How to authenticate The Row's Margaux bag

With it's minimal design, stunning craftsmanship and celebrity approved status, The Row's Margaux bag has become the ultimate must-have staple in many handbag collectors closets over the past 2 years.

Since its rise to the top of many wishlists, the Margaux bag has solidified it's place as a timeless icon for those who appreciate quiet luxury and understated elegance, which has resulted in of the most requested pieces among our clients also due to its limited availability.

However, with high demand comes an unfortunate reality—counterfeit versions flooding the market. Given The Row's signature minimalistic aesthetic, authentication really comes down to the finest details. From the precise stitching and quality of leather to it's minimal brand features, every element plays a crucial role in distinguishing an authentic Margaux from a counterfeit piece.

Before we dive in, something to take note of about The Row's Margaux bag: it is exceptionally well-crafted, and nothing has been overlooked in the construction process, so whenever you are in doubt, know that every part of the bag can be expected to be of the highest quality materials.

To support you in the authentication process, I have provided a side-by-side comparison of a real counterfeit example featured on the left and an authentic piece on the right.

1. Shape and design

   The first thing I always look at is the shape of the bag. The Margaux bag is designed in a trapeze shape narrowing in at the top with a wider base constructed by hand to perfection. On the smooth leather (saddle leather) you will experience a more rigid shape with thick leather holding up the bag with more structure compared to the suede and grain leathers.

   On the counterfeit example below you can see a very "laser cut" boxed or rectangular shape that is slightly uneven. While one the authentic bag (right) you notice a more curved softer shape with a more natural slouch to it. The handles can also be seen sitting further away from each other on the counterfeit bag with stuffed handle bases angled slightly outwards compared to the authentic with a more settle handle attachment closer to each other.

   
   
   

   

   The Margaux 15, counterfeit (left) vs. Authentic (right)

2. Resin sealing

   The resin is the bonding composite that fuses two pieces of leather together to reinforce the stitching. The Row uses thick premium leathers with a color matched resin for their Margaux bags applied by hand. On the counterfeit example you can see the leather is much thinner, with a color resin that is extremely smooth which is usually an indication it has been applied by machine. And on the authentic (black) bag you can clearly see the thickness on the leather is much greater with slight streaks from the hand painting process.

   
   
   

   

3. Hardware & Engravings

   Arguably one of the most important steps of this process is to check the engravings and hardware in great detail. Starting with the engravings found on the hardware, these should be made with stunning accuracy on authentic the Row bags with great depth and definition. While on the counterfeit bags they tend to be more shallow, misaligned or made with cheaper alternatives. On the examples below you can see the counterfeit (left in silver) embodying shallow very thin letters, and on the authentic (right in gold) the depth is much greater with wider letters. Also make sure to look closely on small details like the screws on the zipper pull tab (3rd below) where counterfeits tend to be made with less costly alternatives. Pro-Tip: Look closer using a loupe to see how the carving progression differentiate. The authentic bag should have a slightly circular carving characteristic which is a more expensive technique.

   
   
   

   

   Authentic

   This step requires a very good eye or a magnifying tool to detect the difference on very good fakes.

The top buckle has a more defined font, best seen on the H in comparison to the counterfeit (lower)

The left (counterfeit) pull tab has a hexagon screw in place. The correct slotted screw can be seen on the black right (authentic) pull tab.

5. The interior

   The interior on Margaux bags are either lined with tonal leathers (older versions) or in a very fine herringbone canvas, perfectly upholstered against the base plate with wide tonal stitches. A typical counterfeit bag will cut corners to here and not use supporting back plates underneath the canvas which results in a bubbly and uneven appearance (see example below). Another typical sign of a counterfeit will be the feel of the fabric, with a more rough and/or fuzzy touch. An authentic Margaux bag is lined with premium fabric to withstand the test of time and damage.

The counterfeit bag has a bubbly texture with uneven stitching. The right (authentic) bag is perfectly lined and stitched.

5. Heat stamps (foiling)

   Heat and foiling stamps are the embossed letter logos you can find on the interior and exterior leather of the bag. On the suede and grain leathers you will find an embossed logo deeply printed into the leather using a heat technique, also referred to as "heat stamps". And on the smooth leathers (saddle leather) the logos will be printed in foiled letters with more shallow depth shifting in the light. It can be very hard to see the difference between a counterfeit stamp and an authentic due to its minimal appearance. However, note that the color of the foiling stamps should always match the hardware and be perfectly aligned in its exact font. The authentic foiling stamp should also have a slight depth to it on the interior vs the exterior.

   In the examples below you can see the difference between heat and foiling stamps, as well as the counterfeit stamp compared to the authentic so you know what to look for.

The counterfeit bag has a very shallow stamp in a slight champagne color (mix between silver and gold) while the black (authentic) is stamped with slight depth in a solid gold foil.

Heat stamp on grain and suede leathers. (Both examples are authentic).

6. The Dust Bag

An often over looked part of the authentication process is the dust bag which can often very quickly serve an important clue in the whole process.

The Row's dust bags are made in an incredibly soft cotton canvas in a creamy white with two tied pull tabs and a small canvas tab in the lower right hand corner very close to the fold.

The letter logos are stitched onto a tonal canvas piece stitched on the vertical sides in black.

Pay close attention to the logo here as the counterfeits are usually misaligned and letters tend to be too narrow using a cheap stitching process.

The dust bag in the top left corner is the authentic. Noticeably made in a much softer fabric with the brand tag aligned correctly near the edge compared to the counterfeit rough canvas bag with the tag located much higher on the fabric.

Approach to buying pre-loved from a reseller

The best way to approach the buying process of any pre-loved Margaux bag is to educate yourself on the color/leather/hardware combination they came in before buying. Since these bags have only been in production for a few years there is not a huge catalogue available which gives you an advantage to do your homework and ask the right questions ahead of buying.

Most The Row Margaux bag owners knows what color they bought and will be able to communicate this along with how much it was and when it was purchased. A common scammer tactic is to list it as a "gift" in brand new condition not knowing anything about the bag and where it came from. Also, always bare in mind that if the price is a bit too good to be true it most likely is. These bags sell for higher than their retail price a lot of the times due to its scarcity and high demand.

WARNING: An unfortunate fact is that most luxury platform destinations don't know how to authenticate these pieces with little to -no experience with the brand, leaving you with a potential fake bag even if it has been "authenticated" by the reseller.

Buying Margaux bags from us

We source all Margaux bags brand new directly from the brand or retailers we partner with.

For any questions about our sourcing process we welcome you to join our community and shop safely wherever you are in the world!