Many buyers have asked here at Studio_Blu about buying authentic Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF) dresses. We thought we would provide some helpful guidelines for purchasing authentic items.

First, please ignore the DVF dresses listed next to this guide that are listed as from other sellers (below items from our store). Most of these are $49.99 fakes we have no control over what eBay places alongside this guide and are in no way affiliated with them. ----------------------->

There are different Diane Von Furstenberg lines. The most sought after is Diane Von Furstenberg.  There is also a lesser quality discount line Silk Assets (sold on HSN).  The Vintage line contains her classic dresses in classic Diane Von Furstenberg patterns.  This is not the same as a vintage Diane Von Furstenberg. Vintage refers to the date of the item, the Vintage line is new items in a vintage style, pattern. 

When purchasing new Diane Von Furstenberg, try to purchase items that have the tags attached. While there are pre-owned items, that could very well be authentic, the risk is much higher for bootlegs when there are no tags. Unfortunately, eBay is flooded with fake Diane Von Furstenbergs.

Diane Von Furstenberg tags will be sewn in on clothing items.  The tag will be attached at the top back of the neck, will be sewn at both ends and will have the size/ fabric content tag attached to the bottom center of  the Diane Von Furstenberg tag.  Pay careful attention to the stitching. Bootleg sellers purchase DVF tags and sew them into fake items. The stitching is usually weak, crooked, etc.

Diane and Furstenberg will be in capital letters and the von will be lower case (DIANE von FURSTENBERG).  The lettering will be centered on the tag and the stitching attaching with tag will be in the same color thread as the tag. This tag will be seen on items made in China. Tags on fake DVF dresses usually have an additional tag for the size (meaning the main DVF tag, a fabric tag and another size tag placed on top). Also, many of the fake items say 100% silk jersey. Authentic items state only 100% silk, they do not state the type of silk.

Some have the white Diane Von Furstenberg tag with a small black size tag attached to the center of  the DVF white tag.  The lettering on the Diane Von Furstenberg tag is still the same. This tag will be seen on items made in the US. Also, most will contain a small white tag on the inside seam that states the name of the dress (eg. Rita, Julian, etc.).

Hang tags (paper tag) will state Diane von Furstenberg on one side and the content (material), style, in most instances the print and the size on the other side. Occasionally the back side will be blank, this information is sometimes pasted to the tag and not directly printed on it.

Always look at the Seller's feedback. That can point out any red flags. Look for any feedback claiming unauthentic items and use this information to help form your purchasing decisions. Avoid Private Feedback sellers. This is not the same as keeping the Buyers ID private. If you cannot see the Sellers feedback, this is a big red flag.  Also look at the mutual withdrawal numbers (located at the bottom of the feedback numbers). Withdrawals are sometimes used to remove false/inaccurate comments, but can also be used by dishonest sellers to help their feedback. If a seller has an unusual amount of withdrawls, this is another red flag. Sellers don't want postives removed, so all of the removals were negatives.

Avoid items being sold by sellers in Asian countries. I have yet to find a single authentic DVF sold by an Asian seller.  Also, carefully check the feedback of Sellers in Canada, Australia and the UK. Many Asian sellers are now feeding their auctions through Canada, Australia and the UK to make the items appear authentic. This is not to say that all Canadian, Australian or UK sellers are selling bootleg items, but with Diane Von Furstenberg (and various designers including Juicy Couture, Marc Jacobs, BCBG and Chloe to name a few), the risk becomes greater.  If you see that the seller is selling only BCBG, DVF, Marc Jacobs and Chloe, (these are bootleggers favorite designers/brands) all at too good to believe prices and all without the tags, it is a pretty safe bet they are all bootlegs and coming from Asia.

Pay attention if all their feedback seems to be coming from only a few buyers who have purchased multiple items. Sellers have been known to pad their feedback by having friends and business associates pretend to purchase items for the sole purpose of leaving positive feedback. Also, be aware that many buyers are not able to distinguish an authentic DVF from a fake or are aware that they are buying bootlegs and don't care. Feedback has to be carefully reviewed. Unfortunately, I have seen many Asian sellers with great feedback, that are selling nothing but fakes.

Be wary of US sellers who are charging $25.00 to ship, most likely the item and seller is actually in Asia, hence the high shipping.  Also, don't fall for the multiple location trick. If the location is listed as a US location and HK (Hong Kong) or other Asian location, the item is coming from Asia. Asian sellers have learned to list multiple locations to make it appear that the item is coming from the US.

Avoid any seller who states that their items are authentic, but "different" than what is shown in DVF stores. Authentic DVF dresses are uniform, whether they are purchased at a DVF flagship store, Neimans, Nordstroms, etc. There are no "different" versions. They are fakes. I highlighted this area, because this is the most common scam on DVF items. There are NO different or slightly different versions, including the common "they come directly from the factory". They are fakes. I have seen so many sellers with great feedback, that are selling nothing but fakes. It is up to buyers to begin to educate themselves on authentic items.

Ask a reputable seller where the DVF item that you are looking at was made and 9 out of 10 times you will see that the flood of other DVF items will have tags that show the item being made in a completely different country. Most fakes have tags from China regardless of where the dress is actually made. They purchase DVF tags and sew them into fakes. Examples: Mimosas are made in India, not China. Last seasons taffeta dresses had a crinoline underpiece, not a lace trimmed hem. These are fakes and unfortunately, buyers are paying high prices for them and leaving great feedback.

I have had numerous buyers ask me questions about the authenticity of an item and some will actually defend the item if I tell them it is fake. They feel they can tell by the fabric, feedback, etc. when they are completely wrong. There is no debate on authenticity when an item doesn't even exist (meaning DVF didn't ever create this item), is the wrong color, wrong fabric, wrong country of origin, etc.  There are quite a few knowledgeable and authentic DVF sellers on Ebay, but unfortunately there are many more bootleg sellers. If you are unsure, it is always better to ask then to regret a purchase later.

Read the auction listing carefully. It has become the norm for Asian sellers to put NWT (new with tag) in the title, but when you read the body of the listing, you will find that the item does not have tags. This is a trick scammers use to make the items appear authentic. If you don't read the listing carefully, you will miss that the items don't have tags and are probably fakes.

There are many deals to be found on eBay, but authentic designer items will always carry a certain price base. Be very careful when the price is well below wholesale. If major high end department stores, who purchase in great bulk, can't sell a particular item at the price quoted (even on sale) it is unlikely that you are getting an authentic item.

Lastly, always trust your instincts. If it seems to good to be true, it probably is. If an item is a style, fabric, etc., that you have never seen , that no reputable Seller or major department store has ever carried, it is a knockoff. 

We hope that this information will prove helpful to buyers with their shopping experience on eBay.  At Studio_Blu we sell only authentic items and would be happy to answer any questions about any lines that we carry.

 Please visit Studio_Blu to view our designer items.  New inventory added daily.  http://stores.ebay.com/studio-blu

Please visit our second store Studio_Blu2 for mid-range clothing and shoes. New inventory added weekly. http://stores.ebay.com/studio-blu2

Happy and safe shopping.

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