How To Authenticate: Mansur Gavriel Zip Wallet

Welp… I think I bought a counterfeit Mansur Gavriel Zip Pouch.

I’m a small crossbody kind of girl. I don’t like carrying a lot of stuff with me, but sometimes I do. When I travel or work from a cafe, I usually carry my Cuyana tote or my Everlane backpack. This flat zip pouch is an accessory I’ve been eyeing for a while to help me stay organized in larger bags. I’ve been wanting the Mansur Gavriel Large Wallet ($150) for a while, but the MG Small Tote comes with a mini flat zip pouch, which could be useful too.

When the Mansur Gavriel small zip pouch popped up on Poshmark, I grabbed it. I know Poshmark protects buyers by allowing returns if an item isn’t authentic, but I’m usually hesitant to buy luxury goods at a place that doesn’t authenticate before listing products for sale. But, I took a chance (because I had a store credit), and it arrived in two days.

When it arrived at my house, it looked a little fishy right away. I do have experience authenticating handbags, so I write this post with existing knowledge of how to authenticate luxury goods.

How To Authenticate A Mansur Gavriel Bag:

Design
Leather
Hardware (Button Snap, Zipper)
Mansur Gavriel Logo Stamp
Dust Bag

We’ll look at each of these attributes to authenticate. First, I examined the item IRL. Then, I found previously sold listings to compare it to.

First impressions: The material doesn’t feel like leather; it also doesn’t scratch with a fingernail (which smooth calfskin leather should do). The smell of the pouch is off, kind of like plastic. When I looked online, the original listing has been taken down. I didn’t recall seeing that there was any mention of “replica” or “faux” or “inspired by”. Buyer also sold the Mansur Gavriel Tote that this bag came with, but the listing isn’t visible. This is the pouch I received:

Authentic/Counterfeit Mansur Gavriel Comparisons

From the Mansur Gavriel Website

Authentic Mansur Gavriel Zip Pouch

Authentic Mansur Gavriel Zip Pouch
https://di2ponv0v5otw.cloudfront.net/posts/2018/05/20/5b01dd73d39ca20bd909b006/m_5b01dd938af1c5c498474676.jpg
https://di2ponv0v5otw.cloudfront.net/posts/2018/05/20/5b01dd73d39ca20bd909b006/m_5b01dd942c705d408bd32984.jpg

Authentic Mansur Gavriel Zip Pouch

https://di2ponv0v5otw.cloudfront.net/posts/2018/06/06/5b17f8dbaa5719daff7c74d4/m_5b17f9c2de6f628d3e525a19.jpg

Counterfeit Mansur Gavriel Tote & Zip Pouch

I clicked on this listing because it had a small zip pouch in the main shot. It caught my eye because the leather looks flimsy, and, by that assertion–it looks fake. Notice the “matte” color of the leather (it should have a light gloss) and the creasing of the leather, which should be sturdy and stiff. The stitching along the bottom base is uneven, and there is a lot of creasing and ripples. The stitching should be even and not bumpy. The zip pouch looks too small.

https://dtpmhvbsmffsz.cloudfront.net/posts/2017/10/23/59ee74e34267373bb86c4b85/m_59ee74e8f0137d3a100f28d0.jpeg

Authentic Mansur Gavriel Dust Bag
https://dtpmhvbsmffsz.cloudfront.net/posts/2017/07/23/59755d6f2fd0b7a62405bfd3/m_59755d93522b45727d05b94b.jpg

Mansur Gavriel Authenticity Checklist:

Design: Pass. The design itself looks similar to what I can find online. I wasn’t able to find dimensions of this size because this pouch usually isn’t sold separately.
Leather: Fail. It’s not real leather (doesn’t scratch with a fingernail/smells like plastic/different texture than authentic). This one the first glaringly fake thing about this item.
Hardware (Button Snap, Zipper): Fail. The button snap on the back is way too large.
Mansur Gavriel Logo Stamp: Fail. Logo embossing is too large and too thick. The authentic logo stamps were about 1/4″ from the bottom seam, whereas this fake has a logo that’s about 1/2″ above the seam.
Dust Bag: Fail. The dust bag I received is a flimsy white material with with text on it. The real dust bag should be a thick, linen-style material with pale pink text and a rectangle around the logo.
I compared it with two authentic Mansur Gavriel Bucket bags that I own and it doesn’t appear to be authentic.

Final Verdict: FAKE.

Luckily, Poshmark has a generous return policy, PoshProtect that lets you return items if they are not authentic.

What is covered under PoshProtect:

Undisclosed damage
Incorrect or missing item
Item not as described
Item is not authentic

So, I’ll be returning this zip pouch. Sad.

I know this is a risk you take when buying pre-owned, especially from a peer-to-peer network like Poshmark. I’m lucky they have a wonderful return policy. I mostly feel bad for the seller, because I’m pretty sure she thought it was real.