There are two kinds of dupes in my world right now.
On one arm, you’ve got the thin, scratchy, badly-finished YSL-inspired rattan bag – the sort of piece that looks good under bathroom lighting and dies the moment you touch it. On the other, you’ve got a rattan bag made in Korea or Vietnam: solid weaving, smooth edges, hardware that actually closes, lining that doesn’t feel like a supermarket carrier bag.
Same idea. Same silhouette. Wildly different execution.
So why are so many people flying to Asia, spending thousands on flights and hotels… only to walk back into Europe with a fake bag on their arm, feeling on-trend and unbothered?
Because the dupe game has changed – and luxury brands have helped that happen.
When the “Dupe” Is Better Made Than the Designer
Korean and Vietnamese manufacturing is in high demand, and the fashion world knows it. Quietly, a lot of brands are shifting away from China and testing Korea and Vietnam for exactly one reason: quality control and precision.
You see it immediately in the rattan pieces.
- The weave is tighter.
- The handles don’t squeak or crack.
- The stitching actually lines up with the seams.
Then you walk back into Europe, wander into a boutique in Tuscany, and see a rattan Prada bag commanding thousands. You touch it, and your brain does a double-take because… it doesn’t feel better than what you saw in Bangkok or Seoul for a few hundred. Sometimes it feels worse.
Tech and manufacturing have moved on. The machines, the molds, the pattern libraries – they’ve all caught up. That’s why those Gucci-style trainers in Asia look so convincing. The proportions are right. The soles feel cushioned. The logo is the only thing that gives the game away – and even then, you’d need a trained eye.
When the copycat is delivering comfort, durability, and aesthetics at a fraction of the price, people start asking: what exactly am I paying for in that European boutique?
TikTok, Chinese Factories and the “Just a Logo” Era
TikTok has done what glossy magazines and fashion PR never would: it handed the mic to manufacturers.
There are Chinese suppliers online openly saying, “You’re just paying for the logo.” They show you side-by-side comparisons:
- Same leather grade or even better.
- Same metal hardware, possibly from the same region.
- Same pattern, down to the stitching count.
They’re not whispering it in back alleys; they’re broadcasting it in HD to millions of viewers. And that message lands especially well with Gen Z and millennials who are already suspicious of markups and marketing.
Luxury brands used to operate behind a velvet curtain. TikTok ripped that curtain down and replaced it with factory tours, cost breakdowns, and side-by-side dupes under studio lighting. Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it.
Tanner Leatherstein and the Harsh Reality of “Luxury” Materials
Then there’s Tanner Leatherstein – the leather expert who has made a career out of literally cutting apart luxury bags. He slices into totes that cost thousands and tells you, calmly and clinically, what you’re really paying for.
It’s brutal.
- Coated canvas dressed up as “iconic heritage material.”
- Thin splits of leather, heavily finished to look premium.
- Construction that doesn’t justify the price tag.
He exposes how some plastic-feeling tote bags with an LV or similar logo are being sold for sums that would once have bought you a full-grain leather heirloom. You’re standing there, holding a bag that feels suspiciously… synthetic.
And after watching Tanner rip through a bag that costs more than your rent, you start thinking:
If I’m going to carry plastic on my shoulder, why not pay a fraction of the price in Asia and just enjoy the look?
Flying to Asia for Fake Bags: Is It Hypocrisy or Smart Economics?
Every year I return to Asia and each time I’m hit with the same shock: the dupe game has levelled up again. The fakes are no longer the obvious joke versions from a decade ago. They’re subtle, meticulously crafted, and, crucially, wearable.
People aren’t just wandering into fake markets on a whim. They plan trips. They bring friends. They go home to Europe with:
- “Gucci” trainers that fit beautifully.
- “LV” totes that feel sturdy.
- “YSL”-style rattan bags that look better than the original.
Yes, there’s a moral and legal conversation to be had. Copyright and trademark laws exist. Counterfeits fund ugly things. Brands do invest in design, storytelling, and heritage.
But here’s the uncomfortable flip side of the debate:
Luxury houses have trained customers to worship the logo more than the construction. So if the worship is for the logo, not the craftsmanship, is it really shocking that people opt for the cheapest way to wear the symbol?
“You Don’t Know Until You Know” – Wearing Dupes in the Front Row
Gracie Opulanza says, you don’t know, until you know. And she’s right.
She’s been to Pitti Uomo wearing a dupe Chanel and no-one knew. No one side-eyed the bag. No one whispered. The only thing people cared about was:
- Does the outfit work?
- Is the attitude there?
- Does the overall look feel aspirational?
Pitti Uomo is supposed to be the pilgrimage of real style snobs. If a dupe can survive that environment, what does that tell you about how much people can actually tell – or actually care – in real life?
Most of the time, the only people obsessing over micro-differences in stitching and logo placement are:
- resellers
- hardcore collectors
- or people online trying to prove a point
Everyone else just sees a chic bag.The Korean & Vietnamese “Dupes” That Aren’t Really Dupes Anymore
Here’s the next twist: once Korean and Vietnamese makers refine a design, improve the materials, and adjust the proportions… are we still talking about a “dupe” or are we talking about an unbranded alternative?
There’s a big difference between:
- A straight-up counterfeit with someone else’s logo slapped on.
- A design-inspired piece that has no logo, better materials, and its own identity.
Top tip from my side: anything made in Korea or Vietnam, even in the dupe space, often beats not only the cheap knock-offs, but sometimes the official product in feel and finish. It’s awkward to say, but it’s true.
Maybe the real evolution isn’t “fake vs real” – it’s logo-worship vs material honesty.
So What Are We Actually Paying For?
This is the heart of the debate. When you buy a €2,000 designer rattan bag or a coated-canvas tote, you’re paying for:
- Brand mythology
- Celebrity campaigns
- Store rents on the most expensive streets in the world
- Influencer trips, shows, and marketing
You are not always paying for proportionally better craftsmanship or materials. Sometimes you are; often, you’re not.
In Asia, you pay:
- A few hundred for a bag that looks and feels 90% similar
- Maybe less durable branding, maybe a slightly off font
- No official warranty, no fancy store experience
For plenty of people, that trade-off is worth it. They want the aesthetic, the feeling, the social media moment – not the paperwork and the branded dust bag.
Where I Stand
I’m not here to glorify counterfeits – there are serious issues behind that industry that can’t be brushed aside. But I am here to question a system where:
- a plastic-coated tote is sold for the price of a small car
- customers are gaslit into believing they’re buying “exquisite craftsmanship”
- and brands scream about authenticity while quietly downgrading materials
Dupe culture is a symptom, not the disease. It’s the market’s way of saying:
“If you’re going to charge me for a logo, I’ll go somewhere cheaper for the same illusion.”
You don’t know, until you know.
Once you’ve felt the difference between a badly made “real” YSL-style rattan bag and a beautifully constructed Korean or Vietnamese “dupe”, the conversation stops being about fake vs real.
It becomes a much sharper question:
Who’s really faking it here – the guy selling the dupe on a side street in Asia, or the luxury house that’s quietly swapped full-grain leather for plastic while tripling the price?
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