Diesel is cracking down on fakes.
In recent weeks, the OTB Group-owned denim label said it found and seized 43,905 handbags at a warehouse in Wuqia, Xinjiang, China, under the supervision of customs.
The seized handbags were copies of Diesel’s 1DR bag. The Y2K-inspired bag has been the focal point for several advertising campaigns since Diesel introduced it in 2022. At the time of its launch, the logo-driven bag sold out almost instantly. It was named the “most wanted accessory” by Lyst the same year.
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In a statement, Diesel said it played a crucial role in providing intelligence and support to Wuqia police units in Xinjiang, China, throughout the operation. The brand continually monitors the global marketplace for the sale and production of counterfeit Diesel products, websites and content in the interest of protecting the brand’s creative and institutional IP and preventing consumers from unknowingly purchasing counterfeit goods.
In January, Diesel released a report about its progress to stop counterfeits, stating that a total of 80,000 counterfeit Diesel goods has been seized since the beginning of 2023. The products were found especially in China, Turkey and Kosovo.
The brand also had removed 27,000 listings of several counterfeited goods on online platforms and 500 knockoff Diesel websites have been closed.
On the brand’s website, Diesel explains how counterfeit products are often made by exploiting child labor or forced labor and without respecting safety measures that guarantee the health of the workers themselves or the minimum wage. The fake products are also often made outside the laws that regulate production activity, constituting a danger to the health of those who wear them, Diesel states.
Since Fall/Winter 2021, all Diesel products and merchandise are equipped with a QR code and a 12-digit numeric code that create a unique digital identity. Customers can scan the QR code with their smartphone to confirm the authenticity of their purchase. They can also confirm their product on Certilogo’s website.
Diesel reported that the QR codes have resulted in “a substantial decrease” in the number of counterfeit products.
