The rise of Superfakes: How high-quality designer knockoffs became indistinguishable from the real thing.

There's a new type of knockoff that's making it even harder to ensure your Gucci handbag or Yeezy sneakers are authentic.

Designer brands have been combatting knockoffs for decades, but a rising category of "superfakes" can trick the most experienced experts. Fabricators have become increasingly savvy at making a product look eerily similar to the real thing.

Here's how superfakes became so difficult to tell apart from the real thing.

What is a superfake?

While knockoffs of designer clothing and accessories have been around for more than a century, they gained prominence in the 80s and 90s as logos became a status symbol on everything from Juicy Couture tracksuits to Tommy Hilfiger bucket hats.

Those who couldn't afford the designer price tags went to thriving street markets like Canal Street in New York City, where sellers hawk counterfeit handbags, wallets, and shoes. Most of these fakes weren't fooling anyone. They may have had a Gucci or Chanel logo, but they were cheaply made and often had tell-tale signs of inauthenticity, like fake leather, inconsistent stitching, or low-quality hardware.

But superfakes are not your Canal Street knockoff. Chinese manufacturers have become increasingly skilled at replicating designer goods in such detail that even the most experienced authenticators can struggle to decipher a superfake.