The profits made from selling fake designer handbags have been linked to organised crime and terrorism. Dolce & Gabbana, being one of the premier designers of handbags and other products, is often one of the labels counterfeited. Some of these imitators are organised crime consortiums. Fake Dolce & Gabbana products are sold online, in stores, on the street and at purse parties. You can look for several things to spot fakes.

  • The profits made from selling fake designer handbags have been linked to organised crime and terrorism.
  • Fake Dolce & Gabbana products are sold online, in stores, on the street and at purse parties.

Look at the label. The name Dolce & Gabbana is printed black on a white tag, or white on a black tag. Dolce & Gabbana, the firm's top-tier label, is never printed on a hologram sticker, but the firm's lower-tier label D&G is printed on a hologram sticker.

Find a mix in label names. The name D&G will never appear on a Dolce & Gabbana handbag, but Dolce & Gabbana could appear on a D&G bag. If the label says Dolce & Gabbana, but the tag or dust bag reads D&G, this should raise suspicion.

  • Find a mix in label names.
  • If the label says Dolce & Gabbana, but the tag or dust bag reads D&G, this should raise suspicion.

Feel the tag on the bag. Tags are embossed with a serial number and the number will feel upraised. Upon close examination, the numbers will appear formed from large dots or circles rather than from a solid line.

Look for sloppy stitching. Both Dolce & Gabbana and D&G handbags are high quality and carefully handcrafted products. Uneven stitch lines or stitch lines inside the pockets of the bag are signs of fakes.

Look at the packaging. Both Dolce & Gabbana and D&G handbags come wrapped in tissue paper and in a dust bag. Real Dolce & Gabbana dust bags are made from soft cotton or flannel, not stiff materials. Many fakes will not bother with such details.

  • Both Dolce & Gabbana and D&G handbags come wrapped in tissue paper and in a dust bag.
  • Real Dolce & Gabbana dust bags are made from soft cotton or flannel, not stiff materials.

Examine the price and source. Retailers receive a slight discount when purchasing Dolce & Gabbana handbags, but not enough to justify prices much lower than those offered by the manufacturer. Go to the Dolce & Gabbanna website and verify the prices. A price offered by a reseller shouldn't be more than 10 per cent to 20 per cent below the designer's price.

All retailers must be approved by Dolce & Gabbana to sell its handbags. Street vendors are rarely approved as sellers.