Updated on November 28, 2023
Inside the world of luxury authentication
Luxury authentication is one of fashion resale’s most important functions, but it is also among the most secretive and difficult once. The reason why there is a bit of a mystery around authentication is so that counterfeiters can’t improve and learn how to spot a fake product.
All our products are 100% authentic. We have learnt the stringent rules on how to authenticate luxury fashion and accessories over time. The items are inspected carefully by expert authenticators, with more than 20 years of experience and come with a full, lifetime, money back guarantee regarding authenticity.
Authenticators check the following:
- Packaging and dustbag, whether the model exist (especially important for vintage items)
- The shape and materials, stitching (for example, Hermès uses the ‘piqûre sellier’, a diagonal stitch),
- Irregularities that confirm the item is handmade
- The typography of the logo (which evolves depending on designer and era)
- The metal components, serial number, accompanying paperwork
…and many more things.
Our authenticators can answer any questions you may have to an item.
Our authenticators are one of the best in Japan. Therefore, we also offer various services to businesses interested in eliminating counterfeit items from the marketplace, including training, real time web-camera support.
We are a member of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, and a pioneering provider of patent-pending anti-counterfeiting solutions for luxury brand goods.
Updated on November 8, 2023
E-commerce after Global Pandemic
It’s not too soon to say that the global pandemic has been 2020’s defining moment, and the ripple effects could last well into the rest of the decade if no viable treatment or vaccine is found.
Even though we are more than six months into the virus outbreak, the situation is rapidly evolving. Shoppers are generally avoiding public places, and naturally, there’s been a drop-off in brick-and-mortar shopping, as customers move online.
However, the shift online has forced brands to adapt and up their game to meet those changing needs. So let’s take a closer look at how e-commerce has changed, and why you need to be more careful than ever before in the increasingly online world.
COVID-19 Outbreak Drives Up E-commerce Shopping Online
Coronavirus has made its way into 215 sovereign territories since the initial outbreak back in 2019. Given the truly worldwide nature of the pandemic, it’s altering shopping behaviors on a global scale.
With stores closed almost across the board, those looking for many items have had no other option but to turn to e-commerce as a solution. The statistics are quite remarkable. Overall, e-commerce websites generated almost 22 billion visits in June 2020, up from 16.07 billion global visits in January 2020. That’s an increase of 1 billion visits per month!
But that doesn’t mean it’s plain sailing for either online retailers or the customers themselves.
Global Pandemic Presents Challenges to the E-commerce Sector
From the retailer’s perspective, while the increase in demand is welcome, it has placed a strain on many companies trying to cope. Supply chains were disrupted due to travel being suspended within many countries for an extended period of time. Not only were products taking longer to make their way from a factory to an online store’s warehouse, but shipping times to customers worldwide have been elongated too.
By contrast, on the customer side of the equation, there has been an alarming rise in online scams during the first six months of 2020. Some countries are reporting that online fraud has increased by as much as 66% this year. This increase in online crime is making customers wary of the online shopping experience. This is especially the case in the luxury goods market, where trust means everything.
The challenges facing those operating in the e-commerce sector has forced online retailers to up their game. At eLADY, that’s precisely what we have done.
Global Pandemic Forces Online Stores to Step Up Their Game – And eLADY Has Responded
As mentioned, there have been all kinds of challenges that have emerged due to the pandemic driving customers online to search for products they wish to buy. Here at eLADY, we have stepped to the plate by reassuring that our shipping partners will continue shipping as usual throughout the pandemic.
Your continues support is very important to us, so we have worked hard on our website to build and develop trust with you, our customers. to ensure that you feel safe buying from us and that you feel secure when going to our checkout page.
With our commitment to meet and overcome the pandemic’s challenges, you can feel safe shopping with the world’s leading online retailer of pre-loved, authentic luxury goods.
Check out the new storefront to begin your new redesigned online luxury shopping experience.
Updated on December 7, 2023
Why Invest in old CHANEL Bags
Did you know that luxury handbags aren’t just beautiful fashion items, but also one of the best performing investment classes on the planet? Keen collectors often state that their purchases are set to go up in value, but until recently, there was little evidence to validate this claim.
However, the release of the Luxury Handbag Report 2020 has gone far beyond merely backing up those claims. The report analyzed over a decade’s worth of sales data from the 12 leading auction houses, and the results were astonishing.
Researchers found that collectible luxury handbags outperformed art, classic cars, and even rare whiskey to take the number one spot as the best-performing investment asset. It appears that these designer handbags designed for holding your money, are just as good at earning it themselves!
Coming in at the top of the list of designer brands increasing in value was the French fashion house CHANEL. Here at eLADY, we have a wide range of CHANEL handbags that will not only look stunning by your side, but they’ll also make an excellent investment moving forward.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at our top five investment picks for CHANEL handbags currently in stock.
CHANEL Boy Chanel Chain Shoulder Bag Lambskin Black Vintage Gold Hardware A67086 Coco Mark Quilted 2WAY Handbag
What better place to start than with this sleek black two-way CHANEL handbag? As the name suggests, it can be used as a conventional handbag and as a shoulder bag, thanks to a multi-use chain and a leather strap. The beautiful gold hardware sets the black leather off nicely, and this particular bag is well suited to almost any outfits, thanks to the universal combination of black and gold.
Chanel Handbag Silver Hardware Ladies Chain Bag
With a simply stunning floral design, this handbag is bound to turn heads wherever you take it. This handbag has a less distinguishable CHANEL clasp, which is perfect for those of you looking for a subtler luxury handbag. Due to this bag’s distinct nature, it’s likely to increase in value better than the more traditional designs on this list.
Chanel Matelasse Chain Handbag Shoulder bag R41-25
When investing in a collectible luxury CHANEL handbag, the color is an important consideration. There’s perhaps nothing more striking than the bold red of this shoulder handbag. It permeates everything, from the bag to the strap. Not only does it make a statement as a fashion piece, but it’s bound to attract attention should you wish to part ways at a later date.
CHANEL Calfskin Matelasse Chain Shoulder Bag 23 cm Black Gold Hardware
This really is a collector’s item. Not only is this CHANEL handbag made of premium calfskin, but it also has unusual features such as a burgundy interior and a beautiful embroidered CHANEL logo placed underneath the exterior flap. It also benefits from the ever-popular shoulder strap design, which works well with a wide range of outfits.
Chanel Matelasse Rucksack Backpack Chain Mini Coco Mark Lambskin Gold Hardware A91121
Our final pick is something a little different. The backpack design is becoming increasingly popular, both in the fashion world and the auction houses. . This bag benefits from a larger storage capacity than the CHANEL handbags listed above, and the flexible leather straps give you many options when it comes to wearing this bag. As usual, the famous black and gold color combination makes this backpack-style bag a timeless classic.
Choose from one of the Largest Online Collections of Preloved CHANEL Handbags
Here at eLADY, we have one of the largest selection of authentic pre-owned designer CHANEL products in the world. When it comes to CHANEL handbags, we can’t be beaten for our range of collectible designs, offering you the chance to earn substantial returns over the course of your ownership.
Better yet, we offer free shipping, guarantee 100% authenticity, and we have a 14-day money-back guarantee should you change your mind.
So what are you waiting for? Secure an attractive investment today by browsing our CHANEL handbag collection.
Updated on November 8, 2023
20 Years of Delivering Authenticity
Here at eLADY, we’ve been providing customers with 100% authentic preloved designer goods for 20 years! From bags to jewelry, watches, and everything in between, it’s been our pleasure to serve thousands of individuals over the course of our 20-year history.
Of course, without guaranteed authenticity, our products would mean very little to our prospective buyers. So how exactly do we ensure that the products are the real thing?
The eLADY Authenticity Process
eLADY is in the fortunate position of having 20 years of experience when it comes to evaluating products for their authenticity. As technology has improved, counterfeiters have improved their offerings to produce items that are not immediately distinguishable from their genuine counterparts.
That’s why we have a team of experts to thoroughly inspect every item we receive to ensure its 100% authentic before we list the product in question on our website. We’ve developed our knowledge in partnership with the International Anti-counterfeiting Coalition to produce a patent-pending anti-counterfeiting solution for luxury goods. All of our items are scrutinized by expert authenticators and come with a full, lifetime, money-back guarantee regarding authenticity.
But you may be thinking, why does such a solution need to be in place? The answer is counterfeiting continues to grow despite the best efforts of luxury brands.
Counterfeiting Continues to Increase Within Luxury Goods
Despite the best efforts of luxury brand names, trade in fakes or counterfeit products come to a value of $4.5 trillion a year, with luxury brands accounting for 60% to 70% of that amount. Luis Vuitton employs more than 60 lawyers and spends up to $20 million each year on anti-counterfeiting legal action alone.
Without professionals dedicated to proving authenticity and uncovering fake luxury goods, customers are the ones who pay the ultimate price. When shopping online, it’s even harder for the customer to be sure that they’re receiving genuine merchandise. With up to 40% of fake luxury goods sold online, you need a solution you can trust.
Receive Authenticity Training from the Experts
For years, eLADY has been a global leader and a pioneer in anti-counterfeiting. We have provided authentication training to hundreds of recycle shops and pawn shops in Japan, specializing in pre-owned luxury brand items.
As part of our 20th-anniversary celebrations, we have now opened up our industry-leading authenticity training to various businesses interested in eliminating counterfeit items from the marketplace.
Our authenticity service includes training, real-time support delivered via video conferencing technology, and other solutions based on the world`s most extensive database for the appraisal and authentication of luxury brand items. If you need expert training in the detection of counterfeit goods, there’s no better place to go than the industry leaders.
Book Your Authenticity Training Today
While developing and perfecting our authenticity techniques over 20 years, we have created a service that can be taught to others looking to provide cast-iron guarantees to their customers. Our service also protects retailers from being scammed themselves.
While our authentication service is only available in Japanese, we are rolling out an English version in the coming months. Therefore, if you would like to register your interest in receiving authentication training or video-link support, simply email [email protected] to speak to a member of our team about your requirements.
Updated on November 8, 2023
Why vintage is environmentally friendly
If there’s something you need or want but you want to keep it as economical as possible, what’s your first go-to strategy? Chances are that buying it secondhand is toward the top of your list.
As it turns out, it isn’t only your wallet that benefits when you buy pre owned items. The whole planet owes you a debt of gratitude. You can incorporate retail therapy into your Earth Day 2020 celebration because buying preloved luxury items helps the environment in several ways.
1. Conserving Materials
Every item you buy is a combination of materials that had to come from somewhere. In far too many cases, those materials came from limited resources within our planet. Did you know there are fossil fuels in most types of plastic?
Even when limited resources aren’t actual ingredients in an item’s materials, they can still be compromised. For instance, growing crops for natural ingredients often involves harmful pesticides, adding pollution to the air, and using valuable water.
When you buy second hand, of course, there are no new materials so you spare the environment from that damage.
2. Minimizing Harmful Production Practices
When a manufacturer produces a new item, it isn’t only the materials that can harm the planet. The process of turning those materials into the finished product often puts the ecosystem at risk too.
While every product is different, manufacturing typically uses extensive amounts of energy thanks to all the machinery involved in modern factories. This uses precious resources while typically adding serious pollution to the environment. None of this happens when you buy the item preowned.
3. Skipping the Recycling Process
Many people choose not to sell or donate their items to second hand retailers because they recycle the items instead, and they believe that this saves the planet from the damage of tossing the items into a landfill. This might be well-intentioned, but it isn’t as effective as many people think.
Recycling is better than trashing your items, but the recycling process still causes some amount of harm to the ecosystem. It requires energy and, in most cases, not all of the materials are recyclable so there is some amount of waste.
The better choice is to participate in a secondhand market, supporting them by both buying and selling your items from them, to take all that waste out of the equation.
Serving Your Pocket and the Planet by Shopping Preowned
Whether you call it preowned, preloved, or secondhand, the fact is the same: giving existing luxury items a new life is a great way to protect the planet from the damage a new item can cause.
To enjoy some online shopping while making an eco-conscious choice, start with our online preowned shop today.
Updated on November 21, 2023
Luxury Fashion for Women’s Rights
Fashion can be empowering. Not only does it make us feel great; but it also promotes creativity, individualism, and equality.
“Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events.
You can even see the approaching of a revolution in clothes.
You can see and feel everything in clothes.”
– Diana Vreeland
This current revolution in women’s rights is palpable and luxury brands are leading the way. Women’s clothing is as bold and unpredictable as their wearers.
How Designers are Supporting Women’s Rights
Chloé Partners with UNICEF to promote Gender Equality
On the 8th of March 2020 luxury label Chloé will initiate a three-year partnership with Unicef to promote gender equality. Chloé has been stepping forward in recent years to promote equality and women’s rights, and we couldn’t be happier.
The partnership with Unicef will see Chloé designing a specific range of Power Tees, necklaces and bracelets. All proceeds from sales will go towards various Unicef young girls and women’s education programs.
Prada and Fendi Donate Personal Items for Auction – Preloved from the Designers Themselves!
Our two favorite designers chose last year to donate some personal designer bags and clothes to support the Non-Profit Organization Mothers2Mothers during an auction.
Mothers2Mothers, which is dedicated to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV by providing education and support for pregnant women and new mothers living with HIV, received 100% of the proceeds.
Who knows what you can find secondhand these days – perhaps something that hung on the arm of Silvia Fendi or Miuccia Prada!
Burberry Donates Work Wardrobes For International Women’s Day (IWD)
If you want to get the job, you need to look the part. Burberry’s understood this and decided to do something about it for their 2019 IWD campaign. The label paired up with UK charity Smart Works to offer women in need outfits to land the job.
Burberry has in fact been working with Smart Works since 2013, looking into the broader impact fashion brands can have through the donation of surplus stock. Exploring the benefits of a more circular approach – similar to buying preloved luxury brands.
“You can have anything you want in life
if you dress for it.” – Edith Head
Gucci teams up with Chime For Change to Help Women be Heard
The fashion powerhouse teamed up with Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in 2013 to fight inequality. Chime for change was born and is going from strength to strength.
Each year they use the platform, supported by activists, artists, and a number of big organizations, to spread stories that promote change.
In their words: “to inspire participation in a collective community, bringing people together across borders and generations in the fight for equality”
How You are Supporting Women’s Rights by Buying Preloved Designer Brands who supports the cause.
Sustainability, upcycling and a circular economy are the future. There is a quote by David Brower that sums it up perfectly:
”We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
Fast Fashion is polluting the planet – and in the process harming the environment for future generations of men and women.
By buying quality preloved items, you’re helping create a healthier environment for the next generation. Your items will last longer and you’ll be able to resell these timeless pieces again in the future.
Celebrate this International Women’s Day in Style and Give Back
By supporting sustainable fashion you are empowering other women, saving the planet,dressing like a #SheBoss and being an overall kickass gal!
And don’t let the price hold you back, buying preloved supports a circular economy, saving you dollars and putting some in another girl’s purse.
Opting for new? Buy from the brands that are making a difference this International Women’s Day… The Devil doesn’t wear Prada – you do