Designer Couture

by paulStarPics

The Most Expensive / Famous Fashion Designers And Brands Of All Time, A List.

-Armani:

Perhaps the most renown in the world of luxury fashion is Armani. The epitome of fine clothing, Armani is best known for suits, sometimes easily costing over 0 for just a pair of pants! End of the year sales were close to .7 billion in 2005.

However, despite the unresistible appeal of fine Italian couture, many actors and actresses alike have refused to wear Armani due to a protest led by PETA in 2008. According to the latter, Armani offered many fur pieces in their 2008 collection- including authentic fur coats for babies! Celebrities like Tom Cruise and Jennifer Garner are supports of the petition.

-Hermes:

A virtually unknown designer in the US, Hermes is perhaps one of the most expensive in the world- many pieces from the more recent collections priced at double or triple similar quality items from Armani and Gucci.

Hermes was founded in 1837 as a small French saddle shop, and has since grown to one of the biggest names in high end fashion. The quality of this designer makes Hermes clothing some of the most prestigious in the world. Not surprisingly, both John and Jackie Kennedy, along with the nobility of Windsor, Grace Kelly, and even Humphrey Bogart have strutted the front stage in Hermes apparel.

-Juicy Couture:

Although less than a fraction of the cost of the aforementioned, Juicy Couture deserves at least a second of the spotlight. This multi-billion dollar designer makes its home in the “Glamorous USA” and targets  women ages 10-26 (although it does have a male clothing line). Couture is well known as a luxury brand afordable by the populous.

-Chanel:

One of the most recognizable names in the industry, Chanel was founded by the late couturier Coco Chanel in the early 20th century. Among the famous celebs to model for the monopoly include Keira Knightly, Nicole Kidman, Catherine Deneuve, and most famously, Marilyn Monroe. Monroe is also credited with breathing new life into the company during several periods of hardship, and blew open the doors of the perfume world with her modeling of the infamous Chanel #5.

-Dolce and Gabbana:

Ask any American teen who their favorite high end designers are and odds are they’ll mention D&G (despite the fact that 99% of them can’t afford even a pair of earrings from this world class luxury dealer). In recent years the D&G has expanded from 5k sweaters to gold plated cellphone cases, sterling keychains, and even goldspun leggings!

-Louis Vuitton:

King of the fashion world, Vuitton was founded in 1854 and rivals top notch designers like Hermes and Chanel for the highly competitive #1 spot. Vuitton is said to be one of the most recognizable designers in the world, and their signature LV monogram is an overwhelming testament to such a claim. A

long time symbol of prestige and wealth, the company commands some of the highest prices in the international fashion market for its products.

-Versace:

The biggest tragedy in the history of fashion occurred in 1997 with the assassination of the beloved Gianni Versace. Since then, this relatively young company has been headed by his sister, Donatella Versace and has stunned the world with some of the most expensive fashion lines in history. Versace is also considered the attire of royalty, having been flaunted by Princess Diana, Sir Elton John, and other notable individuals.

-Gucci:

Ever wanted to spend ,000 on a handbag? Well, now’s your chance! Following its conception in 1921 by Guccio Gucci (I know, I know) Gucci has sold billions of dollars in shoes, clothing, and accessories. 2009′s summer line featured three different handbags all for over k. And although Gucci is known for quality, it’s the novelty of spend three thousand dollars on a pair of shoes that makes this designer so famous.

-Dior:

Named after designer Christian Dior who launched the fashion empire in 1946, this company owns some pretty big stakes in the world of luxury clothing. Dior currently owns around 150 boutiques worldwide, and is hoping to open more in the coming years. Although not nearly as recognizable as Prada or Louis Vuitton, Dior remains, nonetheless, a major competitor in the fashion enterprise.

-Burberry:

England’s very own prada, Burberry is world renown for one thing: class. While the aforementioned brands provide quality, desired names, and prestige, burberry really takes the cake when it comes to representing classy shoppers.

Among Burberry’s most signature of items appear the plaid and checkered scarf (a unique and highly sought after pattern) and the Burberry trench coat (the height of any man’s outer apparel collection).

-Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent was founded by designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, in 1962. During the 1960s and 1970s, the firm popularized fashion trends such as the beatnik look, safari jackets for men and women, tight pants and tall, thigh-high boots, including the creation of arguably the most famous classic tuxedo suit for women in 1966, Le Smoking suit. Some of his most memorable collections include the Pop Art, Ballet Russes, Picasso and Chinese ones. He also started mainstreaming the idea of wearing silhouettes from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. He was the first, in 1966, to popularize ready-to-wear in an attempt to democratize fashion, with Rive Gauche and the boutique of the same name.[1] He was also the first designer to use black models in his catwalk shows.[2] Among St. Laurent’s muses were Loulou de La Falaise, the daughter of a French marquis and an Anglo-Irish fashion model, Betty Catroux, the half-Brazilian daughter of an American diplomat and wife of a French decorator, Talitha Pol-Getty, who died of drug overdose in 1971, and Catherine Deneuve, the iconic French actress. Ambassador to the couturier during the late 1970s and early 80s was London socialite millionairess Diane Boulting-Casserley Vandelli, making the brand ever more popular amongst the European jet-set and upper classes. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Saint_Laurent_(brand))

Although sold in 2002 (for 0,000,000) due to harsh criticism, drugs, etc., YSL survives on through its parent company, Gucci, till this day.

-Zegna:

Ermenegildo Zenga was launched in 1910 and is one of the biggest names in Italian fashion to this day. Unlike its numerous counterparts, Zegna’s target buyers are male, and consequently Zenga has become of the the biggest names in men’s suits. Because of Zegna’s superior quality, companies like Gucci, YSL, and others have their own lines manufactured by the fashion house.

Other notable luxury brands that just don’t make the cut:

-Fendi

-Salvatore Ferragamo

-Coach

-Ralph Lauren

-Prada

-Valentino

Written by LuxEtVeritas