Counterfeit fashion is a universally growing business, and it is getting increasingly difficult to differentiate designer handbags from fake ones. Industry insiders state that some counterfeit goods are actually produced by the same manufacturers who produce the original pieces; they simply produce extra batches of the same goods, change a few small details, and sell them on the black market for one-tenth of the retail price.

Authenticity is slowly losing its value as bogus imitations are being substituted for the genuine products. There is a huge market for fake items, owing to peer pressure. If people cannot afford the real thing, the easiest alternative is to head towards an online auction or a street corner to purchase a counterfeit designer handbag. Knockoff designer goods are readily available on the street in areas such as Los Angeles' Santee Street and New York's Canal Street. And the Internet is replete with online auctions offering "Inspired by" copies. The old method of spotting fakes was simple: shoddy hardware, cheap leather, and misspelled or tarnished logos were a dead giveaway. Now, the fakes are so good that only a trained eye can tell the difference.

Imitations are selling, and at a fraction of the cost of the originals. A chic teenager justified her penchant for purchasing knockoff designer handbags by nonchalantly stating, "I cannot afford $500 for a Louis Vuitton handbag, but that does not deter me from looking fashionable. My counterfeit Vuitton, priced at $75 gives the real thing a run for its money! Carrying a Vuitton or Dior handbag is a status symbol, as long as no one realizes that it is not the real thing."

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