Police recently raided two homes in Coto de Caza, seizing some 200 pairs of jeans bearing counterfeit labels of upscale brands True Religion and 7 For All Mankind, among others.
Investigators said items seized in the early May raid had been intended for sale at “jeans parties,” with prices ranging from $80 to $120 a pair,well below the $300 or more the designer labels would fetch at a store.
Jeans parties have grown in popularity in upscale parts of southern Orange County, according to investigators.
The recent raid marked the second time in as many months that law enforcement officials have taken counterfeit versions of upscale denim brands.
Those actions have come as Vernon-based True Religion Apparel Inc. and its Guru Denim subsidiary battle counterfeiters on various fronts.
True Religion recently sued Wal-Mart Stores Inc., claiming the retailer has been selling counterfeits.
The jeans involved in the latest case were being sold by two women who run a business called “Bella Boutique,” according to Jim Amormino of the OC Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff’s officials plan to submit the case to prosecutors and request they file charges against the two women, Amormino said.
Investigators called in experts to determine whether the jeans were counterfeits, according to Amormino. The consultants said the jeans appeared to have been made in China.
“They’re very, very good counterfeits,” Amormino said.
,Los Angeles Garment & Citizen
