Dispatch has conducted an exclusive interview with FreeZia to clarify everything after her controversy of using fake goods.
On January 29, Dispatch conducted an exclusive interview with FreeZia (Song Ji Ah) to clarify everything after the controversy of using fake goods. The talk was divided into two parts, including FreeZia’s sharing and an expert assessment of each branded item.
FreeZia’s sharing with Dispatch:
Dispatch: Why did you do that?
“I don’t know.” – she said
About the Dior bag, Freezia said: “That bag is a fake. I bought it from a kiosk six years ago (20 years old). I was walking around with my friends and it was just pretty (so I bought it). I shouldn’t have done that while taking photos for ‘Dior’ perfume… I really had a short thought. It was frivolous. ”
Referring to the Louis Vuitton logo shoes that she gave to her parents as a gift, when reported asked if the sneakers were “fake” as well, Freesia, for the first time, raised her head. “It’s absolutely not,” she said.
“Those shoes are Louis Vuitton. Netizens say it’s a model that only sells in France, but I don’t know what that means. I bought it at Shinsegae Centum two years ago (2020), but they keep saying…” – FreeZia added.
The reporter then confirmed that they had no intention of making a ‘genuine TV Show’. At the same time, Dispatch asserts that Freesia is not a criminal who sells ‘fake’ as ‘genuine’. However Dispatch conducted this interview because the public is especially strict with Freesia (a Youtuber, not a politician), she is labeled as ‘fake’ and pushed out of ‘YouTube’ and that despite her apologies and self-criticism, ‘luxury discrimination’ is still happening.
Dispatch asked again: “Why did you do that?”
Freesia bowed her head: “I don’t know. It’s all my fault. When I was misunderstood as using luxury products, I should have corrected it immediately… I thought ‘It’s okay if I look pretty’. I was wrong. I don’t want to make any excuses.”
◆ About FreeZia
Freesia (26) is not a ‘star’ that appeared overnight. As a sophomore (2017) of Hanyang University’s dance department, she started a part-time job as a fitting model in a shopping mall. She has worked as a model for a variety of product categories, including beauty, fashion, and food.
She met actress Kang Ye Won and signed a contract in 2018. They then opened a YouTube channel called “FreeZia” in August 2019 and regularly uploaded 2 videos/week.
“I have a promise with Yewon unnie. No matter what happens, I will upload 2 episodes a week. At first, there was no response. However, I uploaded it steadily. I kept my promise to upload 2 episodes a week for 2 years.”
Freesia made various attempts. She has consistently posted beauty, vlogs, Q&A, unboxing, and more. “I became famous overnight thanks to ‘Single’s Inferno.’ I thought it was the result of 2 years of constant effort. But it all turned into a ‘fake’ after just one day. Of course, I can’t can blame anyone.” – said Freezia
◆ Ignorance
“freeJia” grabbed the ankle of FreeZia. Her Chanel knitwear, Dior bag, Van Cleef necklace, etc. were found to be fake. She was then embroiled in a fake products controversy on her own (as a “Solo”) and fell into “hell”.
FreeZia began to explain, “I was ignorant”. However, her confession of “ignorance” was not convincing at all. Wouldn’t there be a reason for her to purchase fake goods and wear them? They asked her again. She replied, “I bought them just because they looked pretty. I bought the Dior bad when I was 20 years old. I received some as gifts. I wore the Van Cleef necklace only because it was so pretty. I bought it without knowing it was a fake one”. FreeZia repeated that everything was caused by her “ignorance”.
FreeZia said, “I was too complacent. I thought it would be okay because those items looked so pretty. I have no other choice but to blame myself for that. In the case of the Saint Laurent dress, I did have a chance to correct my mistake… But I ignored it.”
For example, the Saint Laurent dress she wore on “Video Star”. Some media outlets even published articles titled, “Sant Laurent dress worn by FreeZia”. At that time, she didn’t think of correcting the news.
FreeZia replied, “I really regret that part. I thought, ‘They really think it’s a Saint Laurent item’, and lightly ignored the articles. I think I mistook it as, ‘People would think it’s a luxury product if I wear it’. I’m so sorry about that.”
◆ Verification
FreeZia wore more than 300 clothes in 237 videos. (She also posted 1,151 feeds on her Instagram). More than 500 items were worn by her, including shoes, bags and accessories.
Among them, about 20 items were caught up in the ‘fake products’ controversy. More than 20 out of 500 goods put her under fire for wearing fake products. Therefore, FreeZia’s life was also considered “fake”.
Dispatch investigated all those 20 controversial items. They also contacted the Korea Luxury Appraisal Board to check the authenticity of those products. As a result, they summarized the verification results of the Korea Luxury Appraisal Board, FreeZia’s explanation, and netizens’ suspicions.
1. Chanel Classic (Silver Flap Bag): Chanel Classic Unboxing Video (2019.10.02)
▶ Netizens Suspicion: Song Jia introduced the bag size as ‘Small’. Netizens counted the number of quiltings on Song Ji-ah’s bag and countered that “8 pieces are medium”. In addition to this, suspicions such as “the bag look old” and “she bought used and unboxed” were raised.
▶ Fact Check: Confirmation of purchase receipt (6.52 million won) at Busan Shinsegae Centum on September 16, 2019. Song Ji-ah was confused about her size, saying, “I heard it was small in the store.” Incidentally, she explained, “I’m an ESTP, so I tend to be lazy.”
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Genuine (size is 25cm, medium)
2. Chanel Pink Knit: Instagram (2020.05), Solo Hell (2021.12)
▶ Netizens suspect: The color knitting yarn is clearer than genuine Chanel.
▶ Fact check: Song Ji-a bought it at a (small) clothing store in Nonhyeon-dong and admitted it was fake. She said, “I bought it because it was pretty. I even took it to ‘Single’s inferno’. I had no awareness of the copy product. I was really stupid. I have no excuse.” she apologized.
3. Dior Tube Top: Instagram (2021.07), Solo Hell (2021.12)
▶ Netizens Suspicion : The Dior tube top has never been officially released. It is sold for 16,000 won at the shopping mall.
▶ Fact check: It’s not ‘Dior’, it’s ‘D.O.’ ‘Samdidas’ type of imitation product. According to Song Jia, the representative of the shopping mall (SXX Glam) gave it to her as Song Jia once did a part-time fitting model at the shopping mall.
“When I was a college student, I worked as a fitting model at ‘SXX Glam’.” The CEO sent me a gift saying it was new. Since there’s no “r” in “Dior”, it’s an imitation. It may sound ignorant, but I didn’t care about it. I’m sorry.” – Ji A said.
4. Louis Vuitton sneakers: Mom’s birthday party video (2020.08.24)
▶ Netizens Suspicion: The model presented by Song Ji-ah is claimed to be a French limited edition. They pointed out that the detail at the end of the sneaker is also different. It is said to be ‘fake’ because the shape of the flower in the monogram was omitted. The color is also light (compared to the genuine product).
▶ Fact Check: Song Ji-ah purchased at the Louis Vuitton store in Busan Shinsegae Centum on July 31, 2020. Confirmation of purchase receipt. The product model is ‘Rainbow Prism’. On the other hand, the model posted by netizens as genuine is ‘Rivoli Sneakers’ – a different product.
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Genuine (Rainbow Prism Runaway)
5. Rolex Datejust (Lady): Instagram (2019.07), many YouTube videos
▶ Netizens Suspicion: Suspicion of the ‘Warranty’ card uploaded with Rolex. Netizens raised suspicions, saying, “This is not a date just model serial.”
▶ Fact Check: Purchased at the Rolex store in Lotte Department Store Jamsil on July 7, 2019. Check the payment amount (15.52 million won) in Song Ji-ah’s account. The remaining amount was paid with gift certificates. Also, check the seller’s business card and warranty card.
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Genuine (no suspicion of counterfeiting of warranty card)
6. Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and earrings: Multiple YouTube videos, Single’s Inferno (2021.12)
▶ Netizen Suspicion: In the case of the necklace, the chain and pendant connection positions are different. They claim that the necklace is fake, so there is a high probability that the earrings are also fake.
▶ Fact check: Song Jia admits it’s a fake. “It was a product I got as a gift when I was young,” she explains. She revealed that she purchased the ‘Vancle St’ earrings directly from the shopping mall. In the case of accessories, he apologized, saying, “I don’t know it is fake”.
7. Chanel Fleece Scarf: ‘Monthly Freesia’ video (2020.01.17)
▶ Netizens Suspicion: “The location of the logo is different”, “The size is small”, “The thickness is thin”, “The quilting arrangement is strange”, “There is no Chanel tag”, “The color of the lining is different”, etc.
▶ Fact Check: According to Song Jia, the product was a gift from a friend. “After the controversy over fake products, my friend (who gave me a gift) called me directly,” she said.
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Genuine.
8. Chanel Crop Tee, Cardigan: Instagram (2019.06), Avly Video (2021.04.29)
▶ Netizens suspect: The mint-colored crop tee has been discontinued in France. It is not sold domestically or abroad. Color, buttons and neckline of the cardigan are different from the original.
▶ Fact Check: Crop Ties were bought by her at a mall (because they were pretty) in her early 20s. She admitted it was fake. In the case of the cardigan, it was supplied at the time of the video shoot under the brand name ‘XBly’. The product is being sold for 24,930 won at the mall.
“I knew that the crop tee was fake, but I bought it because it was pretty. At that time, I didn’t know much about fakes… I didn’t know if the cardigan was Chanel style. I couldn’t tell if it was imitation because it was the clothes I picked at the ‘XBly’ mall.”
9. Gucci Net Corset & Skirt: Instagram (2021.01.09)
▶ Netizens Suspicion: Claims that the details are different from the genuine dress. Compared with the actual fashion show photos, there is a difference in the width of the leather part and the exposure of the corset. (However, it should be overlooked that the collection clothes and the clothes for sale may be different)
▶ Fact check: ‘Gucci’ branded photo shoot. In other words, the costumes and props directly sponsored by Gucci. Check the sponsor list sent by Gucci (to Hyowon C&C). Song Jia returned all related products after filming.
10. Moncler Padding, Louis Vuitton Padding & One Piece: ‘Wear Montclair Louis Vuitton to the Mart’ (2020.12.29)
▶ Netizens suspect: The video of Montclair velvet padding, Louis Vuitton monogram padding, and Louis Vuitton jersey dress has been deleted. Netizens believe ‘video removed = admit it’s fake’. “It was taken down because it was fake”
▶ Fact check: Louis Vuitton padding was purchased for 4.6 million won at the road shop on October 8, 2020. Confirm receipt. Moncler padding was purchased for 5.57 million won at Lotte Department Store on November 9, 2020. Louis Vuitton One Piece was purchased for 3 million won at the Shinsegae Centum store on August 18, 2020. The reason the video was deleted is because of the pink Dior bag (fake product).
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Genuine
11. Dior Pink Lady Bag (medium): Posted on Instagram (2021.09), used in PPL ads for Dior perfume.
▶ Netizen’s suspicion: The “charm” decoration on the bag looks thin. They couldn’t recognize if there is an “r” on the bag or not. The bag is claimed as a fake product due to the side embossing.
▶ Fact check: Song Ji-ah admitted that it was a fake. She said, “I went to Seomyeon, Busan when I was 20 years old and bought it on the street”. She explained that she bought it because it looked pretty. However, she didn’t have any excuse for the fact that she held a fake bag on PPL ads for Dior perfume.
She revealed, “This is clearly my fault. In particular, I would like to apologize once again to Dior officials. I’m so sorry. I feel ashamed of myself for not thinking of the consequences.”
12. Chanel 19 Bag: “Monthly FreeZia” Video (2021.05.18)
▶ Netizens’ suspicion: In the case of the Chanel “19 Bag”, it is claimed that there is a gold chain on the leather strap of the bag. However, Song Ji-ah’s “Chanel 19” has a silver chain on the strap instead.
▶ Fact check: “Gold” chain and “Silver” chain are attached separately depending on Chanel logo color or leather color. Song Ji-ah purchased it at Shinsegae Centum on April 23rd, 2021 with confirmation of receipt and a guarantee of 6.4 million won.
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Authentic.
13. Chanel Red Boy bag, leather belt: “Monthly FreeZia” Video (2021.05.18)
▶ Netizens’ suspicion: One of the “Monthly FreeZia” videos that were deleted → Fake product
▶ Fact check: The belt was purchased on May 10th last year at Chanel Cheongdam Flagship Store for 1,238,000 won. The Boy bag was 6.1 million won. The receipt of each product has already been checked. The video was deleted because of the fake half-cliff necklace.
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Authentic.
14. Dior Oblique Saddle Handbag: Instagram post (2020.01.23)
▶ Netizens’ suspicion: It looks like a real one from a far distance. But if you look closer, it’s obviously a fake. The curve shape looks so different. The letter “I” is also written backwards.
▶ Fact check: Song Ji-ah did not buy the product herself. The costume team prepared it as a prop for a shopping mall photoshoot. She explained, “I didn’t pay attention to is because it was a filming prop”.
15. Chanel strap, Fendi pants: Instagram post (2019.07.17 / 2019.12.18)
▶ Netizens’ suspicion: Fake product claim due to the differences in logo spacing, font size, and materials. The Fendi logo pants do not exist at all.
▶ Fact check: The Chanel strap was a prop for a cosmetic brand photoshoot. Fendi pants were also bought for a shopping mall photoshoot. Both were prepared by the costume team. It’s impossible to check the authenticity of these products.
Song Ji-ah said, “In the case of a pictorial shoot, the costume team of the brand prepared the clothes themselves. I returned them as soon as the shoot was over. I don’t know if the products were genuine or fake. It’s hard to check at this moment.”
16. Marine Serre one-piece dress & top: Single’s Inferno (2021.12), Instagram post (2021.01.14)
▶ Netizens’ suspicion: The one-piece dress was not a Marine Serre product. It was sold at 28,900 won at a shopping mall. The top has different stitching quality. The neckline threat is revealed.
▶ Fact check: The dress was sponsored by a shopping mall. She picked it because it looked pretty. The top was purchased at 23,000 won from another shopping mall.
Song Ji-ah shared, “At that time, I didn’t know the Marine Serre brand. When I checked the receipt again, it said “Marine Half-Necktie.” I didn’t know this Marine was that fake one. I was so ignorant.”
17. Saint Laurent dress & Alexander Wang dress: Youtube (2021.06.18), Video Star (2021.09.14), Instagram post (2021.12.22)
▶ Netizens’ suspicion: Same red color with the Saint Laurent dress. Song Ji-ah’s dress has a white lining. Alexander Wang dress doesn’t have a skirt band → Claimed as fake products.
▶ Fact check: The Saint Laurent dress was bought directly from an overseas shopping mall. Song Ji-ah said in a Youtube video, “It’s a product I ordered directly from overseas”. Then, the media reported, “She wore Saint Laurent”. Song Ji-ah didn’t correct the articles. Alexander Wang dress was prepared by “Video Star” costume team. She didn’t know if it was authentic or not. However, she was confused when saying, “It seems like the skirt band was folded inwards.”
18. Louis Vuitton Ring & Bracelet: Youtube, Instagram (2021.07.23)
▶ Netizens’ suspicion: A fake item that sole Cartier’s Love Bracelet Ring design. The bracelet has a different color from the Louis Vuitton Anfrente Bangle White Gold.
▶ Fact check: Both were purchased at the same time at Galleria Luxury Hall on June 25th, 2021 with a receipt of 11.12 million won.
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Authentic.
19. Channel Gabriel Hobo: Instgram (2020.04.30)
▶ Netizens’ suspicion: The end part looks messy. The sewing quality is not smooth. Embossing details looks like low-quality ones → Fake products
▶ Fact check: Song Ji-ah received the bag as a gift. She didn’t know if it was authentic or not.
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Authentic.
20. Chanel Beanie: “Busan Vlog” video (2021.09.24)
▶ Netizens’ suspicion: She took the Chanel product out of a plastic bag. A Chanel product cannot be kept like that.
▶ Fact check: Purchased on September 14th, 2021 at Shinsagae Centum branch. She also bought Chanel earrings with a total bill of 3 million won.
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Authentic.
21. Louis Vuitton Bikini (Glittery Monogram Jersey): Single’s Inferno (2021.12)
▶ Netizens’ suspicion: Compared to the bikini on the brand’s website, netizens pointed out that Song Ji-ah’s one didn’t have the metal details at the chest part.
▶ Fact check: In fact, the metal buckle itself hangs on the back of the bikini. Some netizens misunderstood the back as the front and made a false claim. It was purchased on June 14, 2021 at 520,000 won.
▶ Korea Luxury Appraisal Board: Genuine
Freesia displays her collection in the conference room (Dispatch). She took out the warranty card and receipt. Dispatch also sent these items in for a luxury appraisal. Verification for what? Are there any goals and values to verify?
Freesia is not a public figure. Neither an actor nor a singer. Her profession is Youtuber. It’s like an influencer or a celebrity. That’s not to say she’s not responsible. However, the public criticism was excessive. It feels more like watching ‘Hell Bound’ than ‘Solo Hell’. Netizens become ‘arrows’ looking for evidence of the announcement. Public opinion appears as a ‘lion’ and is protesting online.
The media also added fuel to the fire. The vicious cycle of ‘netizens -> YouTubers -> press -> netizens’ was repeated. Do the public constantly criticize a politician’s false words and actions? What politician’s wife’s exaggeration was persistently discovered? However, when it comes to certain fashion items of a certain Youtuber, the public still doesn’t stop criticizing her.
Finally, the reporter asked her feelings. Again, she said “I’m sorry”. “I don’t need an excuse. It’s all I did. I really didn’t have a concept. I thought that looking pretty was everything… I thought it was too short. I know that many people feel betrayed, so I’m only sorry.” – she added.
The reporter also asked about her status. “I am looking back,” she replied. “I have time to look back on myself. Ye-won unnie sends me a text message saying “I love you” every day. I guess she is worried about me. I think I have to endure it well and overcome it well.”
