Tucked away in a corner of the leather goods section of Istanbul's sprawling Grand Bazaar is the non-descript Kiyici Canta, which blends in amongst hundreds of other similar-looking stores in one of the Turkish capital's most visited landmarks. But one peek inside the store, and the contents are pretty remarkable indeed.
Impeccably-copied Balenciaga clutches mingle with replicas of Bottega Veneta's cabat bags, which even the most discerning expert of Intrecciato weaving would find hard to tell apart from the original. There are also copies of bags by Prada, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and countless other luxury brands. The copies are so good that they even warrant a recommendation in the Luxe Guide shopping recommendations for Istanbul.
Instead of displaying his wares openly, the store's owner hides the most obvious copies in a secret lair upstairs which is teeming with bags of every brand, shape and colour imaginable.
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