Prada Handbags

First, a little history of the Prada designer handbags. Prada,Spa. The name screams luxury. An Italian design group, now boasts outlets world wide. The owners of this company, known in Italian as Fratelli Prada (Fratelli brothers), was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada. His granddaughter, Miuccia Prada, inherited what was, at that time, a leather supplies outlet from her mother, and led the Prada brothers into what would become haute couture. This laid the foundation for the popularity of the Prada designer handbags.

Miuccia started gaining in popularity with her creative use of equipment and austere, advanced smooth designs with the introduction of her 1985 designer line of glossy black handbags. These were made with the rather unique material, parachute nylon. These became a signature line of high-priced bags which rapidly grew in demand. Unfortunately, this also spawned a huge industry of Prada imitators.

Miuccia planned the first of many “glad to attrition” collection in the fall of 1989. The collection proved to be the total opposite of other label’s sexually provocative designs. These were immediately a hit and fueled the company’s production lines. This marks the era when the Prada designer handbags became a “must have” with the elite women of society. Besides the previous Prada line, they also introduced the Miu collection which was aimed at the younger members of the fashion world in 1992. This line has more discreet designs that complements the clothing of young women with great taste. This brought about a huge increase in “bohemian” designs. So how do you know if you are really getting an original Prada designer handbag?

First of all, the letter “R” in the Prada logo always has a gap on the top of the right leg of the letter. If the gap isn’t there and it’s a solid print letter, it’s a fake. Another telltale sign is the label on the inside of the bag, which should say “Prada, made in Italy”. Nothing extra on the label. Also look for the authenticity code card. It will be in an envelope outside the bag. Most of the time there will be at least two of these plastic cards which look a lot like a credit card. A genuine Prada purse will also come with a dust bag which also says “Prada, made in Italy”.

Another way to tell if this is a Prada designer handbag is to inspect the zippers which should always be of one color. They will either all be silver tone, gold tone or rose gold tone. They should all have the Prada logo on the tabs. The inner lining of the Prada handbag is also unique. It is always made of high end material such as satin, leather or ultra suede and should have the word “Prada” running in horizontal lines across the fabric. This lining is stitched, never glued. Seams should be invisible.

The final clue in telling whether or not your Prada bag is the “real deal” is to inspect the Prada name plates. The lettering on the name tag should be slightly raised and the “r” should have a curve to it. This is how you know that your Prada designer handbag is authentic.