How To Spot Fake Gucci Dionysus Bag + Bag Review

Hola! It's been AGES since I posted a bag review; I have three in the pipeline: Issey Miyake Bao Bao Bag, Saint Laurent Toy Tote, and Gucci Dionysus GG Supreme, which I will review today.

DISCLAIMER: This is a personal review and unofficial authentication post for this particular bag only, Gucci Dionysus GG Supreme bag, small, Beige colorway. I am not affiliated with Gucci and this post does not serve as an official connoisseurship guide in any way. It is your responsibility to gauge whether the same bag that you will purchase is authentic or not based on expert and official guides, and to learn about updates and changes on this particular bag and style that Gucci may decide to apply today or in the future.

When I turned 31, I ticked off two things on my bucket list: travel to the USA and purchase something at Rodeo Drive; I was able to do both things. 

About the latter, I have always had this fantasy of shopping at Rodeo Drive because I know that it's a favorite shopping area of Hollywood celebrities and being a fan of anything about Hollywood myself, I thought it would be a cool experience. BUT---you can't literally 'shop' in there, if we are going to be true to the essence of the word; unless you are a Hollywood celebrity, some very rich person, or have a serious case of YOLO, you can only PURCHASE something in Rodeo Drive, like me HAHA.

Of course what else shall I purchase from Rodeo Drive? A luxury handbag! If you've been reading my blog or following me for a long time now, you know that I love luxury handbags. For my 31st, I went for Gucci Dionysus GG Supreme, a bag that I have been eyeing for the longest time now!

In this post, I will share my review on Gucci Dionysus GG Supreme, Small, Beige Colorway, and I will share with you tips on how to spot a fake one!

Gucci GG Supreme Dionysus Ad Campaign, 2015

Since Gucci's major re-brand in 2015, from modern classy to modern-meets-70s-eclectic image, Gucci has soared to become one of the most popular luxury brands again by early 2019; according to a Lyst Index, it was estimated that by December 2018, about 6 million shoppers were searching for Gucci online, particularly the Soho bag and GG logo belt. Gucci has found the perfect spot between the young, the old, the comeback of classic trends, and tasteful modernity.

An update though: Off-White is now officially the most popular brand in the world.

Gucci comes in the following sizes: Wallet on Chain, Super Mini, Small, and Medium. The classic, monogram style comes in the following colorways: Red, Black, and Beige. After its initial launch, there were painted versions of the classic monogram that came out as well as the pure leather style that came in solid colors.

Hello, baby! Unfortunately, I had to leave the box behind because it was too big for my luggage. :(

Btw, stellar service from an African American sales associate at Gucci, Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles; 10/10 would recommend her again, but I suck right now because I forgot her name! :(

GUCCI DIONYSUS: A BRIEF STORY

This bag was called as such because of the recognizable tiger emblem nesting on the center flap of the bag. The bag was inspired by Dionysus story where he crossed the river Tigris on a tiger that was sent to him by Zeus.

To precede the authentication part below, here's proof of authenticity: official receipt of the bag.

HOW TO SPOT A FAKE GUCCI DIONYSUS BAG

This bag came in a box with a matte finish; same material as the paper bag. The bag comes with two dust bags: a generic flannel bag and satin dust bag. The material of the flannel helps absorb moist from the bag, but if you live in a very moist climate, you can put silica gel packs inside the flannel bag to be sure.

Here are the details of Gucci Dionysus GG Supreme bag, small, from gucci.com:

• Beige/ebony GG Supreme canvas, a material with low environmental impact, with taupe suede detail
• Antique silver-toned hardware
• Pin closure with side release
• Tiger head closure
• Hand-painted edges
• Interior zippered compartment
• Open pocket under the flap
• Double gussets
• Sliding chain strap can be worn as a shoulder strap with 15" drop or can be worn as a top handle with 8.5" drop
• Small size: 11"W x 7"H x 3.5"D
• Suede lining with GG Supreme canvas interior the pockets
• Made in Italy

One good thing about the bag is it's made from a special canvas with low environmental impact. Compared to purely leather bags, the only leather portions of this bag are the suede linings on the exterior and interior so that could mean this generation of bags will spark less demand for leather, ergo less demand for more land for farming. 

From what I know, Suede may be leather, but it's the type of leather that can be a byproduct of any animal, unlike other bags that are strictly lambskin/calfskin/goatskin only, ergo less byproduct waste. It is not disclosed though whether Gucci's monogram bags use animal or Suedette (synthetic Suede leather).

The bag came with four control cards; three credit card- sized ones and a small Controllato card.

PART I: EXTERIOR

Gucci's monogram canvas material is dirty beige and reflective dark brown/taupe- colored GG logo that becomes deep brown or light taupe depending on the angle of lighting.

If you look closely, the dirty beige canvas is textured; I am not quite sure if they're mini perforations or small, staggered lines all over the bag. 

A fake Gucci monogram canvas material will emit a grayish/greenish color in photos and in person while the GG logo font is thinner and comes off as dark brown.

The bag is like an accordion; it expands and flattens so you can take it with you when traveling. The  black-brown lining that join the bag on the edges is hand- painted and has a soft, rubbery feel and matte look. The sides are lined with suede leather.

On fake ones, the sides are lined with smooth, shiny synthetic leather, a dead giveaway that the bag is fake. On high quality replicas, however, Suedette may be used, which exactly replicates real Suede leather.

If you will also look at the top right portion of the bag on this angle, you will see a thick, looped strand that holds the second flap to the body of the bag. If your bag doesn't have this, it's fake. 

Here is the underside of the bag. It is lined with suede as well.

On fake ones, the black-brown linings are shiny and feel super smooth. 

Going back to this photo again, I've encircled these parts because this is what you should first look at when authenticating a Gucci Dionysus because it's a quick giveaway of the bag's authenticity at first look: Gucci Dionysus' first flap curves higher on the sides and reveals a bigger portion of the second, suede flap.

On fake ones, the curve is much lower and covers almost all of the second flap.

PART II: DETAILS

The Tiger clasp is the unmistakable, identifiable feature of Gucci Dionysus. Hardware is antique silver and boy, it has some weight.

Look at the details as well; it is finely crafted: no weird details that stand out like a sore thumb, no rough, sharp edges; excellent craftsmanship is consistent with the clasp.

On fake ones, the head of the tiger is much smaller from top view; worse replicas have an uneven U-shape.

Gucci Dionysus' lock is the pin closure style: the pin is on the flap that holds the Tiger clasp and the square base is located at the lower center of the bag with a side button release. The bag clicks to a lock and is released easily with a click of the button.

Fake ones have the same lock type too so it's hard to tell authenticity from this feature; best to look at the quality of the bag hardware.

The chain is one of the notable features of the bag for me; IMO, it adds to the tough chic appeal of the bag.

The chain is multiway: you can loop both to carry the bag by the hand or pull up the entire thing to turn it into a shoulder bag.

The chain is a made from a thick kind of metal; this actually gives the bag a bit of weight, but it makes the handle feel very sturdy. The loops of each ring are cleanly tucked onto each other, which gives the chain a clean, streamlined look.

On fake ones, the chain is thin, feels light, and the ring loops are messily placed. On worse replicas, the chain material chips, a sign that it is painted. The chain on an authentic Gucci Dionysus is not painted.

PART III: THE INTERIOR

Here is the first interior of the bag: the external pocket. The pocket is lined with monogram and the other side of the interior, the lining is suede.

On fake ones, the external flap is lined entirely with monogram. 

Here are the divisions on the interior of the bag. It has two open pockets and one zippered pocket. The walls of the interior are lined with suede, but the inner pocket is lined with monogram canvas.

The zipper has medium thickness and colored silver. The zipper slider covers the entire zipper lining and colored silver as well. The zipper pull is a slim, smooth leather with stitching placed in the middle and the ends don't connect.

On fake ones, the zipper pull may be a bit curved and crinkly, a sign that it's made from cheap, bonded leather. 

A closer shot on the inside of the zippered pocket.

Here's the leather tag attached on the center of the back interior pocket, placed a bit close to the rims of the interior pockets. The leather tag is smooth and a bit thick in the beginning, but overtime, it will show signs of aging such as curling, darkening, and creasing.

There is also a small, satin tag located at the back portion of the leather tag; I won't show it to prevent counterfeiters from perfecting their replicas.

On fake ones, the leather tag may look worn out and aged off the bat and the GUCCI MADE IN ITALY phrase are too close to each other with almost no spacing at all between the name, phrases, and letters.

For reference, here's a comparison photo of a fake Gucci Dionysus vs. an authentic Gucci Dionysus:

Photo credit: bagaholic101.com

Whew! Now that's a lot! I hope you found that useful!

WHAT CAN FIT INSIDE A SMALL GUCCI DIONYSUS GG SUPREME?

At first, I was hesitant to get this size and almost went for the Medium size, but it was too heavy and bulky. I remembered that I wanted a change in bag choices and to downsize as well so I got this size instead.

Since the bag is structured, the bag may feel stiff and hard to stuff in the beginning. Eventually, after about 5 or more uses, the canvas will begin to soften and expand for a little to accommodate more stuff. This may be my smallest bag, but I was quite pleased to see the number of stuff that I can fit into it! I was actually surprised that it can bring almost all of my vanity kit essentials. Aside from an beauty essentials vanity, I can put a small, square wallet, a small powerbank, slim pouch for my keys, iPhone cable charger, and earphones, a 30ml bottle of perfume, and an iPhone 7.

QUICK BAG REVIEW: SMALL GUCCI DIONYSUS GG SUPREME

The reason why I went for this bag, aside from the style, is because I don't have anything from Gucci yet, plus I like the subtle, almost tone-on-tone monogram print of Gucci: it looks more toned down even from afar compared to Louis Vuitton, which makes it more versatile when it comes to outfit pairing. I also don't have a neutral/brown bag so I went for the Beige Colorway.

I was choosing between Loewe's unique Puzzle Bag and this, until I tried on the Loewe from a beauty blogger friend and realized, it was heavy! I decided I wanted a smaller bag, but can fit all my essentials. I wanted a change in my choices, plus my bags are all too functional and corporate- style; not really apt for parties, events, and semi- formal occasions. Gucci Dionysus it is!

PROS OF THE BAG: very stylish, feels sturdy, can be carried two ways, a fairly small bag that can fit almost all of your daily needs.

CONS OF THE BAG: can be too stiff, hand- painted  can chip easily if the edges always bump on corners; suede is not a rain- friendly bag; according to some users, the thread that holds the second suede flap to the body of the bag tends to loosen up or worse, snap if the exterior pocket is used heavily. If staining happens on the suede portion of the bag, the stain may not be removed completely, only minimized-this happened to the bottom part of my bag when I put it on top of a new True Religion pair of jeans that is irritatingly overflowing with dye!

To be honest, it took me a while to adjust to the bag because for so long, I've been used to bringing big bags and a lot of stuff, and this bag has made me realize that I can live with just a few, important stuff and 60% of the stuff in my big bags, I don't really use on a daily basis. This bag has pretty much helped me downsize and I'm pretty happy about it (also my shoulders!). I've gotten fond of this bag now after 3 months and I would say, plus it has a super cool, catchy look that is really something that makes me gush every time I look at it; needless to say, I'm very happy with the purchase!

IS SMALL GUCCI DIONYSUS GG SUPREME FOR ME?

If you are into small, but not-so-small bags, meaning bags that can pass off as a night bag, but still pretty much fits in all your daily essentials, then you will love this bag.

If you're not into structured bags as such bags may require some form of gracefulness and softness (LOL), then this bag may not be for you. I had to learn how to be graceful with this bag if I wanted it to look almost new for a longer time LOL.

If you want a bag that's both classy and stylish, then this bag definitely fits the bill.

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF GUCCI DIONYSUS GG SUPREME

1. Do not overstuff to maintain its shape

2. Do not let the bag get soaked in the rain as it may cause marks on the monogram and cause the Suede portion to darken and look matted easily

3. Wipe with a cloth dampened with water only and dry right away with a towel

4. Avoid putting sharp, pointed objects in the bag, especially if without protection

5. Secure harsh liquids such as perfume and alcohol when putting in the bag

That's all! I hope you found this post informative!

Do you have a Gucci Dionysus GG Supreme bag? Do let me know your thoughts about it!

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