After several weeks of serious handbag obsessing, I have come to discover Kooba is my current designer fave. I have determined this for several reasons: The leather is sumptuous yet shape holding, the styles are hip yet enduring, the craftsmanship is artful yet wearable, and the prices— not obscene if you know where to look on line. Last but not least there’s that undeniable glorious scent of high-grade Kooba calf skin leather. Yum. Like Rhianna, Sienna Miller, and Cameron Diaz, I am a Kooba girl converted.
In the spirit not enslaving myself to high fashion, or high fashion price tags for that matter, I have come across various e-commerce channels in which to purchase my new Kooba, offering a varying degree of prices. Picking up a new Kooba directly from their site can set you back a cool $300 (for a simple clutch) all the way up to $1000 (for the larger more ornate styles). So how is it that some independent e-tailers can offer this bag at 50 to 75% below retail? Plain and simple: they are pawning off fakes. And with all due respect, they’re paid great attention to detail. How to avoid the faux handbag trap but still save a few hundred? The chic and savvy fashionista's best defense is research. But have no fear dear Kooba lover, with the help of a very clued-up expert* we’ve done the legwork for you:
The Downlow:
The Brown String - Initially, you could spot a fake Kooba by looking for anything other than the "brown string" attached to the Kooba tag. Now, most of the fakes have the brown string also. BUT 99.9% of the brown Kooba tags that have anything other than a brown string attached are fake.
The Hangtags – Genuine Kooba tags are two-sided & folded and the string is connected in the corner. Most 2007 tags are two sided & folded and the string is connected in the middle. Late 2007/2008 bags have a single sided tag again with the string in the middle. Authentic Koobas from previous seasons had the single sided tag (so you may find an authentic pre-2006 Kooba with the non-folded tag). Counterfeiters use both types of tags so be careful. NOTE: Some sellers will steal a real (folded) tag and put it on bags for photos so ask to a see a close up of the inside of a folded tag to make sure the info matches the bag you are purchasing.
The Zipper Pull - The metal zipper pull on authentic Koobas is thicker at the end. On some of the bad fakes, it is the same depth from top to bottom. But most of the fakes now have zipper pulls that are thicker at the bottom like authentic Koobas so this doesn't mean much anymore. If you have one that isn't, it’s a pretty old, bad fake. Also, some of the really bad fakes have Kooba written on both sides of the interior zipper pull. The real Koobas only have it on one side. Note that some older style authentic Koobas had leather zipper pulls.
The Leather - Most Kooba leather will have variations in the texture (some sections smooth, some bumpy, some crinkled). Leather that is evenly pebbled all including the straps is one of the easiest tell-tale signs of a knock-off. Authentic Kooba leather is almost always textured in some way. Many pebble-grain Koobas on Ebay are fake so be careful. Educate yourself on the Kooba website. Make sure the style you are purchasing was/was not made in pebbled leather before purchasing it. Kooba bags may have sections of a bumpy texture (sometimes large bumps) but there will also be sections of smooth leather or crinkled leather. Some of the Fall 2006 bags have huge bumps all over (i.e. teak leather) but nothing like standard handbag pebbling. Even the color may vary slightly in different sections. Fake Kooba leather looks like this:
Some of the fakes look like "droopy skin". I've noticed that many people who have purchased fakes on Ebay will comment on how incredibly SOFT the leather is. Well, Kooba leather is wonderful, nice & sturdy and soft as in Italian leather/lambskin soft but it is not squishy & droopy. Again, some of them are made of real leather, just a much lesser quality than what Kooba would use. Besides the pebble grain leather used in the fakes, they also use a non-pebbled "distressed" type. It wrinkles up (in a bad way) more than authentic Kooba leather. So, if you look at yours and think "mine isn't pebbled" that doesn't mean it isn't fake. Again, does it look like $600 leather? Real Kooba leather is undeniably stunning.
(Real)
(Fake)
The Plastic Covering - Real Kooba handbags may have the plastic covering that protects the Kooba plate from scratching and white paper protecting tassles, etc., but plastic covering on the handles is a knock-off tip-off. (This is usually a dead giveaway of a counterfeit handbag in ANY brand).
The Dust Bag - Most all of the fakes these days have dust bags, hangtags and yes, even authenticity cards. One thing to look for on most genuine new Kooba dustbags is that the drawstring ends have glue on the tips to keep them from fraying. Find the knot in the string on each side and feel to see if the ends of the string feel hard. You can't see the glue but you can definitely feel it. Almost all of the fakes are missing this little detail on the dustbag. 2007 dustbags have changed dramatically. They are now dark brown twill (instead of white felt) and have dark brown drawstrings that are heavily waxed. They have white Kooba lettering.
The Lining - Authentic Kooba handbags have linings in solid lavender, brown and olive. The lining is not real suede, but a suede-like material that is actually much softer. 2007 bags have a new dark brown twill interior and dustbag. Pre-2005 Koobas had a canvas type interior with Kooba written throughout. There was also a striped pattern in very early years along with a couple of floral patterns. Older bags also had cloth interior labels instead of metal plates and Kooba was embossed on the outside instead of engraved on the metal plate.
The Styles: Let’s take the most popular selling Kooba, the Sienna: Real Siennas are an off-white, ivory color. Siennas that appear bright white and evenly pebbled are indeed, fake. Real Siennas, have the braided drawstrings that gather evenly. Many of the fakes have uneven gathering or do not gather at all. Also, the sides of the leather will fold in smoothly. Example, the Kooba Sienna in Ivory:
(Real) (Fake)
The bag should be off-white, not pure white. Check out the way the sides fold in, the way the sides fold in, and last but not least, the perfect knots of the dogleash.
The Quality – This may seem like a no-brainer but seriously, does your handbag look and feel like a $500-$1000 accessory? You should instinctively know if something seems a bit...off. Kooba handbags are incredibly well-made. Upon sight you will know an authentic Kooba if you are familiar with them. If you aren’t--smell one. Even Koobas that are several years old retain an undeniable, delicious leather scent.
The Styles Most Likely to be Knocked Off - The Dylan, Carly, Charlie & Avery. Older bags include The Sienna, Ginger, Marcelle, Lucy, Ada, Carla, Mia, Scarlett, Brynne, Paige & Braeden
The Homework – Do it. Contact Kooba to find an authorized retailer nearest to you. Go in person, examine the bags, get to know the product. The do your online shopping armed with knowledge so you don’t get Koobamboozled. These bags are fabulous, and they are worth spending a few extra dollars on to insure you are getting the real deal.
To Ebay? Or not to Ebay?
Ebay With Caution. Many Kooba buyers have never seen the real thing in person before they buy on line (A.K.A me, shhhh). It’s easy to get caught up gazing through style.com’s look of the day, or paging through the iconic US Weekly. The next step is usually Ebay where the budget Fashionista can get the look for less (but not necessarily the real thing) The unlucky winner oftentimes receives a fake and never knows know the wiser. So here are some Ebay hints:
Know your product: Anytime you see a brand new, current season bag that is drastically reduced in price you can be almost certain it is fake. But you can find some great deals on authentic Koobas from previous seasons. I strongly suggest knowing exactly what an authentic Kooba is supposed to look like.
Tricky Phrases: Pay attention to phrases like Guaranteed 100% authentic leather Kooba. They are guaranteeing the leather not the brand.
Guarantee: By all means make sure the seller has a rock-solid, money-back return policy. If you are still uncertain after receiving your new bag, take it to an authorized Kooba dealer and ask them. Return it to the seller if you’ve been bamboozled.
Feedback: Make sure your seller has an impeccable feedback rating (at least 98%). The more transactions your seller has completed, the better. Beware of sellers who use “private” listings or have their feedback listed as “private.” There is a reason they are not being transparent. Don’t take the chance. It bears repeating: Only buy from sellers who offer a 100% money-back guarantee. And take time to read all of their feedback. Obviously anyone saying "fake handbag," no matter how many positive reviews surround this is cause for alarm. More subtle hints include: "Thanks for the refund, " etc.
PayPal: Use PayPal as your method of payment. They are set up to protect the buyer. Just read the fine print, make sure your delivery address as well as email address is “confirmed” and you are buying from a USA-based seller.
Ask Questions: Ask the seller where they purchased their bag originally. If they seem vague in their answer "a boutique in NYC," ask "which one?" Then find out if this is an authorized retailer (contact Kooba). Oftentimes sellers who seem annoyed by questions of authenticity are usually selling the knock-offs. If they say they purchase them from a "supplier"- forget it.
Too Much of a Good Thing: Beware of a seller with a large volume of Kooba’s for sale. Most sellers selling authentic merchandise will only have a limited number of styles and available. You may have an honest seller with 10 Koobas for sale and they will probably all be in different colors and/or styles. If you see a seller with more than 5 of any one color beware.
One Day Auctions: Steer clear of. This means the seller is trying not to be discovered by Ebay VERO team.
The Receipt: Unfortunately some sellers have stooped so low they’ve gon to the trouble of manufacturing a fake receipt to authenticate the fake Kooba. A receipt does not necessarily guarantee a handbag is authentic.
Common Sense: Anytime you see a brand new, current season bag that is drastically reduced in price you can be almost certain it’s a replica. However, you can find some great deals on authentic Koobas from previous seasons.
*Passages adapted from Ebay “Guide to Spotting a Fake Kooba, by Chritid2303. Dedicated Kooba lover and Ebay top 25 reviewer: If you found this advice helpful, vote for her here.
