Marissa Cooper Wore Fake Chanel Bags on The O.C.—Here's Why

The O.C. wasn't just iconic for the angsty teenage drama that unfolded on screen. The outfits sparked countless trends and inspired many a 13-year-old girl's wardrobe. The show officially premiered 15 years ago, and in the spirit of the milestone anniversary, Page Six interviewed Season 1's costume designer, Alexandra Welker, to get the scoop. "We started with a little tiny budget, which was a challenge because everything had to look super high-end," Welker told Page Six. "There was absolutely no borrowing [from brands] involved either because nobody had ever heard of us, so they were very leery of loaning anything."

Welker went on to make a revelation: Mischa Barton's character, Marissa Cooper, didn't even have real designer bags. "I'll be honest: Those Chanel bags that she carried, those weren't something I could have on my budget," Welker told Page Six. "But I found this amazing store in downtown L.A. that sold the best-looking fakes I'd ever seen! So we used some really, really good knockoffs." Have we been living a lie this whole time? Turns out you didn't actually have to beg your parents to buy you a Chanel bag—you could have gotten a Cooper-approved knockoff.

Revisit Marissa Cooper's O.C. Style

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(Image credit: Everett Collection)

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(Image credit: Snap Stills/Shutterstock)

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(Image credit: Snap Stills/Shutterstock)
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Associate Director, Fashion News

Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern over 13 years ago—back when the site only published a single story per day. (Who What Wear has since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC, which is how she ended up moving to Los Angeles from her hometown of San Diego. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2016, where she currently holds the title of Associate Director of Fashion News (as well as the unofficial title of resident royal expert—in case you haven't noticed her numerous Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton stories). She spends her days trying to incorporate her idols, Anna Wintour and Roger Federer, into as many stories as possible. Outside of work, she loves tennis, classic rock, traveling, and smothering her dog with affection.