Which of the world’s top 30 designer brands do you know?

Everyone loves a little extravagance in their lives, and there’s no denying that these designer brands have been at the forefront. They offer everything from suits to basic t-shirts and underwear. These brands understand style and comfort, making their designs of the highest quality. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of 30 of the world’s top designer brands that you need to know about.

1. Gucci

Founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, the brand is one of the first luxury brands and one of the world leaders in apparel and accessories. The brand is known for its extravagant style and luxurious textiles. Gucci continues to redefine fashion for the 21st century while representing the highest quality of Italian craftsmanship and attention to detail.

2. DKNY

Donna Karen founded her extended brand DKNY in 1984, although DKNY Men did not arrive until 1992. The brand quickly became known for its sporty, casual fashion. It has a strong New York feel, and many shirts and pullovers show the city style. The DKNY design spirit is at the core of its simple and laid-back style.

3. Prada

Prada prides itself on exquisite quality and freedom of expression. This Italian luxury fashion house is one of the biggest names in the industry and was founded by Mario Prada in 1913. The brand specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, fragrances, and other fashion accessories.

4. Salvatore Ferragamo

Salvatore Ferragamo’s dream was always to transform his brand into a great fashion house, so when he died in 1960, he left it as an estate, hoping that his family would be able to fulfill his goal. Salvatore Ferragamo is now one of the largest and most well-known shoe brands.

5. Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney founded her own brand in 2001, with a 50% partnership with the Kering group. The brand was one of the first fashion brands to join the sustainable development movement, choosing to follow in the footsteps of her mother (Linda McCartney, an animal rights activist). Therefore, the brand uses organic materials to make their ready-to-wear, accessories, lingerie and eyewear, firmly believing in being sustainable for the planet and taking care of animals. Stella McCartney menswear has a unique urban image and is known for soft tailored shapes and a sporty feel.

6. Fendi

Founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi is one of the earliest designer brands with a history of over 90 years. The Italian fashion house was originally founded by Adele and Edoardo Fendi as a fur and leather shop. To this day, the brand remains the only one with an in-house fur atelier. Their product line also includes bags, shoes, accessories, eyewear, fragrances, leather goods, and ready-to-wear.

7. Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé founded the brand in 1961. The French luxury label is still considered one of the world’s most renowned fashion houses, renowned for its modern and iconic pieces. Saint Laurent embodies youth culture and emphasises gender fluidity through its gender-neutral clothing and simple yet classic style, an explosive blend of cool, entangled rebellion, punk and luxury.

8. Givenchy

This French luxury fashion and perfume house was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy, who made his name through his masterful silhouettes. The brand strikes a perfect balance between traditional and contemporary styles, maintaining a casual yet classic look inspired by many artists, friends, muses, and loyal customers. Although the fashion house is now owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH, the brand remains one of the first top designer brands and a leader in the fashion industry.

9. Balmain

Balmain has a rich heritage of designs with decorative fabrics and luxurious embellishments. The brand uses innovative ways to reflect its French heritage. Its unique style and impeccable craftsmanship are evident in the details, with each design bearing its signature embellishments, including gold medallions, a redesigned new LOGO, buttons and symbols, heraldic emblems, gold trim or tassels. Recent designer collaborations include H&M and Victoria’s Secret.

10. Balenciaga

Balenciaga is over 100 years old and was founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga in Spain in 1917. Although the brand is now owned by the French multinational Kering, they have managed to maintain the high-end status of the brand as well as its on-trend, creative, expensive and bold styles.

11. Kenzo

This French fashion house was founded in 1970 by Kenzo Takada, whose Japanese background inspired him to create a brand image based on Japanese influence and Parisian culture. Therefore, the company has always adhered to his creative philosophy, mixing exotic prints with many floral patterns.

12. Alexander McQueen

British fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen founded his brand in 1992. Exaggerated shapes and innovative tailoring combined with traditional techniques are the brand’s key image. Punk-inspired streetwear and strong graphic effects are also an important part of the brand’s DNA.

13. Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton decided that he wanted to become a trunk master at the young age of 16. This led him to become not only a designer but also an inventor, creating a lock that had never been seen before. The brand continues to be known for its trunks and luggage, with travel and RTW collections remaining at the core of the brand.

14. Giorgio Armani

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani founded his company in 1975 and became the “most successful Italian designer” by 2001. The Italian luxury brand is one of the largest and most influential in the fashion industry, known for its suits and formal wear. It is known for its neat, tailored clothing. Since the early 80s, Armani has become a symbol of success for many business professionals.

15. Tom Ford

In 2005, Tom Ford announced the creation of his brand, and although it is a relatively new name in the fashion world, Ford has successfully made it your “old” designer brand. He has spent the last 15 years working on Gucci. Tom Ford is your one-stop fashion shop, offering everything from clothing to luggage and fragrances.

16. Belluti

Berluti not only produces leather bags, accessories and ready-to-wear, but the heart of the company is leather shoes. By pushing the boundaries of craftsmanship, the fashion house has been able to create its own special leathers and unique designs, including soft smooth leather that can be transformed into a variety of colors through personalization choices.

17. Burberry

Thomas Burberry originally designed his clothing to protect people from the harsh cold British weather, and he began sourcing hard-wearing fabrics that revolutionized weather-resistant clothing in 1856. Today, Burberry is known for its classic outerwear, traditional woven patterns and sophisticated tailoring.

18. Comme Des Garons

Comme DesGarons was founded in 1969, but was not officially incorporated until 1973. The brand quickly became famous in Japan, where it was created by Rei Kawakubo, before spreading to many other parts of the world. Although the brand is nearly 50 years old, it continues to be one of the most creative brands of the 21st century, focusing on creating unique, funky, radical fashion that seriously challenges convention and transcends gender stereotypes with completely original clothing.

19. Dior Homme

The brand was founded by Christian Dior in 1948. Although the European luxury goods company is now chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who is also the head of the world’s largest luxury goods group LVMH. Dior is sophisticated, modern and confident, adhering to a formal yet simple style.

20. Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein was founded by American fashion designer Calvin Richard Klein in 1968. The brand is a lifestyle giant with global influence and prides itself on its provocative, modern and sensual character. The brand has a minimalist aesthetic.

21. Briony

Italian brand Brioni has a very unique method for making suits, something they have been practicing since the late 50s. It requires manual production, 220 steps and over 22 hours of work. It is well worth it though, creating a rather sophisticated image even in everyday wear.

22. Ralph Lauren

Since inventing the fashion house in 1967, Ralph Lauren has been at the forefront of fashion, becoming a global leader in design and marketing, with Ralph himself an icon in the industry. The brand offers clothing, accessories and fragrances for men, women and children, and is super stylish. The brand continues to lead the way in the latest trends and always offers the best catwalk shows.

23. Valentino

The brand was founded in Rome in 1959 by Italian fashion designer Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani. Valentino was one of the earliest leaders in international fashion and remains so to this day. The brand produces shoes, bags, glasses, scarves, ties, perfumes and clothes that are super avant-garde.

24. Paul Smith

Paul Smith came up with the concept of the company in the 70s and has been following these standards ever since, with the motto “Classic yet fun”. The brand is distinguished by its unique taste and playful style. Paul Smith’s fashion lies somewhere between high fashion and formal wear, inspiring both.

25. Ermenegildo Zegna

Founded in 1910, Zegna is an Italian luxury fashion company that specializes in men’s clothing and accessories. The brand takes a very holistic approach to managing its business operations, always sourcing high-quality, nature-friendly raw materials. In fact, the brand is one of the world’s largest producers of premium fabrics and has been actively promoting improvements in wool production around the world. The brand is the world’s largest menswear brand by revenue thanks to its casual, basic styles.

26. Hugo Boss

The German luxury fashion house was founded by Hugo Boss in 1924, originally specializing in uniforms during World War II. Although it has evolved over time, the brand now combines classic business attire with casual sportswear, both of which exude confidence and are of premium quality, while maintaining simple and classic designs.

27. DSquared2

Twin brothers Dean and Dan founded DSquared2 in Milan, Italy in 1996. The designs are a blend of avant-garde and sensual, drawing on Canadian and Italian tailoring. As a result, their collections are a stark contrast, creating a sense of luxury by bringing together opposing designs.

28. Tom Brown

In 2001, Thom Browne realized there was a gap in the formal wear market due to everyone’s dressing becoming too casual. Hence, the brand focused on suits and formalwear. While the most notable thing about Thom Browne is that he loves to create with traditional proportions, reimagining classic men’s suits, he also loves to embrace gender fluidity by dressing male models in skirts, dresses, and heels.

29. Hermès

Hermès sells leather goods, accessories, fragrances and ready-to-wear in a fairly traditional style. Of all its products, leather goods are the largest contributor to the company’s revenue, followed by its ready-to-wear collections. The brand also has a number of partner brands, including boot maker John Lobb, silversmith Puiforcat, crystal maker Saint-Louis and contemporary fine living lifestyle brand Shang Xia.

30. Lacoste

One of the greatest brands of all time, Rene Lacoste was founded in the 1920s by tennis champion Rene Lacoste, who set out to improve sportswear, which at the time was largely woven, and he is credited with inventing cotton pique, a sturdy knit fabric that is still used in the company’s iconic Polo shirts. Over time, the Lacoste collection has grown to include highly functional technical and outerwear garments.