Everyone wants to look good, it’s just a fact. One of the easiest ways you can look ten times more attractive is knowing how to dress well and dressing from head to toe in luxury items certainly sends a message. It lets people know you’re powerful, wealthy and depending on the brand, elegant and sophisticated. Now, this does come at a price. The best designer brands are not cheap. But some of them might actually be more reasonably priced than you would expect.

With an increase in demand for online fast fashion, the best designer brands have had to step up their game. As the digital age continues to flourish, we have seen that many of these luxury brands have been forced to adapt to how they appeal to potential customers. Whether this is done through better advertising, selling on bigger wholesale websites like ASOS or just having better websites to make your shopping experience feel more luxurious, even if it is just you sitting on your sofa ordering a new Burberry shirt.

Many of the best designer brands are all considered a luxury to have and to own. The key defining factor with many of the best designer brands believe it or not appears to be based on the price as opposed to the quality however. We’re sure you have that one pair of unbranded jeans that you bought in some no name store that have lasted you for years, you probably didn’t pay very much for them but we’re sure they’re still intact to this very day. Compared to the pair of Gucci shoes you bought that after a couple of crazy nights out start to look like they’re falling apart.

It seems that many of the best designer brands are simply pricing their items higher to be classed as luxury items, we have seen many other brands start to follow suit too. Take Nike for example, more specifically their shoes. Some of the newest Nike shoes are insanely expensive and have an even more expensive resale value. But they look nice, so why not.

Then you have brands like Balenciaga, who have some interesting shoe designs but, in most cases, the average Joe would need to take out a second mortgage to be able to afford them. Not to mention the quality never lives up to the price. You’re simply paying for the name in most cases.  

This still doesn’t put people off though; online luxury sales are worth well over $100 billion to the fashion industry. In a world where impressing others is more important than spending your money wisely, many people choose to buy into the best designer brands, but are they really getting their money worth? Most people just want to show off, in some cases working a full 40-hour week on an average salary isn’t even enough to afford certain designer brand items. But, if you like getting clout on Instagram then maybe it is worth it?

Fashion is an ever-evolving market, with new clothing brands popping up all over the place. There has even been a huge resurgence of retro secondhand clothes from the 80s, 90s and early 00s which in some cases go for ludicrous prices. Especially if it happens to be a piece from one of the best designer brands, like old-school Ralph Lauren or vintage Louis Vuitton.

Now, the best designer brands are not just specific to clothes, but shoes, watches, jewelry and other accessories can fall into this category too. So how do we categorize the best designer brands? Well, in today’s age, many companies have been forced to evolve into creating just about everything. Take Gucci for example, you can find everything you need on the Gucci store website to deck yourself out in all the latest kit to have you looking quite literally like a million bucks. You can find shoes, trousers, t-shirts, jackets, watches, socks and just about everything else, even lounge wear.

The Best Money Can Buy

So, what exactly makes a brand ‘designer’? Well, a designer label is often given to a brand which is sold and marketed under the name of a particularly famous founder, designer or location. Usually, the brand will have been around for a while and will be making regular appearances at high end fashion shows and catwalks around the world. The best designer brands will also make use of interesting marketing techniques like employing famous people around the world to model their clothing or brand and to post their items on social media to help create a demand in the market.

Think of it like Gucci sending Kim Kardashian a new handbag for free, she then posts a photo on Instagram to her millions of followers, now lots of people are going to want that handbag just so they can be like Kim Kardashian.

Here we have compiled a list of all of the best designer brands that money can buy. So, in no particular order, please enjoy reading our compilation of the best designer brands. You might like the sounds of some of these, so don’t be afraid to go splash the cash if it makes you happy.

Top Designer Brands

1. Burberry

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1856

You probably already know this famous British luxury brand. Burberry has a massive social media audience of over 44 million followers, so you could say they’re pretty popular. Known for their distinctive beige checkered patterns, Burberry are easily one of the best designer brands. You can find everything from high class trench coats to shirts and bucket hats with this popular luxury brand.

However, Burberry are not great at engaging with their huge audience and in recent times have failed to jump on board with some more recent fashion trends. But maybe they just want to keep it classic?

A luxury brand for gentlemen and sophisticated ladies around the world, Burberry does not disappoint on quality when it comes to their clothing. Although very expensive, Burberry is one of the best designer brands as their products actually hold up in terms of quality for the price. Now, not everyone is going to be able to afford a $400 shirt, but they do offer plenty of other interesting luxury items as well. Burberry even have leather card holders, a simple way to look exquisite.

Now, if you really want to know why Burberry are one of the best designer brands, they recently debuted an AR (Augmented Reality) tool that can be used when shopping, using Google’s search technology. The awesome tool allows for customers to compare the scale of the brands products against life sized objects in your surrounding environment. An interesting way to size your clothes. Burberry definitely goes the extra mile when it comes to luxury.

2. Balenciaga

Country of Origin: Spain

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1919

This is a well-known brand, part of Kering, a French luxury group, Balenciaga brings you high end fashion straight from Spain. Probably most popular for their line of shoes, Balenciaga comes with a hefty price tag. Leading the luxury shoe market for quite a long time, Balenciaga shoes are instantly recognizable with their chunky features.

Deserving of a spot on our list of the best designer brands, Balenciaga certainly brings luxury at a price. The brand is also popular for many other luxury fashion items such as hats, bags, wallets and belts. Leading the way with trendy designs that take the latest fashion designs and put a high price on it.

With this brand, it’s questionable that you’re really just paying for the brand name, and some of the trainer styles are quite out there. With such a hefty price tag, you may be overly concerned about someone stepping on them in a nightclub or wearing them anywhere but clean floors.

3. Prada

Prada

Country of Origin: Italy

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1913

Our list of the best designer brands would not be complete without adding this gem to our compilation. Prada was founded in Italy back in 1913 by none other than Mario Prada. The brand remains one of the best designer brands on the market ever since.

With awesome marketing to its younger audience through targeting influencers, it is easy to see why Prada remain one of the world’s powerhouse luxury brands. As well as this, the brand made some much-needed website updates in order to allow for the customer experience to be much more luxurious than it was before. This paid off as online sales tripled between the years of 2019 and 2020.

A brand focused on the consumer, it is easy to see why Prada is one of the most popular designer brand money can buy. Well known for their elegant and expensive handbag collection, Prada sell a range of other luxury items such as sunglasses, shoes and perfume – all of which carry a pretty price. But if you like Italian fashion, then you’ll absolutely love this brand and everything they have to offer. 

4. Louis Vuitton

Country of Origin: French

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1854

One of the best designer brands in the world, and arguably one of the most famous, Louis Vuitton was founded back in 1854 by… well, none other than a certain Louis Vuitton! A well-known powerhouse in the fashion world, Louis Vuitton covers just about everything a fashion brand can offer.

Now if you’re a man, you probably won’t be all that interested in the LV handbags unless you’re thinking about getting one as a gift, or you’re trying to set new trends. But there are plenty of other popular luxury LV items for just about everyone. With items like designer duffle bags, wallets, belts and more you won’t be disappointed.

This luxury brand is only getting bigger. Actively trying to increase their consumer market in China, Louis Vuitton are quickly become recognized as not only one of the best designer brads in the world, but the most popular in the world as LV attempt to futureproof their luxury brand by dipping their toes into the untapped Asian market.

5. Gucci

Country of Origin: Italy

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1921

You came here expecting to see Gucci on our list, so we of course had to deliver this one. Gucci is one of the most popular luxury brands in the world. Born in 1921 in the streets of Italy, Gucci remains the best designer brand on the market.

Gucci are constantly evolving to keep up with the latest fashion trends. With innovative design, excellent online presence and strategic marketing, Gucci have help to deliver world class products across the globe. Experimentation is at the heart of Gucci’s success, they have an app and you can even find them on Snapchat too, allowing them to expand their consumer base with ease.

You can find everything from trainers to bags to clothing in the Gucci store so this brand is perfect if you want to kit yourself out from head to toe in one of the best designer brands on the planet.

6. Dior

 

Country of Origin: France

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1946

Another one of the best designer brands from France, Dior first popped up back in 1946. Dior is a very popular luxury brand and one that you can see on most highstreets. Using a range of different marketing strategies to tap into a wealth of different markets, Dior continue to put themselves at the forefront of luxury fashion.

Dior has focused heavily on their online marketing and are making their way into the Asian market as well to help further their success.

You can find just about everything when you shop at Dior. You can find bags, clothing, shoes, accessories and perfumes. Dior even had a well perceived collaboration with both Nike and Shawn Stüssy, a streetwear god in his own right. Together, they released the ‘Air Dior Capsule Collection’. Proving that this brand is still trying to captivate the younger generation.

7. Cartier

Country of Origin: France

Industry: High End Jewelry

Founded In: 1847

Another one of the best designer brands straight out of Europe. Cartier still remains one of the most popular brands online to this day with luxurious, exquisite high-end jewelry and watches, this French brand continue to lead the way in terms of design.

One of the best luxury brands for both men and women, Cartier produce some absolutely stunning, timeless pieces. Elegance and power are just a few of the feelings emitted from owning a Cartier piece.

An expensive but humble brand, Cartier are one of the leading best designer brands in the watch and jewelry market, you won’t be disappointed, and rightly so if you’re spending that amount of money.

8. Chanel

Country of Origin: France

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1909

You have most certainly heard of this luxury fashion brand. Chanel are easily one of the best designer brands around. Chanel are one of the most recognizable powerhouse luxury brands in the world, spreading luxury fashion to just about every corner of the earth.

Using social media as a powerful tool to entice consumers into buying into the brands luxury, Chanel is producing some great online content which has helped them remain one of the best designer brands. Chanel has an audience of over 80 million across their social media platforms.

You can find almost everything when shopping with Chanel, although just as pricey as any other designer brands. If you want to wear something that screams high class and is sure to capture the eyes of the public, then just walk out wearing some Chanel.

9. Omega

Country of Origin: Switzerland

Industry: High End Watches

Founded In: 1848

One of the best designer brands to come out of Switzerland, Omega are the pinnacle of designer watches, that’s if you don’t count its fellow Swiss rival, Rolex.

Switzerland is already well known around the world for being a place where the super wealthy come to play. So, as you would expect, you can find some of the best designer brands such as Omega. Omega masterfully craft luxury designer watches. The Speedmaster and Seamaster models are incredibly popular.

Omega have recently opened up their e-commerce site to Europe which in the past was only available to consumers in the UK and the US.

10. Rolex

Country of Origin: Switzerland

Industry: High End Watches

Founded In: 1905

Obviously, we couldn’t mention Omega without mentioning their triumphant competitors, Rolex. Rolex are instantly recognizable around the globe. Considered the end game in expensive luxury watches. Rolex is one of the most sought-after luxury brands in the world. Forbes even featured Rolex in their top 100 of the most valuable brands in the world. Rolex is estimated at a cool brand value of $9.5 billion.

Not to mention, the resale value in second hand vintage Rolex’s is insanely profitable. Watches still remain one of the most popular luxury items to have and as you can imagine, most of these are Rolexes. As Rolex release new watches, the price of their older watches continue to rise.

Unfortunately, Rolex does not offer any e-commerce solutions, meaning you will have to buy them in store in order to get a full luxury brand shopping experience. But will Rolex be able to keep up with the increase in demand for smartwatches? Which is a market that brands like Apple and Samsung are already beginning to dominate.

11. Hermès

Country of Origin: France

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1837

Hermès happens to be another private French luxury powerhouse. Are you noticing a trend here? Many of the best designer brands apparently come from France or the surrounding European countries. Sorry America, there’s just something that the extensive history of European nations brings to the table. Hermès enjoyed some substantial and impressive growth throughout 2021 and continue to grow online in popularity.

When they’re not attempting to dominate the online fashion market, Hermès is pursuing an effective strategy to push their products into China. With items like their Birkin Bag which is incredibly sought after and often times has an absolutely massive waiting list makes this brand incredibly popular around the world, which also explains why Hermès is a popular choice in many second hand high fashion resale markets.

Not to mention, but Hermès are also trying to set their sights on the power of the digital world. Hermès have announced that it will attempt to gradually expand in what they can offer online; however, they will keep their most iconic items limited to their physical stores.

12. Valentino

Country of Origin: Italy

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1960

Another Italian addition to our list of the best designer brands. Valentino is a wonderful luxury brand that is doing very well for itself in terms of recent popularity. Valentino has seen a huge 62 percent growth with online sales back in 2020 which represented a total of 14% of their total retail sales.

Valentino also debuted some new and innovative digital campaigns, most notably the #ChezMaisonValentino. This included a series of musical performances which were streamed live on Valentino’s Instagram account. We saw performances from the likes of Alicia Keys. 

Much like a few other luxury brands, Valentino has been experimenting with the likes of virtual reality and interactive user experiences. This seems to be a new and exciting way of allowing the consumer to do more than just buy a product and makes the experience of shopping with Valentino much more unique and memorable.

Not to mention they made Zendaya the model and face of their latest collection which was pretty cool. You can see how Valentino are attempting to attract a much younger generation. However, do young people have the money to keep up with expensive fashion trends?

13. Versace

Country of Origin: Italy

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1978

Versace was originally founded back in 1978 by Gianni Versace. Versace boasts itself as a high end flamboyant, luxurious Italian fashion brand. A brand which has always been well known for its beautiful products and elegant handbags, Versace is definitely one of the best designer brands out there.

Versace are particularly great at their unique ability to generate a sizable buzz across their online social media platforms and have an incredibly high engagement rate in comparison to other designer brands. Arguably easy enough when you have Gigi Hadid, an Instagram influence and supermodel to help promote the brand. 

The brand continues to strive for luxury and appeals to people of a high class who come from extreme wealth. You might just have to re-mortgage the house if you want to shop here.

14. Tiffany & Co.

Country of Origin: United States

Industry: High End Jewelry

Founded In: 1837

The first all-American brand to appear on our list of the best designer brands, Tiffany & Co. has been recently acquired by high end Italian fashion powerhouse Louis Vuitton. Tiffany & Co. continue to lead the way in high end jewelry which can appeal to a wide consumer base. There are products that are incredibly expensive, but there are also products which are fairly reasonably priced for good, high-quality jewelry.

After having been acquired by Louis Vuitton, we should expect to see Tiffany continue to grow. If you’re looking for the perfect Christmas or birthday present, then Tiffany is a superb choice. Let’s face it, everyone loves the blue/green colored box and bag, and we instantly know there’s something remarkable inside.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for an engagement ring for that special someone then Tiffany’s might just be one of the best designer brands that you could consider. They offer a wide range of stunning, dainty and outright beautiful engagement rings.

15. Armani

Country of Origin: Italy

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1975

Armani needs no introduction here, as you are probably more than aware of this brand as it has a greater range of price tags on its products. Founded in 1975 by none other than Giorgio Armani, which if you haven’t guessed is where the brand gets its name from. As a brand, it chooses to focus on three key types of audience.

There are high end consumers which the main line of Giorgio Armani is aimed at. Then, there are the mid-range consumers who Emporio Armani is aimed at, and then lastly there are the younger generation who do not have a wealth of money to spend, which carries lines like Armani Exchange.

Armani have recently partnered with a massive online retailer known as Yoox Net-a-Porter who already currently manage their Armani.com site. The partnership was to help Armani implement a very exciting AI business model which will aid in supporting the brand become more transparent and sustainable. It will also come in useful for many Armani shoppers in that it will assist them with product availability.

We couldn’t just leave this part out, but back in March of 2021, Mr. Armani managed to partner up with none other than MR PORTER. Together, they launched an incredible, highly exclusive and luxurious 23-piece collection of some of the most iconic Italian tailoring styles from the 80’s and 90’s. A true time capsule of a modern and innovative take on some of the most iconic styles.

16. Moncler

Country of Origin: Italy

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1952

Moncler are most notably known for their puffy coats, which they have been making since the 1950’s. A rather iconic coat for anyone who can afford the $1000+ price tag. Moncler originated from a mountain village named Moestier de Clermont in Italy. Ultimately, Moncler coats and jackets are famously well known for their distinctive down filling, where warm, insulating and puffy are at the heart. 

However, did you know that Moncler originally made sleeping bags? Moncler were not originally known for their puffy coats until a French mountaineer named Lionel Terray approached the company to ask if they could make him coats for his mountain climbing expedition. Moncler accepted and set out with the challenge of making these jackets. They were successful and have now since become famous for making mountain gear. An iconic moment for the brand.

17. Hugo Boss

Country of Origin: Germany

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1924

Our first German designer brand on our list. Hugo Boss is a luxury fashion brand created in 1924 and they are one of the largest German fashion companies. They sell everything from fragrances, footwear, clothing and accessories.

Hugo Boss imbues wearers with a particular sense of exclusiveness and status. A stylish brand which likes to come across as premium high end luxury fashion. A celebrity favorite to many, not to mention the popularity of the Hugo Boss suits which are absolutely stunning.

Known for using incredibly high-quality materials, Hugo Boss will not leave you disappointed. A brand which is heavily geared towards men, providing us with some incredible clothing.

Easily one of the best designer brands on the market for both men and women.

18. Calvin Klein

Country of Origin: United States

Industry: High Fashion

Founded In: 1968

A much more recent face in high end luxury fashion, Calvin Klein is bridging the gap between luxury fashion in Europe and luxury fashion in America. Founded in 1968, Calvin Klein produces a range of high-quality accessories, clothing, footwear, fragrances, watches, jewelry and even furniture.

Known for the iconic jeans of the 70’s, Calvin Klein is a much-loved American fashion brand. Priced reasonably whilst still retaining all of that high quality we expect from the best designer brands. Calvin Klein brings style and trendy together to lead the way in American fashion. Known all around the world the brand has become particularly famous for their underwear, which bring huge sex appeal. Everyone loves their partner in a fresh new pair of white Calvin Klein underwear.

A great brand if you’re thinking about getting into designer clothing. You can pick up a few different pieces that you’ll look great in without breaking the bank. A great alternative to brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

Brag About your Brands

So, there you have it, some of the best designer brands on the market today. Chances are this list was fairly predictable to an extent, and there are so many more like Canada Goose and Ralph Lauren which didn’t make our list.

Everyone wants to be wearing the latest clothing, as making a fashion statement still speaks volumes about who you are, what you’re about, if you have money and whether you hold high status.

There are so many designer brands around that it can be hard to know what’s worth looking at. We can safely confirm that all of the best designer brands are listed above, and you will not be disappointed in any of their products.

FAQs

What Is The Best Designer Brand?

The best luxury brand can be defined by a few different metrics. Firstly, will be quality for the price you pay. Now, you can’t go wrong with the likes of high fashion overlords Armani, who appeal to a range of consumers at various different financial points. Then you have brands such as Hugo Boss who use extremely high quality materials to make all of their products.

That being said, the best designer brands will be the ones that appeal to you and the ones that you choose to wear and support. The decision is completely subjective to you and which brand you enjoy wearing the most. So, if you happen to think Gucci rocks, then by all means wear Gucci and don’t let anyone else tell you that you can’t and that it’s not the best designer brand if you believe that it is.

What Exactly Is A Designer Brand?

A designer brand is a brand that produces items which have been expertly designed using high quality materials and is aimed at selling to a high paying consumer base who want luxury. Designer brands are normally far superior to your everyday high street brands. Usually largely separated by price and the customer experience when in store. Designer brand stores will tend to be very minimalistic, and staff will often times make the shopping experience much more personal. You are buying the height of luxury after all.

What Is The Most Expensive Designer Brand?

If you want to go by brand, Louis Vuitton is the most expensive designer brand valued at a staggering $32 billion which is insane, Gucci is not far behind though. However, many of the best designer brands have some very expensive items for sale. Take Chanel, for example, which has multiple bags which cost over $200,000 which is pretty crazy. If you want to be extra special, Chanel also does a bespoke fishing kit which costs $18,000.

Are Designer Brands Worth It?

The big question is not so much if their worth it, but rather can you afford to comfortably spend a sizable amount of money on some of these designer brands in the first place? If you’re in the financial position to buy into these designer brands then they are worth it in the sense that they are a status symbol, so if that is something you care about then by all means feel free to buy into these expensive brands.

However, a pair of jeans from Levi’s will do the exact same thing as a pair of jeans from Gucci, with the added bonus of not costing an absolute fortune, leaving you more cash to splash on the rest of your wardrobe. This is more a question of are they worth it to you?

There is no doubt that being decked out in Dior would feel great and you would look great, but would your bank account look great? Don’t spend beyond your means but if you can afford to pick up some high-quality items like leather wallets and the likes then they are definitely worth it.

How Can I Afford A Designer Brand?

If you’ve found an item you really like from a designer brand, there is no doubt that it is going to cost you a lot more than your average everyday item from a normal retail brand. Our advice would be start slowly setting some money aside provided you can afford to and save up and eventually buy the item. There’s also the possibility of purchasing a good condition, secondhand item for a knockdown price.

It will feel great and you will get a real sense of achievement. If you can’t wait that long you could always try to do one of those monthly payment plans. This is where you pay a small amount up front and then pay the rest over 3-6 monthly payment instalments. Which is great if you want the item as soon as possible however be careful it doesn’t negatively affect your credit score. You also don’t want to have too many of these at the same time or you will very quickly drown in monthly debt.

There You Have It

So, there you have it. A rundown of the best designer brands on the market. With our compiled list of all of the best designer brands you can hopefully make a better informed choice of which brand to shop with. Different brands are better for different things. If you’re after a designer watch then try Omega or Rolex. If you want designer underwear, then try Calvin Klein. For shoes and footwear look into what Balenciaga has to offer. Or you can pick up some luxury shirts and coats from Burberry if you want to splash the cash.

Lastly, as we mentioned before, money is not everything so do not spend beyond your means simply to impress others – you should have those clothes on your back because you love them.