Authentic vs. Fake: Louis Vuitton Trademark Stamps

Here at FASHIONPHILE, we take authenticity very seriously.

Shopping for pre-owned luxury items isn’t easy, and Louis Vuitton items are the most highly counterfeited items in the world. Whether it’s a handbag or an accessory item, the authentication of every Louis Vuitton item is reviewed and inspected to ensure that its details meet the manufacturer’s standards of quality in stamping, stitching, hardware, authenticity stamps, date codes, materials, and craftsmanship.

While most people overlook the details and just go straight to the date code (we have a story on that), this FASHIONPHILE University authenticity lesson will focus on Louis Vuitton’s trademark logo stamps that are found on all Louis Vuitton handbags and accessories.

The legacy of Louis Vuitton is really an interesting story. In 1896, Louis Vuitton’s son Georges created the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram to specifically ward off counterfeits. The trademark LV monogram is composed of an italic and capitalized L and V with the diamond, circle, and quatrefoil patterns.

The trademark heat stamp is the embossed Louis Vuitton label that will be on the outside or inside of a Louis Vuitton bag or accessory. If inside, the stamp can be found on the lining or, in newer styles, on an interior leather or cloth tag; if outside, it can be found on the Vachetta trim, detailing, or strap. The stamp should be clear, centered, with crisp letters and no signs of sloppy or bleeding letters.

Louis Vuitton’s craftsmanship is what makes them valuable. Every item with a Made in Paris label has gone through meticulous quality inspections by Louis Vuitton. If you notice anything about the item that seems off, it probably isn’t a real Louis Vuitton. On counterfeit stamps, the embossing may be inconsistent with varying depth, clarity, size, and position. The trademark heat stamp is important to review in conjunction with the date code.

A real Louis Vuitton trademark stamp will read:

®

LOUIS VUITTON

PARIS

made in (Country)

What to look for:

• The tail on the original LV stamp is always very short.
• The O’s are very round and look bigger than the L.
• The T’s almost touch each other.
• The L has a short leg.
• Lettering is thin and crisp.
• The ‘made in’ stamp will be in lowercase and the first letter of the country will be in uppercase.
• Are the letters evenly spaced?
• Does the stamping appear to be horizontally level?
• Does the vertical spacing between text lines appear to be even?
• Newer Louis Vuitton bags may not have an exterior Made In USA stamp, but will have a leather or cloth tag inside that reads “Made in USA of imported materials.”
• Fake Louis Vuitton stamps will have obvious mistakes like the size of the O, oval O’s instead of round O’s, incorrect font or width of the stamp, space between the T’s, and sloppy embossing.

Accurate authentication takes knowledge and practice. The Louis Vuitton trademark stamp is just one piece of the authenticity puzzle. There are many factors to indicate whether or not a Louis Vuitton item is authentic. Every aspect of the item such as font, size, stampings, symmetry, stitching, hardware, authenticity stamps, as well as overall workmanship and materials are inspected by our highly-trained authenticators.

With our 100% authenticity guarantee, you never have to question what you’re buying. Shop our collection of pre-loved Louis Vuitton handbags and accessories at FASHIONPHILE.