Skip to main content

The FakeFake: Counterfeit Fashion and The RealReal’s Fake Store for Fake Bags

by Josh Hawkins

The RealReal is a luxury retailer and e-commerce site selling authentic designer goods, with 16 stores across the US. 


Since 2011, The RealReal’s mission has been to ‘extend the lifecycle of luxury.’ This has led to them removing 5000 fake items a month and an astounding 250,000 since they began.



On the 11th of June 2024, New Yorkers spotted The RealReal’s latest store, or so they thought.


At first glance, the store looks like a run-down building turned luxury bag store with chipped wooden doors and graffiti behind the stores sign. The shelving displayed many iconic handbags such as the Hermes Birkin, Dior’s Lady D-lite, and Telfar’s Shopping Bag, beautifully lit up with a statement chandelier in the centre.


Located on 301 Canal Street (deemed New York City’s counterfeit bag street), the stores opening hours gave away the trick, stating it was closed from Monday to Sunday accompanied by a QR code saying open beside it. 


This was because everything in the store was, in-fact, fake. Even the chandelier.



The RealReal celebrated the stores ‘opening’ with an exclusive cocktail party attended by unsuspecting guests. Hunter Thompson, the director of authentication at The RealReal, met guests and gave out blue shoe covers before discussing the meaning behind the fake merchandise filled store. 


The words ‘Ask yourself what’s real’ is written on the window, opening the discussion of counterfeit culture in fashion. 


This exhibition was in collaboration with creative agency Mythology to start conversations on the origins of fake designer goods and the danger of their origins. 


Counterfeit pieces have become more and more difficult to identify, even leading master authenticators to enlist help off the FBI to fish out the fakes. With the evolving discussion and exposing of fast fashion, The RealReal says that counterfeit goods need to be a big part of that conversation. With absolutely no regulations or safe, ethical working places, the goods are severely damaging the environment and fashion authenticity. 


In 2023 alone, a whopping $2.7 billion of counterfeit goods were seized in the US via border control, being traced back to cartels that supply narcotics and firearms.


The RealReal is continuing their attempts to keep counterfeit bags from being sold with the exhibition remaining until September. On one day of each month, June 22nd, July 20th, and August 17th, people will be available to exchange their own counterfeit handbags for the chance to win genuine, authentic bags; no questions asked. 


They have also a curated collection of the Canal Street inspired goods online to shop the authentic versions of commonly counterfeited items like the Chanel Flap, Gucci Belts and Rolex watches.


Edited by Emily Duff

Most Popular

Fashion For a Cause: Brands That Stand with Palestine and the history of fashion as a form of Activism

by Oana-Maria Moldovan For over two months, there has been an ongoing genocide war in Gaza. To simplify a long and horrific issue, the situation that started, on a larger scale, around one hundred years ago, and has only become amplified since October 7th 2023. Taking place around the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Israel–Lebanon border, the armed conflict is between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups.  The problem is about “stolen” land. Said land is seen as an important holy part of both religions involved. But really, how holy can we consider a land to be, if people kill other people for it? It’s important to remember that this genocide is about three things: forced occupation, zionism, and religion. It’s also important to remember what ethnic erasure is. This terrible expresion, also known as cultural or ethnic assimilation, refers to the process by which the distinct cultural or ethnic identity of a particular group is gradually diminished or erased, often due to ext

Now What? The Aftermath of the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl'

by Susan Moore Here is a bit about me: I am an open, excitable, creative AFAB who is also moderately attractive. I have a unique sense of personal style and a personality that on the surface can only be described as “bubbly” and “quirky”. For this reason, dating is a nightmare. To be sure, I do not have a hard time finding dates or potential suitors. The problems arise when said dates spend some time with me and decide that I am a rare specimen, and the connection they feel with me is “unlike anything they have felt before”. Then, things go one of two ways.  Either a) they decide I am too high maintenance and no longer palatable, or  b) they choose to never look further than the surface and are content to date the idea of me rather than the real me. There is something rather interesting, perhaps funny, about my situation. It is in no way unique. I have met so many people who constantly dealt with the same problem. Even funnier still, is the fact that there is a trope that simultaneousl

‘Make Tattooing Safe Again’: Sheffield Based Tattoo Artist Exposed for Indecent Behaviour

 by Emily Fletcher TW: SA, Animal Abuse, Transphobia Photo Credit: @ meiko_akiz uki Recently, an  Instagram account  has been created to provide a  ‘space to safely give a voice to those who want to speak out about the behaviour of one, Sheffield based tattoo artist’. A  total of 40+ posts have been made by the above social media account regarding  one of Sheffield's most popular tattoo artists .  Thankfully, all posts are prefaced with a Content Warning prior to sharing screenshots of the messages that have been sent anonymously to the page. The majority of Content Warnings refer to sexual behaviour, abuse, and sexual assault. It is clear that there is a reoccurring theme within each submission, as many clients appear to have had the same experiences with the tattoo artist. Women, mostly, are being made to feel uncomfortable while being tattooed. One of the most vulnerable positions anyone can be in, tattoo artists should make their clients feel comfortable and safe during the pro