That Time I Bought a “Designer” Handbag from China and What Actually Showed Up Okay, let me set the scene. It was a rainy Tuesday in Portland, and I was deep in a YouTube rabbit hole of “luxury dupes.” You know the ones—those videos where someone gleefully compares a $2,000 bag to a $50 lookalike. My inner skeptic (a loud, persistent voice) was rolling its eyes. My inner bargain hunter (equally loud, fueled by an artist’s budget) was leaning forward, intrigued. This is my constant conflict: the desire for beautiful, well-made things versus the reality of my freelance illustrator’s bank account. I talk fast, think in tangents, and my style…