Louis Vuitton was the original creator of 'designer bags' and 'designer luggage'. I have designed this page to help you finda genuine designer bag, designer handbag or designer purse and also to show how to spot fake designer bags. It is claimed that 99% of 'Louis Vuitton' goods sold are fakes!
The picture to the left is of the most expensive Louis Vuitton handbag I have been able to find on the Internet- the Suhali Le Fabuleux which retails currently at $4,360.00 it has 2 large expanding inner sections central pocket. External zipped pocket, large flap with S-lock, corners with metal squares. Size 14"x 8.5"x 5"
For the absolute most expensive handbag in the world (Hermes Birkin) at $1.63M see
Designer Handbags
For more detailed information about designer bags by Louis Vuitton, with better pictures see Leather Handbags and Designer Handbags
I have also included some Louis Vuitton bags for sale on Ebay (see my post on How to Spot a Fake Louis Vuitton Designer Bag first).along withsome beautiful Japanese Maki-E Fountain pens made using gold dust as they are very beautiful and unusual, not the sort of thing everyone will have in their handbag ! I've also included some of the best cars in the world - Rolls Royce, Lamborghini,Maybach, Mercedes - as you will need the best car to best show off your Louis Vuitton bag and your amazing Japanese Fountain pen.
Replica Handbags - Video
Womens Handbags
Radley
HOW TO SPOT A REPLICA LOUIS VUITTON BAG Replica Louis Vuitton Bags - Take Care - It's a MINEFIELD !
How to Spot a Replica / Fake Louis Vuitton Bag
First - take care, if the seller has a lot of designer bags, Louis Vuitton restricts purchases of designer bags specifically to prevent re-selling, so be wary of men with big stocks.
A Genuine Louis Vuitton Suhali L'Aimable ($1,730.00)
Study the awful Louis Vuitton website very carefully and see what genuine designer handbags look like (the bags may be good but their website is a disaster)- some so-called Vuitton bags such as the Cherry Blossom Speedy or Murakami Visor were never made by Vuitton
There should be no plastic or bubble wrap in sight!
If the price seems too good to be true then it is - genuine Vuitton designer bags are expensive because they require a lot of high-quality work
Look at the craftsmanship - a Vuitton bag is a "work of art" and should look like it - no creases, wrinkles, lopsided logos, poor quality stitching etc...
Certificate of Authenticity - this could of course be fake too - but if there isn't one then that should act as a warning
Cheap tags made from a circular piece of plastic
Most genuine dustbags just have the plain LV or Louis Vuitton logo
Cheap plastic, cheap tan or cheap suede interiors
The patterns on Louis Vuitton bags are always correctly lined up
These are some of the signs, but even so distinguishing a fake from the genuine article is very difficult without a lot of practice (which rather defeats the purpose - unless you intend joining the bag police).
I have listed some bags that are for sale on Ebay, as the seller appears to be absolutely genuine and extremely knowledgeable, but of course the only way of being absolutely certain is to buy one from a Louis Vuitton store (or visit their delightful website of course) !
I hope this information has been of use. Louis Vuitton bags are extremely well-made and retain their quality and their value for years. Happy hunting :-)
Other useful sites - with pictures - Womens Handbags
Designer Handbags
For a short history of Louis Vuitton and a picture of the great man himself click here : The First Louis Vuitton
Women's Leather Handbags
How to Spot a Replica Radley Bag
Replica Handbags
Genuine Louis Vuitton Handbags by The Fine Designer
A Genuine Louis Vuitton Monogram Ursula ($2120.00)
If you are (like I am) the sort of person who doesn't trust anyone, particularly not bank managers and Internet traders and other forms of rapacious life forms and if you really really absolutely want a genuine Louis Vuitton handbag, then the only place you are going to find one and be absolutely certain you are not being ripped off is in a Louis Vuitton store or on the official and absolutely awful Louis Vuitton website, (whoever designed that site should be taken away by men in white designer coats and made to click on it till he repents and promises to never touch a computer again !). The bags may be wonderful but trying to find what you want or buy one from their site is a disturbing experience. But I'm afraid, in my humble opinion, that it is the only way you will be 100% certain in your own mind that the bag you are buying is the genuine article.
This doesn't mean that there aren't genuine bags elsewhere, just that 'how can you be sure'? There might always be that niggling doubt in the back of your mind. On their website Louis Vuitton state "Louis Vuitton products are available only from Louis Vuitton stores" or, if you would like it in the original French "Les produits Louis Vuitton sont disponibles uniquement dans les magasins Louis Vuitton." In so far as concerns 'online' sales they say "Our Louis Vuitton products are also available via our Customer Department on www.louisvuitton.com for France and the United Kingdom and on www.eluxury.com for the United States." So there you have it. Personally, I would choose that option, for two reasons. Firstly, I like to be sure about what I am buying, I hate buying things and then regretting it afterwards. Secondly, if you do find a genuine Louis Vuitton handbag somewhere else you are unlikely to get it at a massive discount. Louis Vuitton bags are expensive and remain expensive, if a bag is being sold cheap it is for a reason.
It may be, however, that you are not as fussy or suspicious as I am. You may be willing to take a risk for the sake of convenience, or because you want to find a bargain. In that case there are telltale signs you can look out for to try and reduce the risk as much as possible, which I will describe below, as Squidoo will only let me use 2500 characters!
Womens Handbags
Designer Handbags
COACH - AMERICAN LUXURY DESIGNER BAGS + LAPTOP COMPUTER BAG Affordable Designer Handbags
Coach is a US company which makes leather goods. It was established as a family business in a loft in Manhattan in 1941. Although it is known mainly as a designer of ladies' handbags and purses, it also manufactures luggage, briefcases, and other accessories (watches, belts, scarves, shoes, sunglasses, umbrellas, etc.), and even office furniture. It also makes an excellent laptop computer bag (see below).
.......................................Chelsea Hair Calf Satchel
Its leather goods are expensive without being outrageously so, but they are also extremely well-made, and they are well-known for the high-quality of the leather they use and also for the sturdy metal rivets which are often solid brass.
Coach leather goods will easily last between 10 and 20 years if they are looked after properly. Some Coach bags from the 1970s are still in good condition and in regular use. The Coach customer service is second to none, they undertake to repair any Coach product, you just need to send it back to the home office, and include a letter detailing the problem.
In 1960, Miles and Lillian Cahn, who owned a wholesale handbag manufacturing business, took the decision to create their own retail collection. They wanted Bonnie Cashin to be their designer, but she declined, as she was too busy at the time. The Cahns however said they would wait for her to be free, they had to wait two years but finally in 1962, Cashin became the designer for their new 'Coach' label of leather goods.
Cashin was an innovator and initiated a revolution in the handbag industry. Her bags were works of sculpture, dyed in her favourite colours of orange, pink, green and yellow, and lined with extraordinary linen from Belgium, Mexican cottons, or tweeds created by designer Dorothy Liebes. After years of handbags being either black or brown, clients were excited to see these new shapes, textures, and colors, and all Coach bags had the added convenience of wide openings and exterior purses and pockets for coins or other items.
It was Cashin who created the brass toggle that is the Coach hallmark.
Coach is unusual for a luxury bag designer in that produces large numbers of bags and can therefore save money and obtain better profit margins.
Coach's success is also partly down its reputation for 'affordable luxury,' it produces luxury bags at a price that is accessible to a greater number of people.
It sells a lot of bags abroad, particularly in Japan. In Asia its main competitor is Louis Vuitton.
Coach makes an excellent laptop computer bag called the Connor Brief :
Details
Padded zip-top compartment for notebook computer
Front gusseted compartment with two multifunction pockets, three pen/pencil loops and card holder
Inside zip pocket
Inside trigger snap key holder
Four multifunction pockets for accessories and two pen/pencil pockets
Front buckle tab closures with hidden pushlocks
Weather resistant glovetanned leather
Padded top handle
Can be worn on shoulder or cross body
40" adjustable strap with pad detaches
16 3/4 (L) x 11 (H) x 4 1/2 (W)
An interesting site with Coach bargains Coach Leather Handbags
Designer Handbags
Gucci Designer Handbags Gucci are the Leading Italian Designer House
The House of Gucci was started in Florence in 1906 by Guccio Gucci (1881 - 1953) the son of an Italian merchant, as a small, family-owned saddlery shop. Guccio was a very talented craftsman who soon became well-known for the quality of his goods.
Indy Large Top Handlebag $3,890
He opened his first shop in Rome in 1938. He also designed many of the company's most famous products, in 1947 Gucci introduced the bamboo handle handbag, still one of the most recognizable of the company's products.
After Gucci Gucci's death in 1953, his son Aldo helped to make the company a major international brand. The first boutiques were opened in Paris, London, and New York, followed by the Far East in the late '60s, in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Korea.
In the late 1970s the company almost went bankrupt. In the 1980s Maurizio Gucci took sole charge of the company, the first time in years that the company was controlled by a single person. Gucci has now transformed itself once again into one of the most prestigious designer labels in the world
Revenue in 2006 was over US$7 billion and Gucci was shown as 46th in the Business Week annual "Top 100 Brands". Gucci is the 2nd fashion brand after LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) for sales, but the no. 1 Italian brand. House of Gucci is owned by the French group Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR). It has over 450 stores worldwide and distributes its wholesale products through franchises and leading department stores.
Gucci Group is a leading multi-brand luxury goods companies, with a wide range of products, much sought after by stars and celebrities.
It owns brands such as : Gucci, Veneta, Bottega, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Yves Saint Laurent, Sergio Rossi and Alexander McQueen. Gucci sells high-quality and highly desirable designer goods, including handbags, shoes, luggage, watches, perfumes, cosmetics and jewellery.
Gucci manufactures all its products in Italy and has 219 directly operated stores.
The two official websites are www.gucci.com and www.guccigroup.com they are very well-designed and nice to look at but could be fasters! You can shop online at gucci.com which has a wide range of products. You can even consult a 'personal shopper'. You can also rotate the bags displayed through 360 so you can see them from all angles.
Gucci Leather Handbags
Women's Leather Handbags
Radley Bags, handbags and Purses Radley Bags are the most popular UK designer brand handbags
Radley & Co was established in 1998 but has already becomethe most popular UK designer brand. Radley handbags are sold in the US in Bloomingdales and Lord and Taylor and also at the US website trulyradleydeeply.com
I shall be adding further information soon - but you can check out -
How to Spot a Fake Radley Bag or
Radley Bags