If you want the best quality fakes of expensive high-fashion brands such as Gucci, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and Saint Laurent, and must-have youth streetwear such as Supreme and Stüssy, the only country you have to go to is South Korea.
And once in South Korea, head for Seoul, its capital, and the world capital for fakes so good, even fashion experts are amazed by the quality.
South Korea, the world's 14th richest economy and Asia's third-richest after China and Japan, is hands down the world capital for the best in high-quality counterfeit wear and accessories. The country's notoriety as a haven for high-quality, high-fashion fakes was so intriguing, it became the subject of a documentary released in 2017 by Highsnobiety, a streetwear blog that has since morphed into a media brand and production agency. Highsnobiety won the 2017 Webby Award for Cultural Blog/Website in part because of this documentary.
In its well-received documentary, "Counterfeit Culture," Highsnobiety noted the inability of young South Koreans to buy popular streetwear brands in is driving one of the world's most sophisticated markets for counterfeit goods. China is also a center for counterfeit high-fashion but its quality is way below that made by South Koreans.
Counterfeit streetwear can be found all over the world, "but the stuff we found in Seoul was remarkable," says Alec Leach, Highsnobiety's digital fashion editor. Leach noted that whoever is making counterfeit versions in South Korea "is clearly keeping an eye on Instagram and street style reports."
While stylish streetwear appeals to young, fashion-conscious South Koreans, the sheer volume and value of high-fashion counterfeit goods made in South Korea are dominated by the world's best-known fashion brands.
The Korea Customs Service (KCS) under the Ministry of Strategy and Finance reported on Sept. 22 that Louis Vuitton has been the most frequently counterfeited foreign brand in South Korea over the past five years. Second to LV is Rolex followed by Cartier, Chanel, and Gucci.
Imitation Louis Vuitton products seized by the KCS were valued at US$164 million between 2014 and June this year. This amount is by far the largest value among counterfeited foreign luxury brands confiscated by KCS.
And more and more fake LVs are being made in South Korea due to the high demand. In total, more than $37 million worth of fake Louis Vuitton goods were seized from January to June this year. KCS expects the total value of fake LVs goods to reach a five-year high by the end of this year.
In terms of value, the fake Rolexes seized over the past five years had a street value of $95 million. The fake Cartiers were worth $86 million; the counterfeit Chanel, $63 million and the knock-off Gucci, $36 million.
