How to spot a fake Prada bag

The first Prada store was opened in 1913 and was founded by Mario Prada, i.e. Miuccia Prada’s grandfather.

He opened the store in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan which is one of the world’s oldest and biggest active shopping malls. Influenced by fashionistas, he quickly picked up their style and by 1919 the brand was counted as a luxury brand available only in Italian royal and elite households.

With name comes counterfeits and people trying to copy the details. Well, if you wish to purchase a real Prada bag, then keep these things in mind to spot whether you’re opting for a real or fake Prada.

The brand stamp should always be two to three lines. The first word PRADA should be in the first line, with MILANO written on the second. However, if it has MADE IN ITALY written in the third line then it can be a vintage sell-out. The new releases have PRADA written on the first and MADE IN ITALY on the second. Thus, if it is something different then it is a fake Prada.

A genuine Prada bag will have the brand stamp inside the bag with the house’s identifying information. It can also be found on the back of the bag along the top seam or just under the interior pocket. The brand stamp always has a leather tag on the small and mini bags, if it is printed on cloth or plastic, then it is not a real Prada.

The zippers should have a nylon or leather pull and should always be engraved with the PRADA brand name on the front. Prada makes its own zipper pulls and has now started to use sources for the actual zippers from only five zipper manufacturers including Riri, Opti, Ipi, YKK, and LAMPO. If the bag is real, then the back of the zipper would have the name of the manufacturer engraved, if not then it’s a fake.

Prada always has a straight stitching line that is parallel to the bag’s seams. However, each of them should be angled slightly upward which is a unique style followed by the Italian powerhouse. The stitches should look very genuine and remain the same in every Prada’s bag making them so special. If the alignment is a tad tilted, understand that you’re carrying a counterfeit.

Prada does have a distinctive monogram but is identified with its inverted triangle plaque that is attached to the exterior of the bag. The triangle plate includes four lines, the name of the brand, the city of origin, the year of origin, and the coat of arms. The triangle plate is very carefully secured on the mini bags and sits flat and tight against an authentic Prada bag. Therefore, you will never be able to lift the edges, wiggle it, or remove it completely.

This quality assurance is not seen in wallets but the QAT is always seen in every other Prada bag. A white, square-shaped tag that is found along the bottom seam of the bag’s interior pocket is the QAT. It is stitched only with black thread with two or three digits, the number designated by the factory the bag was produced on, and ensures that it passed the quality check.