Unlike many reseller businesses, Fashionphile’s approach to certification is no secret.
For the first time, the reseller hosted a training demo at its New York City distribution center, allowing media and special guests to experience Fashionphile’s VIP certification “class.”
Fashionphile University is a digital training platform used by resellers to educate all their certification specialists. It’s free for everyone and available as an app. Every authentication experience builds a repertoire of information that the team uses to authenticate luxury handbags. The training has her six stages from Specialist to Master Certifier. All Fashionphile bags are inspected by at least two of her. Trainees are usually supervised for at least two years.
Louis Vuitton is the most popular with fashionistas and therefore the starting rank of trainees. From there you can graduate from Chanel to Hermès. In a class held last week, an expert guided guests through the identification process, examining details such as letters, dates, codes, hardware, engravings, linings, construction and weight. Professionals can be equipped with tools similar to dentist’s mirrors and flashlights for up-close observation.
Starting with the basics, Louis Vuitton’s signature lettering is distinguished by an exaggerated sans-serif “O” and a sharply pointed “V”. From 1982 to 1988, LV bags had his two date code formats: “Year, Month, Factory” and “Factory, Year, Month,”. Things changed in 1989 and again in 1991, 2007 and 2021, according to Fashionphile’s memo.
Hardware is another important aspect, if not the starting point, of an authentication system. For Louis Vuitton, don’t polish your hardware too much. Other obvious perks include Audrey padded straps for his 2015 and later editions of his Hepburn-inspired “Speedy.” It seems obvious, but visible red or neon stitching is a red flag for his LV bags.
“Our integrity is everything,” senior certification manager Laura Chavez said during class. “We use all senses except taste when authenticating.”
If fashionistas fail authentication (which amounts to a scandal in the reseller industry), the brand will compensate the buyer with a gift card and confiscate the bag. The bag is banished to the “graveyard” of handbags, a vault of fakes. Chavez said the company never intends to “destroy the bag,” except for dissection for educational purposes.