Alessandra Rich Real vs Fake: Codes, Labels, Fabric, Dupes

An Alessandra Rich polka-dot dress is copied more than any other piece the house makes, and the copies range from openly labelled lookalikes to counterfeits carrying the name. This guide sets out what the real thing has and the copies rarely do: the product-code format, the labels, the fabric, the collar, the hardware and the price. It is written from the house’s own product pages and the 306 pieces Luxury Handbags has authenticated, and it covers the dupe question honestly, because a dupe is not a fake.

Key facts

• Product code: every piece carries a code in the form FABX4399 F4819 1784: a style number beginning FABX (FABS for shoes), a fabric code and a four-digit colour code. The house prints it on the product page and it is in the garment.
• Labels: a woven Alessandra Rich label, a Made in Italy label and a composition label giving each component (main material, lining, trims) by percentage.
• Fabric: silk crêpe de chine on the polka dots, silk taffeta and cady, wool tweed bouclé, Chantilly lace, merino and mohair. Never polyester as a main material.
• Details: lace-trimmed collars, crystal and gold-tone buttons, a defined waist with a set-in bodice, a polyester lining stated on the label.
• Price: a new silk polka-dot midi costs about $3,000; a listing at a fifth of that for a new piece is not the real thing.

Start with the product code

The house identifies each piece with a three-part code: a style number that begins FABX for ready-to-wear (FABS for shoes) followed by four digits, a fabric code (a letter and four digits, F for silks and wovens, K for knits, P for lace), and a four-digit colour code. FABX4399 F4819 1784 is a bordeaux and white polka-dot silk high-neck midi; 0900 is the house’s code for black. The code appears on the product page at alessandrarich.com and Luxury Handbags lists it as the SKU on every product page. A seller who cannot give you the code, whose code has a different shape, has not got the piece the house made.

Read the labels

Three labels, all sewn in. The brand label; a Made in Italy label, because the house makes everything in Italy; and a composition label that lists the components separately, in the house’s own style: main material 100% silk, lining 100% polyester, bows 100% polyamide. Counterfeits usually carry one composition line and often no country. A real polka-dot dress is silk on the outside and polyester on the lining, and the label says so.

Feel the fabric

Silk crêpe de chine has a dry, slightly pebbled hand and a soft drape; it does not shine like satin and it does not have the slippery slide of polyester. The dots are printed, not woven, and the print runs cleanly into the seams. Wool tweed bouclé is dense and springy with visible loops; the sequin versions have the sequins caught in the weave, not glued. Chantilly lace has a fine net ground with a corded edge to the motifs. If a listing says silk and the photographs show a high shine, ask for a close-up.

Check the collar and the hardware

The lace-trimmed collar is where copies fail first. On the real dress it is a separate contrast collar, set in cleanly, with a lace trim that matches the trim at the cuffs. Buttons are crystal and gold-tone, set on a placket, and they are functional where they look functional. Bows are cut from the dress fabric, not from a ribbon. The waist seam sits at the natural waist and the bodice is darted, which is why the dress holds its shape on a hanger.

Dupes are not fakes

A dupe is a dress from another label that borrows the idea, a navy midi with white dots and a white collar, sold under its own name at a fraction of the price. That is legal and common, and the fashion press has run round-ups of them since 2019. A fake carries the Alessandra Rich name without being made by the house. The difference matters at resale: a dupe is what it says it is, and a fake is fraud. If you want the idea at a lower price, buy the dupe openly; if you want the dress, buy from the house, from a stockist that authenticates, and check the code.

How Luxury Handbags authenticates

Every Alessandra Rich piece at Luxury Handbags is sourced through the house’s distribution and checked before dispatch: the code, the labels, the fabric and the hardware, against the house’s own product record. The product page carries the SKU in the house’s format, the composition by component and the Made in Italy origin. Where to buy lists the other channels that authenticate.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if an Alessandra Rich dress is real?

Check the product code (FABX plus four digits, a fabric code, a four-digit colour code), the three sewn-in labels (brand, Made in Italy, composition by component), the silk hand of the fabric, the set-in lace-trimmed collar and the crystal and gold-tone buttons. A new polka-dot midi costs about $3,000; a fraction of that for a new piece is a warning.

Where is Alessandra Rich made?

Italy, entirely. Every piece carries a Made in Italy label and the house states it on its About page.

What does the Alessandra Rich product code look like?

Three parts: a style number such as FABX4399 (FABS for shoes), a fabric code such as F4819, and a four-digit colour code such as 1784. Luxury Handbags lists it as the SKU on each product page.

Is the Alessandra Rich polka-dot dress polyester?

No. The polka-dot dresses are 100% silk crepe de chine with a polyester lining, and the composition label lists both separately.

Are Alessandra Rich dupes worth buying?

If you want the look rather than the dress, yes, and they are sold openly under other labels. They are not silk, they will not hold the shape and they have no resale value, but they are not counterfeits.

Does Luxury Handbags authenticate Alessandra Rich?

Yes. Every piece is checked against the house’s product record before dispatch, and the code, composition and origin are on the product page.

Read next

where to buy Alessandra Rich | materials and care | the glossary | the polka-dot dresses

All the Alessandra Rich guides at Luxury Shoes

Who is Alessandra Rich | How to style the polka-dot dress | Brands like Alessandra Rich | Fall Winter 2026 edit | Polka-dot dresses | The Princess of Wales dresses | Is Alessandra Rich a luxury brand | Price guide | Size guide | Sale guide | Where to buy | Shoes | Alessandra Rich vs Zimmermann | Alessandra Rich vs Rasario | Wedding guest dresses | Dresses | Midi dresses | Mini dresses | Evening gowns | Skirts | Tops and blouses | Jackets and coats | Knitwear | Black dresses | White and ivory | Blue dresses | Tweed and boucle | Lace dresses | Sequins and crystal | Bows and collars | Floral and printed silk | History and timeline | Glossary | Materials and care. Shop the full Alessandra Rich collection at Luxury Shoes .

Sources and method

Checked on 18 September 2026. Facts about the house come from the sources below; prices, counts and stock come from the live Luxury Handbags catalogue on that date and change with the season.

• alessandrarich.com, Fall Winter 2026 collection pages (product details, size guide, model measurements)
• Alessandra Rich, About the brand
• Grazia, 16 May 2019, the navy polka-dot dress
• Luxury Handbags product data for the 306 Alessandra Rich pieces on sale on 18 September 2026 (prices in USD, compositions, sizes, seasons)

Gemma Deeks is Fashion Editor at Luxury Shoes . Prices, stock and counts on this page were checked against coveti.com and alessandrarich.com on 18 September 2026.