As clothing in UK is now 40% less costly than it was a decade ago, it is commonplace for a woman to own a top range bag.  However, many women are purchasing counterfeit versions both unwittingly and knowingly.  Some purchasers simply don’t care, believing they deceive others who they think know no better.  Very few of us are fooled by the woman who does not earn a salary to afford, for example, a Hermès bag, but nevertheless insists that her Hermès is genuine as she travels by tube (subway).

However, there are just as many purchasers who do feel cheated if they inadvertently buy a fake replica bag, whereas they only want the genuine designer article.  Consumers need to realise that every time they purchase a counterfeit version that is a sale lost for the design house.

 became interested in finding out more about the purchase of fashion counterfeit goods when I was invited to visit a factory abroad where I could see counterfeiting in operation!  I was just amazed at the upfront coolness of the invitation.  Whole factories in the former USSR, Korea and China are given up to churning out fake goods in accessories, trainers, apparel, media items, pharmacy products, auto car parts, Vodka, detergents and cigarettes.  One day the factory produces genuine articles for a supplier order and the next day it changes production to do an equally large, but counterfeit production run of the same product.  Often such factory operations have false walls which can reveal whole stockrooms of overrun goods.