Gucci, Hermès, Balenciaga. The simple mention of top luxury fashion brands has most people’s imaginations fire up. What do they have in common? For some a secret wish, for others everyday accessories. The biggest high fashion brands combine avant-garde ideas and comfortably traditional designs to reach the hearts of the majority.
Beyond the act of splurging, being aware that you’re carrying a high-quality haute couture handbag or an unapologetic top designer coat instantly lifts your self-confidence.
In this list of all luxury fashion brands, we will examine closely the most famous names in the industry. These are the top 15 luxury fashion brands in the world, each with their distinctive designs, their specific target audience, and price range so you can select the best high-end designer brands to suit your moods perfectly.
15 Top Luxury fashion brands
The biggest fashion brands know how to design their items to suit the consumer world. They always keep the customers guessing what their next drop would be. Why are they so famous? For one, marketing strategies, the finest quality of couture, and the materiality of imagination all blend to make them the epitome of timeless style.
French, American, German, and British luxury fashion brands all have their differences, made to suit any type of personality – it’s up to you to choose your new favorites.
1. Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton’s immediately recognizable designs first saw the light in 1854 in Paris. The French brand initially named Louis Vuitton Malletier is still most renowned for luxury travel bags and luggage. In this list of all luxury fashion brands, they are definitely the ones most skilled in terms of leather accessories.
The Louis Vuitton dream started at 16 when Louis Vuitton set his heart on becoming a trunk designer. Flat-topped trunks were one of the first designs brought to life by Vuitton, who also infused in his luxury leather bags and suitcases innovative types of canvas and locks.
The legendary Louis Vuitton monogram canvas was designed and first displayed to the public in 1896, with flowery patterns. The First World War saw Louis Vuitton become an institution within the travel-goods industry.
To this day, the Speedy and Neverfull bags sporting the signature Louis Vuitton Monogram are still the most popular bags of the brand. The luxurious Louis Vuitton items are regularly spotted on the entertainment industry’s big names, such as Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Kanye West, and Kate Moss.
With Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière at the head of the luxury house, Louis Vuitton’s designs are more inventive than ever. The brand sets the trends with a whole range of high-end, lavish ready-to-wear clothing and exquisite accessories such as bags, sunglasses, jewelry, and shoes.
2. Gucci
Among the top luxury fashion brands sits the Italian Gucci, founded in Tuscany in 1921. It is no news that Gucci regularly redefines style with lifelong excellence. Inspired by luxury items he spotted at the Savoy Hotel in London, Guccio Gucci started creating finely crafted luxury leather luggage in the Florentine style and quickly expanded the brand to Rome and Milan.
The brand suffered fabric shortages during the Second World War and turned the situation around by adding two distinct Gucci symbols; the interlocked double-G monogram and the green and red stripes on their then cotton-canvas handbags.
Today, Gucci’s belts, sporting the famous GG monogram, are among the most sought-after items of the luxury brand. Celebrities worldwide are regularly spotted in Gucci, such as Alexa Chung, Rihanna, Brad Pitt, Salma Hayek, and Kylie Jenner. When you wear Gucci, you are sure to make a statement with designs that are meant to style the most audacious personalities.
3. Hermès
The Parisian Maison de luxe was founded by Thierry Hermès in 1837, who until then imagined high-quality equestrian goods, like harnesses. The brand initially started manufacturing fashion designs when they were invited to create a jacket for the Prince of Wales in 1918. In the 1920s, when the Director’s wife complained about the lack of bag options that suited her taste, Hermès started designing handbags.
The iconic handbag of the brand, the Kelly bag, named after Grace Kelly, was designed around the same time as the widely famous square-shaped scarves, called the Carré Hermès, which the brand introduced in 1937.
Today, the Hermès high-end line ranges from clothing and fragrance for men and women to luxurious accessories like the Kelly or Birkin bags, completed by exquisite jewelry and footwear. From Madonna and Audrey Hepburn back then to Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham today, Hermès styles many outfits with timeless, aesthetically strong designs.
4. Burberry
A genuine aura among the British luxury fashion brands, Burberry was initially created in 1856. Indeed, Thomas Burberry, a draper’s apprentice, first thought of the Burberry brand to respond to the harsh British weather.
After opening his store in England in Basingstoke, Hampshire, Burberry created the gabardine, water-resistant fabric in 1879, thus earning a high-quality, luxury reputation with very fashionable outerwear attire.
Today, the world-renowned luxury brand is immediately recognized with its legendary check pattern that adorns every piece of the brand, from coats to bags and shoes. Over time, the now London-based brand has expanded the line to include luxury ready-to-wear, fragrances, makeup, and accessories such as handbags and sunglasses.
Many celebrities have often boasted the iconic brand’s high-end designs, including Cara Delevingne, Rihanna, and Kendall Kenner. Burberry is the perfect addition to any chic, and trendy outfit.
5. Prada
Mario Prada created one of the top luxury fashion brands in the world in 1913 in Milan and initially offered luxury leather accessories. In 1988, ten years after Miuccia Prada (Mario’s granddaughter) took the fashion house’s lead, Prada created its first womenswear line followed by a menswear collection in 1993.
Freedom of expression is a standard that Prada abides by, with playful, avant-garde styles that stand the test of time, like the famous Nylon and Galleria handbags. Today, the Maison de mode is still going strong, upholding its image of an iconic luxury designer brand with ready-to-wear handbags, shoes, perfume, cosmetics, and eyewear in clean, rich lines and colors.
The brand is regularly spotted on famous names such as Chiara Ferragni, Rita Ora, Bella Hadid, or Nicole Kidman, and its exquisite designs can be worn on any occasion.
6. Versace
A family-run luxury house, Versace was created in Milan in 1978 by Gianni Versace. Taken over by his sister, Donatella Versace after his death in 1997, it is strongly anchored in this list of all luxury fashion brands today.
At the head of the fashion house, Donatella Versace has created a bold and sexual aesthetic for Versace. The remorselessly more-is-more brand personality echoes perfectly the Medusa head logo – fearless, bold, unapologetic.
The Versace line, which now includes ready-to-wear clothing and a wide range of accessories such as jewelry, handbags, sunglasses, fragrances, and home accessories, exults boldness and feminity. Versace rose to fame with heavily-printed designs, audacious metallic adornments, and its unapologetic chain patterns can be recognized at first glance.
The Italian Maison has seen its creations boasted by many artists and celebrities like Michael Jackson, Gigi Hadid, Katy Perry, Elton John, and Kim Kardashian. To showcase your strong personality traits, you cannot go wrong with Versace.
7. Fendi
Adele and Edoardo Fendi founded the world-renowned Italian luxury house Fendi in Rome in 1925. Initially, a fur and leather brand, Fendi launched its first ready-to-wear collection in 1977 with creative director Karl Lagerfeld at its head. Shortly after, Fendi became one of the top luxury fashion brands, built on opulent designs that strike the bold’s heart.
The Fendi style revolves around the knowledge of delicate fabrics and inspiring, playful cuts and colors. Now a part of the LVMH group, Fendi has developed its luxurious line over the years to add fabulous ready-to-wear clothing to an extensive accessory line that includes bags, footwear, watches, and eyewear.
Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Bella, Gigi Hadid, and Kylie Jenner, are often spotted in Fendi, which sets itself as a powerful luxury Maison.
Although keeping their traditional signature fur styles, Fendi has reinvented the brand image with faux fur experiments in recent collections to respond to the global sustainability and animal welfare concerns. Women all over the world wear Fendi to match their strong, playful personalities.
8. Dior
Now a part of the LVMH company, Christian Dior founded the Dior fashion house in 1946 and quickly rose to fame when he dressed the European royalty in the 1950s and 1960s. The first Dior line showcased in 1947 was exclusively feminine, borrowing minimalist, masculine influences from the Second World War.
Years before John Galliano and Raf Simons would take the lead of the luxury Maison, Christian Dior invented the “New Look,” with feminine outfits emphasizing a small waist and longline skirts falling below the calf for an exquisitely chic result.
Today, the Parisian fashion house offers an extensive line of clothing, accessories, cosmetics, jewelry, makeup, and handbags. We can often spot the luxurious Dior pieces on many celebrities, like Rihanna, Marion Cotillard, and Jennifer Lawrence. Luxury devotees looking for clean, confident lines are sure to meet their high-end expectations in the Dior designs.
9. Chanel
The fabulous story of the iconic Parisian Maison Chanel started in 1909 with the name “House of Chanel.” Gabrielle Chanel, famously nicknamed “Coco,” opened a millinery shop that sold hats and trimmings.
A former singer and fashion designer, Chanel focused by 1913 on creating pure, geometric, and minimalist clothes in neutral colors that transformed the fashion scene with their “flat-chested” feature. Until then, women had preferred colorful dresses and intricate lines they strayed away from when Chanel introduced her clean, formal pieces.
Today, women worldwide thrive in the legendary designer’s classic elegance, with striking pieces such as the No. 5 and Little Black Dress fragrances and very recognizable classic clothing lines designed until 2019 by Karl Lagerfeld. Chanel offers an extensive line of ready-to-wear and haute couture accessories ranging from handbags, jewelry, footwear, cosmetics, fragrance, and belts.
Over the years, Chanel has been spotted on many celebrities worldwide, starting with Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Tautou, and Vanessa Paradis. If you wish to boast chic designs, Chanel is the definite way to go.
10. Balenciaga
Cristóbal Balenciaga created his first luxury fashion in 1917, in San Sebastian, Spain. Before the Civil War erupted, the inventive Basque designer who focused on bold pieces already dressed the Spanish royal family and aristocracy.
As the Civil war tore through Spain in the 1930s, Cristóbal Balenciaga found refuge in Paris, opening a store that would only start flourishing after World War II. But when it did, it became one of the biggest high fashion brands in the world.
Whoever hears the name Balenciaga instantly thinks of high-end luxury pieces. Cristóbal Balenciaga’s incredibly high-quality standards and avant-garde vision of women’s fashion-led Christian Dior to name him “the master of us all.” Later, Balenciaga went on to train coveted designers like Hubert de Givenchy and Oscar de la Renta.
Among the high-end, innovative designer’s faithful following, we can find Jackie Kennedy, Madonna, and the Balenciaga designs are regularly spotted on Cardi B, Kim Kardashian, and Sienna Miller.
Balenciaga is now owned by the French multinational company Kering who has expanded the collections to materialize urban styles and oversized cuts that still precede trends worldwide. If you have an unmatched avant-garde style, you are sure to love the Balenciaga designs.
11. Yves Saint Laurent
There is no doubt that Yves Saint Laurent belongs on this list of the biggest high fashion brands. After being appointed head of the House of Dior in 1957, Yves Saint Laurent spent almost five years refining long skirts and waist-cinching pieces, after which he created his eponymous label.
The collections span from edgy rock to haute couture elegance, which has the advantage of pleasing most women. More than just fashion, wearing Yves Saint Laurent clothes, sunglasses, or fragrances denotes a rock’n’roll attitude towards life.
In 2012, Yves Saint Laurent welcomed at its head Creative Director Hedi Slimane, who started a new era by rebranding the Maison Saint Laurent Paris. The goal? To revive “youth, freedom, and modernity” in the Saint Laurent collections.
It is a label that truly moves with its time and entertains over 9.7 million fans on Instagram. The Yves Saint Laurent beauty brand, notably, is one of the best luxury makeup brands available on the market today, with eyeshadows and lipsticks ever more long-lasting and pigmented.
12. Hugo Boss
Although the fine business suits could be mistaken for those of American luxury fashion brands, Hugo Boss was founded in Germany. Businesswear lies at the core of the luxury brand, which has quickly risen to fame with its fine-quality suits. In addition, most of the Hugo Boss pieces blend sportswear with high-end fabrics which unmistakably shows the brand’s commitment to sustaining a premium image.
Over time, Hugo Boss has split into two distinct brands: Hugo, the fashion-progressive brand, and the refined business brand Boss. Both have garnered the public’s attention thanks to striking campaigns and collaborations made for the cool, confident person. A staple of your luxury wardrobe, Hugo and Boss are prized by trendsetting men and women looking to be perfectly dressed on any occasion.
And the marketing strategies of the companies seem to work; in 2020, Hugo Boss brought in a revenue of 1.9 billion euros. Add to this the famous fragrance and eyewear line, and you’ve got a fully elevated urban style at hand.
13. Tom Ford
Before founding one of the most famous American luxury fashion brands in 2005, designer Tom Ford made his way as the creative director behind the scenes of Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci.
In his mind lingered the will to birth the “first true luxury brand of the 21st century”, which led to the establishment of Tom Ford Estée Lauder cosmetics in 2005. April 2007 saw Tom Ford open its first flagship on Madison Avenue, in New York City, several of which followed all around the world.
Unlike other top luxury fashion brands, Tom Ford plays the elegance card all the way, with sometimes strikingly controversial ads and jewelry. For instance, the use of female and male nudity has attracted much criticism, which has, in turn, helped the brand rise to fame quicker.
Beyond the controversial atmosphere surrounding Tom Ford, one can spot the edginess of the brand with fragrances brewed from rare ingredients, such as the black orchid, dark truffle, or the Bulgarian rose.
14. Ralph Lauren
One of the most famous American luxury fashion brands, Ralph Lauren plays muse to the American dream. Founded in 1967, the brand has grown to meet the standard American lifestyle of the everyday dream chaser. How could it not represent the American dream, when designer Ralph Lauren himself started from the bottom?
From selling ties to a global woman and menswear brand, Ralph Lauren’s self-standing story began in his Rodeo Drive store, where all the chill and sophisticated Californian ladies shop.
The epitome of anti-fashion, Ralph Lauren is characterized by “longevity, timelessness, and style” rather than fast fashion designs. That’s where you can spot the clean cuts and the classic luxurious feel of the polo sweaters and oxford shirts.
One brand has expanded into seventeen fashion brands and four lifestyle brands that sell anything from luxury menswear to jewelry sold in 30 countries. As a result, if you’re looking for a laidback preppy American style, take a look at the Ralph Lauren lines.
15. Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney is one of the British luxury fashion brands that have made it out of London in no time. After graduating from Central St Martins in 1995, Stella McCartney dived into the androgynous side of fashion. For women, she presented sharp edges and masculine tailoring meant to give her clients the freedom to be themselves independently of their cleavage. Empowerment all the way.
Aside from being one of the top luxury fashion brands thanks to its finely crafted designs, Stella McCartney is mostly famous because of its stance on sustainability. It is actually one of the first high-end brands that play the sustainable card so efficiently, with materials sourced ethically and sustainable partnerships.
For instance, the designer created the first vegan Stan Smith shoe for Adidas in Fall 2018, all the while launching her own non-profit charity platform.
15 Top Luxury Fashion Brands – Conclusion
To define yourself as a trend-setter, those 15 top luxury fashion brands are the way to go. While some of the biggest high fashion brands like Dior and Chanel embody classic elegance, others like Balenciaga and Prada personalize the more-is-more trend to perfection. The choice is yours to make, from sophisticated British luxury fashion brands to low-key Frenchness.
Those top designer brands have known how to reinvent their images over the years, offering structured, out-there, famous designs tainted with urban inspirations and geometrical class.
Designed in finesse, with artists’ expertise, and often imagined in limited quantities, exclusive high-end fashion pieces from this list of all luxury fashion brands will allow you to wow the crowds over and over again.
If you’re interested in other roundups for fashion brands, make sure you’ll check these 15 brands like Reformation or 20 brands like Forever 21. If you’re in need of a personal stylist, you should also check our review for StitchFix, a personal style service.