What Exactly Is A Luxury Brand?
Before we go into the list, let’s recap what a luxury brand is about. A luxury brand must meet exceptionality, exclusivity, beauty, and quality standards. The high price tag that comes with these fancy goods indicates the quality.
Consumers are drawn to luxury brands because they represent a feeling of flair and extravagance.
Luxury brands encompass various businesses, bringing unique attractions, from automotive manufacturers to luxury fashion houses, renowned watchmakers, and noteworthy fragrance producers.
What Are Luxury Fashion Brands?
Luxury fashion labels sell high-end, sought-after, costly apparel, shoes, and accessories. Some popular luxury fashion labels are Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Hermes, Dior, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Michael Kors, and Marc Jacobs.
While the most exclusive luxury companies sell extremely pricey and one-of-a-kind products, fashion houses ranging from Salvatore Ferragamo to Hugo Boss have dropped the entrance price point for luxury fashion, resulting in a spectrum of exclusivity and price points depending on the label.
The Top 19 Most Popular Luxury Brands In 2024
1. Hermes
The French fashion firm Hermes was founded in 1837 and is named after Thierry Hermes, a German trader who began the brand by selling horse harnesses. Hermes still retains its equestrian roots, selling equestrian equipment such as saddles.
The Hermes catalog also contains home décor (for interiors and exteriors) and men’s and women’s fashion, ranging from scarves to shoes, belts, and ready-to-wear styles.
The company slumped in the 1970s but recovered when Hermes began using natural ingredients in its perfumes and other items. Today, the Hermes brand is admired for its distinct flair, earning it a fitting place on this list of luxury brands.
2. Chanel
Chanel, the French luxury brand, is the definition of luxury. Coco Chanel founded the company in the early 1910s in romantic Paris. The Wertheimer family now owns and operates the company in London, a move that occurred in 2018.
Customers flock to Chanel for its ready-to-wear luxury goods. Still, the company is also known for its perfume, particularly the iconic smell No.5. Other Chanel brand classics include the retailer’s suits, aptly named the Chanel Suit, and its little black dresses. The interlocking Cs logo is readily recognizable throughout the world.
Chanel sits on the podium, in second position, in the best luxury brand list, with few shocks.
3. Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs is synonymous with fashion accessories and is known for its high quality; therefore, their ‘Carolyn Crocodile’ handbag had to be number ten on our list. While they offer more accessible and affordable lines and may not appear exclusive, this piece demonstrates that they can compete with prominent worldwide names not only on price but also on exceptional quality and rarity.
This handbag is made of patent crocodile skin and costs around £21,000 ($30,000). It comes in a quilted blue or purple pattern reminiscent of tie-dye, guiding the chosen color through various tints and hues on each panel to create an unforgettable effect. Nothing like this will ever be seen again.
4. Cartier
Cartier, a French luxury jewelry and timepiece founded in 1847 is a designer brand synonymous with elegance and sophistication. Cartier’s masterpieces, from the Love bracelet to the Tank watch, are not simply accessories but emblems of luxury and style and are celebrated for their excellent craftsmanship and timeless designs.
Cartier’s tradition of decorating celebrities and royalty alike has secured its renowned place in the finest luxury brands ranking, making it a desirable name among luxury brands list lovers of fine jewelry and timepieces.
5. Michael Kors
Michael Kors, an American luxury retailer, joins our list of luxury brands listed next. Kors briefly attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in the 1970s before landing a job near 57th Street Bergdorf Goodman.
As a fashion director for Bergdorf, he approached Kors about designing his clothing after improving the appearance of the store where he worked.
There, the Michael Kors brand was formed, first with women’s clothing and then expanding to men’s and children’s fashions, handbags, shoes, watches, and other accessories. The luxury web design has a lot of whitespace, a luxury black-and-white color scheme, and enticing photos of the products for sale.
6. Louis Vuitton
Between 2006 and 2012, Louis Vuitton’s fashion firm was named the most valuable luxury brand in the world. The company, which ranks first in our luxury brand rating, has more than 460 outlets in 50 countries and counting.
How did Louis Vuitton create such an enduring brand? Part of it concerns the monogrammed LV logo, which appears emblematically on practically all of the brand’s products. It’s a mark of perfection, fashion dominance, and one of the most recognizable logos in retail, not just fashion.
7. Rolex
Since 1905, Rolex has been linked with prestige and perfection in premium Swiss watchmaking. Rolex is a significant figure on the list of luxury brands because of its dedication to quality and timeless design. Models such as the Submariner and the Daytona are timepieces, prestige symbols, and works of art.
Rolex’s place at the top of the luxury brand ranking underlines its standing as a designer of timepieces revered as heirlooms and as symbols of luxury in the designer brands arena.
8. Prada
Prada’s tagline is “Thinking Fashion Since 1913,” which is relevant given the brand’s fashion-forward nature. Prada, for example, has joined the NFT trend by releasing limited-edition items as part of its time capsule deliveries.
The company began as a family venture between brothers Martino and Mario Prada and was previously known as the Fratelli Prada brand. At the time, the brothers sold leather products, including purses, in a store in Milan.
Prada began to shine once Mario’s daughter, Luisa, took over the company. Her design ideas helped put the company on the map, resulting in an enduring fashion brand known today for ready-to-wear styles, eyewear collaborations with Luxxotica, shoes, travel accessories, and leather purses. Prada ranks fifth in our list of the finest luxury brands.
9. Gucci
Gucci is one of the world’s most adored fashion houses. The Italian label sells home items, fashionable footwear, ready-to-wear clothes, and handbags. Gucci collaborates with Coty, Inc. to create Gucci Beauty cosmetics, belts, and perfumes.
Gucci may have started the business, but the Florence design house thrived thanks to its son, Aldo Gucci, who eventually pushed the name internationally. That is why it is such a famous brand on our luxury brand ranking today.
The company adheres to ethical principles, including acting responsibly and integrity, adhering to regulations and laws, respecting individuals’ rights and dignity, protecting our natural environment, participating in sustainability initiatives, and maintaining business confidentiality.
10. Dior
The Christian Dior SE brand, also known as Dior, is a luxury fashion house founded in France in the mid-1940s. Despite being a latecomer compared to many other businesses on our list, the Dior name has made up for lost time by rising rapidly thanks to its luxury items, including fragrances, apparel, accessories, and beauty.
Much of the brand’s more famous offerings, such as the Dior Homme fragrance in the mid-2000s, have also embraced modernism. Since the mid-1980s, the company has had celebrity ambassadors, including actors and K-pop singers such as Park Jimin and Cara Delevingne.
11. Burberry
Burberry is named after creator Thomas Burberry, a gentlemen’s outfitter who produced the brand’s first trench coat in response to a request for lighter skin for the military. Cotton construction, lightweight properties, D-ring belt clasps, storm pockets, a button-down storm flap, buckled cuff straps, and a rear yoke distinguish the coat.
More customers recognized Burberry in the twenty-first century for what is known as the Burberry cheque, which became a design cornerstone for the brand in the 1920s. It debuted in trench coat liners before being utilized on other Burberry garments and accessories.
Burberry trench coats are still sold today. However, the traditional style is more about fashion than military utility.
12. Versace
No discussion on latecomer luxury brands would be complete without mentioning Versace, an Italian fashion label founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. Bright colors and strong prints have long been used in eye-catching, ready-to-wear high fashion.
Gianni Versace’s heritage is reflected in the logo, which incorporates the Greek character Medusa. He came from Calabria, sometimes known as Magna Grecia, because of the prominent Greek settlement in this region of Italy.
The company name is far less likely to be seen than the iconic Versace typography, printed or embossed on everything from stylish duds to haute couture bags, jeans, and housewares. It is listed among the top ten luxury brands.
13. Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent, abbreviated as YSL, is a French luxury fashion brand founded by Pierre Berge and the company’s namesake, Yves Saint Laurent, full name Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent.
Saint Laurent, regarded as one of the most successful fashion designers of the twentieth century, began designing clothing as a child, winning a design competition. He quickly began working with the then-editor-in-chief of Vogue and pursued his fashion design ambitions.
The YSL brand in the twenty-first century comprises fine jewelry and ready-to-wear haute couture for men and women. Many of its products bear the famed YSL emblem, with each letter sliding down vertically to form the personification of high fashion.
14. Lancôme
Lancôme has been a light in the premium beauty market since its French inception in 1935. This brand shines in the premium brands list for its outstanding skincare, makeup, and fragrances. The company’s blend of science and beauty and its commitment to quality and elegance secures its high placement in the luxury brand list.
Lancôme’s products are more than just beauty enhancers; they are symbols of sophistication and innovation, distinguishing it as a top designer brand in cosmetics.
15. Swarovski
Swarovski is another premium brand that is not associated with fashion. It specializes in timepieces, jewelry, and beautiful crystal decorations. Daniel Swarovski founded the company in Wattens, Austria, in 1895.
Swarovski now has three distinct brands. Tyrolit is a machine and tool manufacturer that specializes in dressing tools, drilling, sawing, and grinding tools. Swarovski Optik makes telescopes, telescopic rifle sights, and other optical devices.
The Swarovski Crystal Business, on the other hand, sells jewelry and crystal glass items. These include figurines of classic characters (mainly Disney), animal species recreations, crystal floral decorations, and much more.
16. Jimmy Choo
J. Choo Limited, better known as Jimmy Choo, continues our ranking of luxury brands. Jimmy Choo is a British designer. He had always specialized in shoemaking and had his workshop in the 1980s. He was excellent at reproducing Manolo Blahnik shoes, which drew the attention of local fashion magazines.
When his wife’s niece became involved in Choo’s business, her influence helped the shoes build a clientele, with one of the most prominent clients being Diana, Princess of Wales. Choo grew his ready-to-wear shoes, and the brand is now at the peak of fashion brilliance.
The Choo brand sells more than just shoes; it also sells ready-to-wear clothes, purses, beauty products, and bridal accessories.
17. Mulberry
Mulberry is a tiny British fashion firm that deserves to be included on this list of premium brands. Joan and Roger Saul founded the company in the early 1970s with a modest facility. Their claim to fame was a leather fabrication.
Unsurprisingly, as the Mulberry brand grew, it became known for its assortment of handbags. That still holds in the twenty-first century, where Mulberry bags are a standard pick. You can buy new, gently used, or pre-loved bags, as the retailer refers to them.
Since the 2000s, celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, and Victoria Beckham have represented the brand.
18. Tiffany & Co.
No list of luxurious brand rankings would be complete without including Tiffany & Co., also known as Tiffany’s. Since its inception in 1837, the specialist and luxury jewelry design firm has been a Manhattan institution.
Tiffany’s has made its branding so significant by adopting a dazzling hue of robin egg blue, now known as Tiffany Blue. Tiffany products can be purchased and gift-wrapped in blue boxes, indicating the origin of the gift before the recipient ever opens it.
Tiffany’s website exemplifies the best luxury design: easy navigation, a black-and-white color palette, and plenty of whitespace.
19. Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss joins our ranking of luxury brands. The German fashion brand has been around since 1924 and is famous for its perfumes, shoes, accessories, and ready-to-wear clothes. Hugo Boss (yes, that’s his real name) started the company that bears his name after making outfits at first.
Hugo and Boss are the two leading brands within the Hugo Boss umbrella. The brand’s products, including those from the United States, Turkey, Italy, and Germany, are manufactured worldwide.
The brand takes pride in making desired goods that will ensure long-term prosperity. Its ideology is also based on increasing client happiness.
20. Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren embodies classic American preppy elegance and has been a global luxury fashion leader since founding his namesake company in 1967. This Corporation currently markets garments, accessories, fragrances, hospitality services, and other products under the names Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, and Polo Ralph Lauren.
Polo Ralph Lauren has approximately 500 directly owned locations worldwide, generating more than $6 billion in annual revenue. The brand is still associated with East Coast old-money flair, as evidenced by Lauren’s iconic Polo shirt. Ralph Lauren‘s constancy and versatility as a luxury fashion house and lifestyle brand make it one of the best in the business.
21. Swarovski
Swarovski is a well-known jewelry brand that makes unique chains, bracelets, rings, and earrings that aren’t too expensive. The low prices of Swarovski products show that they are not a high-end name.
The jewelry isn’t made of the most expensive materials or priced as high as famous jewelry brands like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Instead, Swarovski is a low-cost luxury brand or a premium name for people just starting. Because of this, it is excellent for people who want to buy lovely jewelry without breaking their credit card too much.
You’re sure to find something you love from this excellent brand. They have everything from simple necklaces and earrings that you can wear every day to statement rings and cuff bands.
To summarise
Lastly, reliability in high-end brands is based on a web of traits that work together. Luxury businesses establish themselves as trustworthy entities in the eyes of discriminating consumers by embracing openness, delivering excellent quality, prioritizing sustainability, and upholding honesty.
These characteristics build a solid foundation of trust, helping luxury businesses maintain their prestigious positions and inspire confidence in their products and ideals.
