How to Authenticate a Prada Bag - Complete Guide

Since its founding in 1913, Prada has managed to revolutionize the fashion industry - from iconic nylon bags to innovative and functional clothing that never fails to turn heads.

But with this enormous presence and popularity come counterfeiters trying to capitalize on the demand for the Italian luxury fashion house's products. By far the most frequently counterfeited Prada products are bags. Whether it's backpacks, shoulder bags, fanny packs or handbags, there are countless counterfeits around the world, both online and in physical stores such as second-hand shops.

If you want to buy (or have already bought) a Prada bag and check its authenticity, this is the best and most detailed guide.

At 9ine Life we ​​sell a range of designer brands, with Prada being one of the most purchased and requested brands. Since all of our items are 100% genuine, we wanted to show you how to tell a fake Prada bag from a real one. We recommend that you bookmark this page so that you have it ready whenever you need to authenticate a Prada bag for yourself or someone else.

Main line Prada bags

By "main line" we mean the bags that bear Prada's iconic triangle emblem on the outside. These bags are most often imitated by counterfeiters. We will show you detailed instructions with which you can use eight points to see how you can distinguish an original from a plagiarism.

With us you will only find original Prada products, which you can find here .

1. Front badge / Prada logo

The best place to start is by analyzing the Prada logo. The logo on a genuine Prada bag has the following features:

• All 3 corners of the triangle are rounded
• A hollow or filled silver circle on all 3 corners of the plaque (leather plaques do not have circles, but rather a neat seam around the edges of the triangle)
• The words "PRADA", "MILANO" (not "MILAN" as sometimes seen on fakes) and "DAL 1913" (i.e. from 1913) all in capital letters
• The color of the badge should match the color of the leather of the bag.
• A slight indentation in Prada's "R" where the right leg joins the letter
• The top part of the right log of the "A" in Prada will extend beyond the letter.
• The right side of the "A" is thicker than the left side
• Even spacing between letters

2. Inside of the bag

2.1 Plaque/Badge Inside

Depending on the Prada bag, the branding on the inside is slightly different. But all authentic Prada bags have branding on the inside - if not, the bag is a fake.

The older bags (pre-2010) have a rectangular plaque (also in the color of the bag) with a silver or gold border and embossed text. The lettering "PRADA MILANO" or "PRADA MADE IN ITALY" is in two lines, on the newer bags the lettering "PRADA MADE IN ITALY" is almost always in two lines.

Some bags do not have a badge, but the text is printed directly on the inner leather material. Some newer Prada bags may also have the text printed on a rectangular leather patch instead of ceramic.

The same features as the inverted triangle badge also apply to the text on the inside of the branding - notch in the R, even spacing, etc. But the exception applies here too (especially on older models).

2.2 Inner lining

The material of the lining varies depending on the bag. However, if you see a Prada bag with the rope motif (usually made from embossed jacquard nylon fabric or nappa leather), here's what you should know. As seen below, the name Prada is written horizontally, alternating with the rope motif. The Prada name should be upside down in every other line.

In the rope motif, the "R" should NOT be notched, nor should the right leg of the "A" hang over the letter. So if you see a Prada bag that follows the same rules/format as the lettering on the lining badges, or that doesn't say upside down on every other line, it's not authentic!

2.3 Quality number / nameplate

Sewn into the inside seam of all authentic Prada bags is a small square white label with a number printed in black that indicates the factory number of the bag. The number can be one, two or three digits. If you have the Prada bag with you, look on the inside to see if there is a quality number. If you buy a bag online, ask the seller to provide a photo of the number.

3. Zipper

Unlike Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags from the '90s, Prada doesn't make its own zippers. The only 5 manufacturers you will find in authentic Prada bags are

• Lampo
• Opti
• Riri
• Ipi
• YKK

To determine if the bag uses one of these 5 brands, you will need to check the underside of the zipper(s). For the companies YKK and Opti, the brand names are embossed on the side of the zipper.

The zipper pull is made from either leather in the form of a short tab or woven cotton in the form of a longer loop.

4. Authenticity card

If you buy a used Prada bag, it may not always come with the authenticity card. However, this does not necessarily mean that it is a fake - so always check the other aspects mentioned in this guide.

When purchased from a Prada store, all bags come with two cards in a black/dark navy envelope. These two cards are the

Authenticity Card (approx. 5.5cm x 8.5cm) (A white plastic card)

Front: The Prada logo and "Authenticity Certificate Card" in English and Italian

Back: Two blank fields for the seller to enter the date and place of purchase (these can be blank)

Product card (approx. 4.5 cm x 8 cm) (dark blue cardboard)

Front: Embossed Prada lettering

Back: White sticker with product name, article code (Art.), color, group name (material), product number.

5. Leather

Calf or lamb leather, the leather most commonly used by Prada, is of high quality and supple. If the bag comes with an authenticity card, check that the description of the leather on the card matches the bag.

6. Stitching and overall quality

Generally, the stitching on Prada bags is sewn at a slight angle, while counterfeits often have a horizontal stitching.

7. Metal fittings and engraving

Genuine Prada bags often have "PRADA" engraved on the hardware (again in the same font with the same letter rules with R and As), or "PRADA MILANO" on the metal zipper pulls.

8. Anthers

An important point to keep in mind when buying used Prada bags: Just because there is no certificate of authenticity, card or receipt, you should not rule out that it is an inauthentic bag. Many, if not most, used & vintage Prada bags do not come with such a certificate - so you should familiarize yourself with the other aspects to have a better guide.

Prada dust bags come in two colors

• White with blue logo
• Dark/navy blue with gold logo

The dust bags have drawstrings on the top two corners in the same color as the bag.