The $5,000 Lie: Why 2026 Belongs to the Luxury Bag Dupe
By Sofia Laurent · 7 min read
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The woman sitting across from me at a sun-drenched cafe in Manhattan’s West Village is carrying what looks, at first glance, like a $6,000 The Row Margaux bag.
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'Nobody asks if it’s real,' she tells me, tapping the grained leather.
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This is the reality of the 2026 accessories market.
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It’s no secret that the major fashion houses have spent the last few years testing the limits of their customers' loyalty.
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But the quality didn't double.
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I’ve spoken to leather craftsmen in Florence who work for both the mega-brands and the smaller, mid-market labels.