Hello everybody! I was out thrift shopping with my mom and we found this Valentino Garavani bag for an absolute steal. We've been looking online to try and see if it's authentic or the timeframe it could've been made (we think the 70s or 80s) but we haven't found anything exactly like it. If someone a lot more qualified than us could look at it and confirm that would be amazing!
Can somebody identify if this Valentino bag is legit and the year?
- Thread starter Chloe M
- Start date
Shusteroo
VFG Member
Hi Chloe, if the bag is what it says it is that would be a lovely find! Unfortunately as stated in the VFG rules...
"members cannot authenticate items: a professional appraiser needs to see the item in person".
https://forums.vintagefashionguild....ease-read-before-you-ask-your-question.52007/
I did find another thread though, with a bag with the same logo as yours...
https://forums.vintagefashionguild.org/threads/valentino-garavani-handbag-age.77047/#post-754117
I had a quick read through it and it seemed the consensus was that logo was possibly circa 1980s/90s. However, as you can imagine with a well known luxury brand such as Valentino there are a lot of fakes out there, so just because that logo was used then does not make it genuine as it could have been copied. The only real way to tell would be for an expert to examine it closely, test the leather, stitching, quality etc
"members cannot authenticate items: a professional appraiser needs to see the item in person".
https://forums.vintagefashionguild....ease-read-before-you-ask-your-question.52007/
I did find another thread though, with a bag with the same logo as yours...
https://forums.vintagefashionguild.org/threads/valentino-garavani-handbag-age.77047/#post-754117
I had a quick read through it and it seemed the consensus was that logo was possibly circa 1980s/90s. However, as you can imagine with a well known luxury brand such as Valentino there are a lot of fakes out there, so just because that logo was used then does not make it genuine as it could have been copied. The only real way to tell would be for an expert to examine it closely, test the leather, stitching, quality etc
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bycinbyhand
VFG Member
From what I've read, Valentino Garavani is pre 1980. Can someone confirm that?
Shusteroo
VFG Member
From what I understand, Garavani must be used on bags to distinguish between Valentino (Garavani) and Mario Valentino bags.
There was a global licence agreement between Valentino S.p.A and the Mario Valentino, signed in 1979. The agreement required that “in any advertising for its leather handbags,” Valentino “must utilize the term ‘GARAVANI’ in addition to ‘VALENTINO’ to minimize consumer confusion between the parties”
Mario Valentino – which argues that it began using the Valentino name on leather goods years before its younger rival – can use the “Valentino” name on leather goods, such as handbags, assuming it includes the full “Mario Valentino” name on the inside of the product.
Valentino filed a lawsuit against Mario Valentino for breach of this agreement.
https://www.thefashionlaw.com/valen...ill-in-the-midst-of-bi-national-legal-battle/
There was a global licence agreement between Valentino S.p.A and the Mario Valentino, signed in 1979. The agreement required that “in any advertising for its leather handbags,” Valentino “must utilize the term ‘GARAVANI’ in addition to ‘VALENTINO’ to minimize consumer confusion between the parties”
Mario Valentino – which argues that it began using the Valentino name on leather goods years before its younger rival – can use the “Valentino” name on leather goods, such as handbags, assuming it includes the full “Mario Valentino” name on the inside of the product.
Valentino filed a lawsuit against Mario Valentino for breach of this agreement.
https://www.thefashionlaw.com/valen...ill-in-the-midst-of-bi-national-legal-battle/
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that is one sweet little purse, Chloe, congratulations!
by the way, if you give the smooth leather parts a rub-down with some leather conditioner, it will really freshen it up and smooth out those little scratches. In the Care and Cleaning section of our VFG Amazon Shop, you can find this leather conditioner by Bickmore, or I have had great success with this one by Cadillac, too.
by the way, if you give the smooth leather parts a rub-down with some leather conditioner, it will really freshen it up and smooth out those little scratches. In the Care and Cleaning section of our VFG Amazon Shop, you can find this leather conditioner by Bickmore, or I have had great success with this one by Cadillac, too.
Shusteroo
VFG Member
Hi Chloe, a few other points to consider...
Does this bag have a serial number anywhere? Apparently all Valentino Garavani bags should have one, which is usually located in the inside pocket. That doesn't necessarily mean that it is authentic, as those can be faked too, but the absence of one would be a red flag.
Also, on looking closely at the photos the spacing seems a bit off on the inside stamp where it says "Genuine Leather" - the letters look a little clunky, especially between the 'h' and the 'e' which look like they are almost touching. Also with the brand logo, the last letter 'i' appears to be nearer the border than the first letter 'g' - I would expect the logo to be exactly centred. It may just be the angle of the photos, but thought it was worth noting and checking carefully, as a genuine Valentino bag would pay attention to these finer details.
Finally, and this is just an afterthought... I did wonder if the zip colour should be gold tone to match the hardware, but I really don't know one way or the other on that. If you do get it authenticated, it would be interesting to ask.
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GemGem
Registered Guest
It was, but in more recent years it has been brought back into handbags & accessories, I believe post 2010’s (not concrete on that). I agree with the 80’s dating too.
bycinbyhand
VFG Member
Interesting - thanks!