Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

By Alim Kheraj

Mr. Kheraj is a British journalist who writes about music, culture and L.G.B.T.Q. issues.

My journey into the fun house of fakes began, as so many things do these days, on TikTok. Like many men, I had been content carrying a tote bag or backpack. Then my algorithm introduced me to Love Luxury, a designer consignment store offering previously owned Hermès bags. This wasn’t about saving money, exactly. A Birkin with a retail price of around $12,000 — already an egregious amount of money — could be resold for twice or three times its original price.

I found the extreme wealth both........

© The New York Times