Gucci Marmont Bag – Is It Fake or Is It Real?

Designed by creative director Alessandro Michele in 2016 and named for the legendary Château Marmont hotel in Los Angeles, the Gucci Marmont bag’s timeless silhouette made it an overnight sensation. However, as its namesake’s celebrity patrons can attest, fame was a double-edged sword—and the must-have bag became a victim of frequent forgery.  That’s why any fashion aficionado must know what separates a real Gucci Marmont bag from an imposter. So let’s dive right into and talk specifics, shall we?

How To Identify a Real Gucci Marmont Bag

It takes a semi-trained eye to spot a fake designer bag, but there’s no need to sign up for summer school. We have all the information you need to identify a genuine Gucci Marmont bag and cast counterfeits aside.

The Logo

Let’s be honest: It’s all about the logo. So that’s where we’ll start our authentication journey. Comprised of two uppercase, overlapping, interlocking Gs, the iconic Gucci logo graces the Gucci Marmont bag with tasteful gold or silver solid metal hardware. The real Gs will be thicker in the middle with finer points at the top. On a fake Gucci bag, the logo may be too shiny or flimsy, with chips or rust where one G meets the other. Any inconsistencies or sloppiness in the Gs’ spacing, font and thickness is a no-go for a real Gucci logo.

The Materials

Gucci is known for sourcing high-quality materials, and an authentic Gucci Marmont bag boasts supple leather that undergoes a stringent tanning and dying process to guarantee durability and color retention. It will be soft to the touch and have a pleasant, musky aroma. When a Gucci bag is fake, you can smell it—literally. The material will stink of artificial chemicals due to poor quality and treatment. It may also feel plasticky and look shinier.

The Hardware

A real Gucci Marmont bag features hardware in a few places aside from the logo, including the chain strap, the magnetic clasp and the spot where the strap meets the bag. All the hardware should be like the real logo: sturdy and consistent with a subtle, quality finish. On a real bag, the clasp will have smooth, aged rivets; on a fake bag, they may appear sharper. The signature strap combines a chain with a leather shoulder strap—on an authentic piece, you’ll notice a seam running through the tightly bound chain links. A real bag will also include logo engravings on the side of the chain strap clasps and the underside of the zipper.

The Heart

Sometimes, a real Gucci Marmont bag is where the heart is—actually though, check the back of your bag for a heart imprint (while keeping in mind that not all Gucci Marmont bags have this feature). First, assess the heart’s location: It will be located in the middle of a fake Gucci bag and lower down on a real Gucci bag. Then, check the shape and stitching. The real heart should be rounder, wider and even. The stitching will come to a perfect point at the end, with one stitch on either side.

The Stitching

Speaking of stitching, clean stitching is the mark of a real Gucci bag. Pay special attention to stitching in less-noticeable areas, like underneath the bag flap—this is where a fake bag is likeliest to show its true colors and sloppy stitching. Look for fraying, irregularities and loose threads.

The Curves

Fake Gucci bags often miss the mark in terms of overall shape, so taking a step back and assessing the big picture may put things in focus. From the front, a real Gucci Marmont bag has gentle contours and the bottom is slightly narrower than the top. The closure flap in the middle of the bag should be smooth, round and not too long and it should not noticeably hang down past the bottom of the bag. Observe the bag from the side too—the side width of a real Gucci Marmont won’t vary much from top to bottom, whereas a fake bag may be smaller at the top.

The Tag

Want to spot a real Gucci Marmont? Open it up. Inside all authentic Gucci bags lives a rectangular leather tag with the brand’s logo in the authentic Gucci font, the registered trademark symbol (®), and centered lowercase letters that correctly spell “made in Italy.” You’d be surprised how often counterfeiters overlook spelling errors, but not as surprised as we would be if Gucci ever (accidentally) did.

The Details

Still stumped? Fake designer bags are often convincing at first glance, but they skimp on little details like these:

• Serial number. You’ll find the serial number inside the bag, embossed on a leather patch located on the interior tag. The serial number on a Gucci bag is comprised of 10-13 digits. The first set of numbers indicates the style number; the second set refers to the supplier code.
• Font. Carefully inspect the text on a fake Gucci bag and you’ll find counterfeiters seldom get it quite right in terms of size, proportion, or typeface.
• QR code. While these QR codes are for internal use by Gucci and will not scan on your smartphone, an inauthentic tag will use flimsier material and the texture may even blur the QR code so the pattern looks messy.
• Embossing. On a real Gucci Marmont bag, embossing will be subtle and effortlessly integrated with the leather. On a fake bag, embossing is often deeper and thicker—almost as if it’s been too aggressively stamped.

Is My Gucci Marmont Bag Fake?

Simple answer: If you got it from The RealReal, your Gucci Marmont bag is real. If you purchased it elsewhere, this handy guide should help you determine whether you inadvertently snatched a fake—and help your friends avoid the same fate!