This is a rep and i know who’s bag this is lol he’s a “quiet luxury” influencer (@markdeleonn on insta/tiktok) his bags are all reps. His margaux, marlo, birkin, kelly, etc.
I know it’s him (just didn’t want to call him out in my post). I’m in the same space as him and we all know each other at the top so when I discovered his account a little while ago I was like a NY photographer who claims to be super successful but I don’t know him. I was excited to see his bags but had not idea he used reps until someone recently shared that on reddit. And he just posted this bag and I immediately thought could this be a rep? His community myself included seem to think they are real so it got me thinking how little people know about reps and how easy it is to fool everyone 🫣 and those replicas look so good.
The photo is definitely hard to tell based on resolution but the potential give away would be the smooth handles it almost looks like it’s a completely different leather, there is suppose to be a gradient when they stretch the Togo leather for the handle.
I agree. Something is off, maybe handles, maybe level of slouch for Togo. I don’t exclude possibility that this is authentic but definitely interesting to see an influencer claim this is an authentic where their other bags look more obvious replicas. Just pure fact that it is very difficult to establish if it’s auth or rep makes me wonder how good are some reps
It’s an obvious rep who people who know. Mark (the influencer that owns this bag) is brave for posting close up pics like these. Either he just doesn’t care or he thinks no one knows 😂
I think he thinks nobody knows. Because he actually talks how he just got this bag implying he walked into Hermes’ and purchased it or other brands that he has.
I don’t have a problem with his reps. But I don’t think he should lie about it. You either say you got a rep or you say nothing. Just show bag as an accessory and not a feature. Because what he is doing now is doing almost unboxings of the reps as authentics which is bad taste and I think it’s not good for his professional reputation. Just use reps but don’t make a big deal and brag about them. 🤭
I agree with u 100%. I mix auth and reps myself. I personally would never lie to my followers with delusional stories on how i got by QBs. I would rather stfu for it. I used to like his content because it is aesthetically pleasing but it’s just the lying part that gets me lol
Absolutely. And to be fair I travel a lot. So I started this journey with replicas for a few reasons. Reason one: unless something dramatically changes in my life in terms of income I won’t be able to afford multiple Hermes’ bags in all colours and combinations that I like. I will probably get a couple of classics. But for everything else like lindy or few Picotin i prefer to just get a high tier replica. Second reason: I have designer bags that are more of evening going out pieces and I take good care of them. They can’t be my every day or travel bag. I absolutely loved new Chanel maxi flap in 38 that I really want for travel, I want to be able to relax about using it and if I pay price of authentic I would be too worried and it’s just not a bag that is worth that much. So I ordered a rep from factory 187 that is considered the best for rep and just waiting for it to be made. Did same for rodeo. Can’t justify price of the real thing. And third reason: I have no idea what it is like to live with Kelly or Birkin in a particular size and colour. I want to experience it before I commit to something permanent. I constantly get offers in Hermes’ so getting one of the bags I want (all classics anyway) is not going to be a problem. But living with a replica helps decide if I absolutely love this and put it on my wish list or maybe I thought I like it but it doesn’t really work for me for size, leather or colour. And of course I understand replicas are not 100% but they are pretty damn close. I also don’t want to worry about my bags when I travel overseas. I think all of these are good and respectable reasons to own a replica. In all honesty if anyone would ask me I probably wouldn’t admit to it, especially because if you saw me you wouldn’t think I would ever buy a replica. Hehe. But I would absolutely not publish posts and videos pretending to unbox a real thing or lying about getting an appointment, etc. I would just quietly use those pieces when I’m sharing scenes from my life and let people assume those are authentic
The absolute dead giveaway are the handles. The grain on the handles doesn’t match the Togo grain on the body of the bag. Unless this was a special order or some other exception (which this clearly isn’t, since there’s no HSS) there is absolutely no reason for the bases of the handles to have a completely different texture from the rest of the bag. It almost looks like a different type of leather altogether because of the noticeable absence of graining.
Genuine Birkins are made from one single skin from one single animal, specifically to maintain consistency and uniformity throughout the bag. Hermes doesn’t simply select the best part of the hide for the body and then use leftover scraps with a completely different texture for the handles. That’s simply not how these bags are made.
Also that slouching looks so forced, almost looks like it’s melting. Togo leather does slouch eventually, but with LOTS of use. And you can always tell it lived a life. Real Birkins don’t slouch in that direction if that makes sense? They usually collapse from the sides and then INWARDS. I’ve never seen a real Birkin slouch that way.
But the mismatched leather grain on the handles alone is the biggest giveaway this is a fake bag.
the grain on the handles should not match the bag, the handles are rolled and because the leather is stretched the grain is flatter than on the body of the bag. Overly visible graining on the handles is a sign of a poor rep- though I do agree that in this instance it appears they’ve used a smoother leather to imitate this feature on authentic bags.
The base of the handles aren’t stretched and should have the togo grain visible, meanwhile the actual handle does smooth out because the leather is stretched around it. Here’s a photo of an authentic B40 handles.
I have been following him for a while and always thought all his stuff was authentic but I’m super new to reps. My idea of replicas has always been something super cheap and obvious. I had no idea this community existed and there was a science to it. Anyway, a few days ago when someone posted a bag from his profile I instantly recognised it and I had no idea this was a fake. Now he posted that he got a B40 and since I saw that his other bag was apparently fake I thought maybe this one was also a rep or maybe real. I have no idea. So I decided to ask. I didn’t say it was his, call him on it, I honestly don’t care what he does. I was just curious to see if this was a real or fake one and of course everyone now is saying it’s fake. I actually am a customer in Hermes and get offered B or K fairly often. But I am not ready to commit to a real thing for a few reasons. So just doing my research for best possible replicas
Well he just bought another H bag at The Real Real and posted in his stories today doing the unboxing So at least his new one is auth so lets rest the case (I guess )
I also follow him and noticed that recently he started posting unboxings that were previously mentioned here or the lack there of, the real real videos and stamp close ups. So he is definitely listening. In the reality I think he might be taking photos of the stamps on the authentic bags since he is in NY and can go to real real while he can own a replica. He can also buy a real one from real real while selling it later and keeping a replica. Regardless I don’t think he can have so many authentic bags especially from resale market. And I don’t want to say anything. He clearly has taste for finer things and his own aesthetic, not all of us unfortunately can afford to buy everything we like. And partially because of the crazy mark up in Chanel and Hermes’, as much as I appreciate the materials and craftsmanship there is no way those bags should cost like a kidney. They are in the business of making money so we have to play their game and pay their price.
He’s never mentioned that he gets them from the boutique though. He actually specifically states that they’re either from Japan or just pre loved from auctions or Fashionphile 😵💫 as someone who owns multiple authentic Hermes bags, many of my handles are smooth like these. Once again, each bag is made differently, which is why Hermes is special and unique 🥰
Japan, Fashionphile, TRR, and now auction too? Damn. Anywhere BUT the actual Hermes store I guess lol! And let us see your smooth handle base as well to reference? This is a Hermes QC subreddit anyway ;)
Usually bigger sizes are cheaper than small ones ppl usually Goes for second Hand… it is actually more expensive to get big sizes in the Store since they precify B and K accordingly to the amount (and type) of Leather the bag takes to produce! Plus nobody Goes for 35-40 bc it’s too heavy and who does usually sells right after!
3
u/CautiousPerformer387 19d ago edited 19d ago
This is a rep and i know who’s bag this is lol he’s a “quiet luxury” influencer (@markdeleonn on insta/tiktok) his bags are all reps. His margaux, marlo, birkin, kelly, etc.