The Fashion Brands Most Vulnerable to Counterfeiting in 2026

Why It Matters

The findings highlight growing threats to brand equity and resale market integrity, urging luxury houses to bolster authentication and consumer education. Counterfeit proliferation also signals lucrative opportunities for AI verification services.

Key Takeaways

• Louis Vuitton tops counterfeit submission volume
• Goyard has highest fake rate at 18.9%
• Sneakers see over 50% fake rates for LV
• Streetwear apparel faces up to 96% fake rate
• Entrupy authenticated $3.34B goods with 99.86% accuracy

Pulse Analysis

The resale boom has turned counterfeiters into a sophisticated supply chain, leveraging online marketplaces to flood the market with fakes. Entrupy’s AI platform, which scans more than 90 million images, offers a scalable defense, delivering near‑perfect accuracy while processing billions in merchandise. As consumers chase brand cachet, the need for rapid, reliable verification has never been greater, positioning AI authentication as a critical infrastructure for both retailers and secondary‑market platforms.

Luxury houses experience a dual‑edged risk: high submission volumes for iconic names like Louis Vuitton and Gucci, and disproportionately high fake rates for niche, limited‑distribution brands such as Goyard. While Louis Vuitton dominates in sheer counterfeit volume, its 54.1% sneaker fake rate underscores how aspirational demand fuels fraud. Conversely, Goyard’s 18.9% fake rate—despite representing just 1% of submissions—illustrates that scarcity and distinctive patterns make certain labels especially attractive to counterfeit operations. Brands must therefore tailor anti‑counterfeit strategies, combining tighter distribution controls with proactive authentication partnerships.

Apparel and streetwear are the most exposed segments, with Fear of God Essentials approaching a 96% fake rate and Bape, Nike, and Sp5der also showing alarming figures. These categories thrive on simple logos and high resale turnover, creating low‑cost targets for counterfeiters. To safeguard revenue and reputation, luxury and streetwear brands should integrate AI verification at point‑of‑sale, educate consumers about authentication cues, and collaborate with platforms like Entrupy to trace and deter fake goods. As the counterfeit ecosystem evolves, the intersection of AI, data analytics, and brand vigilance will define the next frontier of fashion integrity.