
Here are some authentic bags for your viewing pleasure:
Special thanks to Elviscostellofan! The photo of cute bag with the cloud background was taken by her.
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