Paris – The booming second-hand market has put a spotlight on a profession that was once in the shadows: the anti-counterfeiting expert. It is now a highly sought-after profession, with many candidates and few chosen ones. However, as the second-hand fashion industry gains ground, the demand for luxury goods experts is growing.
“There is a strict selection process, because it is a profession that many people dream of,” says Victoire Boyer-Chammard, Expertise Ambassador & Partnerships Manager at Vestiaire Collective. She now heads the Vestiaire Académie and explains that she learned her trade on the job, after a career in the auction world. And so do most of the anti-counterfeiting experts working at Vestiaire Collective, who benefited from the company’s training programme.
Which courses?
While it is now possible and effective to train with the employer, aspiring experts can also pursue a degree that opens doors to the profession. However, apart from the Vestiaire Académie, there are few specific programs that specialize in fashion. Those aspiring to work as authenticators should therefore follow programs that allow them to learn about the history and culture of fashion, explore the landscape of luxury brands, understand the construction of clothing and accessories, and learn about textiles.
- a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in art history or decorative arts,
- the program “Consultant spécialiste du marché de l’art” of Drouot Formation.
- the Bachelor Marché de l’art from L’école Internationale des métiers de la culture et du marché de l’art (IESA).
- for high school students, the summer course “The product of fashion and its creation” at the IFM.
- “Connaissance des textiles” (short-term programme in continuing education) at the IFM.
- “Connaissance du vêtement et bien-aller” (short-term programme in continuing education) at the IFM.
- “Master of Arts in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice”, from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York.
- Master Droit de la Propriété Intellectuelle et des Nouvelles Technologies.
What career opportunities?
Aspiring anti-counterfeiting experts can apply to platforms that specialize in the resale of fashion items, but also work as consultants for various brands or join auction houses.
The future of the profession does not seem to be threatened by artificial intelligence yet, because the human eye is essential to detect counterfeits, which are sometimes extremely well made. However, technology is already being used by Vestiaire Collective’s expert teams, who use algorithms, among other things, to carry out an extremely precise check when an item is placed in the catalogue.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited FR. Translation by AI, editing by Caitlyn Terra.
