It takes serious guts to put your namesake on a clothing brand and back it with an ethos for classic, premium, and rugged-yet-luxury style. But that’s exactly what Billy Reid does.
From the brands you see on your IG feed and TikTok FYP to tried-and-true labels that never let you down, here are the world’s top 10 branded fashions.
1. Gucci
Gucci is one of the world’s most famous fashion brands. The Italian label specializes in leather fashion accessories, beauty palettes, clothing, and fragrances.
Founded in Florence, Italy, in 1921, the brand has amassed a catalog of iconic trademarks. These signatures have helped Gucci penetrate mainstream culture like no other luxury brand in history, from the interlocking GG logo to the bar and bit belt buckle.
However, the brand’s popularity came at a cost, as it became synonymous with celebrity culture and vicious infighting among family members. The brand was ultimately taken over by the French company Kering in 2004. Creative Director Alessandro Michele has reinvigorated the house with his idiosyncratic take on modern fashion. The result has been a huge resurgence in popularity. The brand’s collection includes everything from edgy denim jackets to a $$3,900 silk skirt emblazoned with the metal studs and chains that punk rockers love to wear.
2. Louis Vuitton
Thanks to its classic designs, Chanel has become one of the world’s most recognizable fashion brands. Founded by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel in 1909, the French label is known for its boucle wool suits and quilted leather handbags. It’s also a favorite among celebrities.
The brand’s Creative Director, Nicolas Ghesquiere, has revitalized the label, bringing in a futuristic aesthetic with references to Dune and David Lynch. The company has branched out into clothing, jewelry, and accessories, with its Sarah bag design resembling centuries-old Japanese designs for storing jyuzu.
The company also has a line of jeans, with the highest-end pair being a denim and cotton blend that retails for $1,795. It’s also known for its reversible coats, like the one Kanye West designed, costing $12,000. Founded in 1946, Dior is owned by Bernard Arnault’s LVMH group and is a global powerhouse of luxury fashion.
3. Versace
Versace is known for its intriguing embellishments, baroque prints, and form-fitting silhouettes. This brand is also a red-carpet favorite, with celebrities often seen wearing their bold designs. After the death of founder Gianni Versace in 1997, his siblings took over the company. Donatella Versace continued her brother’s legacy with vibrant colors, bold prints, and baroque inspiration.
The brand’s logo is a stylized image of Medusa, a creature from Greek mythology who was both beautiful and terrifying. The designer chose the image as a representation of power and seduction.
Versace is one of the few luxury brands that has never tried to rebrand or brought in a new, hot designer to shake things up. This has resulted in a consistent message of glamour and opulence, which is why it remains so popular with customers today. They have also made strides towards sustainability with their use of lower-impact materials and have set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
4. Burberry
Burberry is famous for its trench coats and trademark check pattern. The brand also offers bags, shoes, perfumes, and other accessories. This fashion company is popular among Hollywood stars and other celebrities.
The British heritage label combines traditional craftsmanship with modern luxury aesthetics. The label was founded in 1856, and its first products were outerwear like gabardine trench coats. Since then, the brand has expanded its line to include leather goods, clothing, and accessories.
After a few rough patches, Burberry is back in the spotlight with a new CEO and creative director who have refocused the brand on tradition and a sense of Britishness. The company has relaunched its signature check logo and introduced a new serif typeface to signal a fresh start. The iconic equestrian knight has been reinstated as a nod to the past.
5. Fendi
In business since 1925, this elegant fashion house made its name in clothing, shoes, accessories, and, most importantly, bags. Their sleek and chic designs have become a must-have for women who want to be ahead of the game in style.
Adele and Edoardo Fendi founded the brand, and when they passed away in 1946, their five daughters – Anna, Carla, Franca, Paola, and Alda – took over, with each one holding a twenty percent stake. In 1965 they welcomed Karl Lagerfeld, who had jurisdiction over both the women’s ready-to-wear and fur collections.
In the 1990s, Silvia Venturini Fendi created the Baguette, a bag loved by A-list celebrities like Madonna and Carrie Bradshaw. And in 2009, she launched the Peekaboo bag, which is distinguished by its rigid partition and a front flap that can be pushed down to reveal the contents.
6. Balenciaga
Balenciaga has long been one of the top luxury fashion brands. The brand is known for its modern, avant-garde designs that are often inspired by streetwear and the 90s. The brand is also famous for its shoes, which are a favorite of hype beasts and celebrities.
Cristobal Balenciaga was a masterful designer who revolutionized the fashion world with his innovative shapes and use of new materials. He was a respected colleague of Christian Dior and Hubert de Givenchy.
He dressed many high-profile women of the time, including Hollywood actresses Ava Gardner and Gloria Guinness and socialite Mona von Bismarck. When the house closed in 1968, and he died four years later, his clientele felt a real sense of loss. They credited him with changing the way that women wore clothing by eliminating the waist, creating the sack dress and cocoon coat, and emphasizing fluid lines.
7. Celine
Founded in 1945 as a made-to-measure shoe boutique by husband-and-wife duo Celine and Richard Vipiana, Celine quickly gained a reputation for its chic minimalism. By the ’70s, new boutiques opened worldwide, catching the attention of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault.
Michael Kors took the helm of Celine in 1997 and successfully revamped it into the luxury powerhouse that it is today. Kors brought his signature sportswear aesthetic to the brand – think peppy cashmere knit sets and figure-skimming dresses paired with LVMH’s ‘It’ bags like the Boogie and Poulbot styles.
British designer Phoebe Philo then took the helm in 2008, bringing an understated refinement to the line and reviving its chic minimalist aesthetic with streamlined ready-to-wear and timeless handbags. Her eponymous line has garnered the attention of fashion aficionados and a host of celebs, from Daria Werbowy to octogenarian Joan Didion.
8. Ermenegildo Zegna
The luxury brand is famous for impeccable tailoring, glamour, and amazing dressing. They set trends and are most popular among Hollywood stars. This brand also produces leather bags, accessories, perfumes, shoes, and other clothing materials.
The Italian fashion house was founded in 1910 by Ermenegildo Zegna in Trivero, near Biella. The company has a global presence, with stores in major cities and concessions in luxury department stores.
The new winter collection fuses the ancient with the post-modern, a world where global fast-food restaurants coexist with palace ruins. It features a selection of fabrics that push the boundaries of refined menswear. These include Trofeo Summer, Mediterranea, Celebrity bunches, a selection of stretch and jersey “comfort” jackets, and overcoating double-face designs. Also, check out the new Anteprima Album for some interesting combinations of pants and jackets.
9. Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta, the Dominican couturier who brought a relaxed, feminine sensibility to haute couture and made it a go-to for American first ladies (Nancy Reagan, Hilary Clinton, Laura Bush), died at age 82 in October 2014. He began his career as an abstract painter but was drawn to fashion design and apprenticed with Cristobal Balenciaga.
After establishing his own ready-to-wear line in 1965, de la Renta continued to branch out, opening a perfume and accessories collection and launching his namesake brand. He also served as the Council of Fashion Designers president from 1973 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988.
His heirs, including co-creative director Fernando Garcia and Monse founder Laura Kim, continue to dress celebrities for red-carpet events and premieres. Recently, they created singer Billie Eilish’s 2021 Met Gala gown. They have also dressed Amal Clooney and Kate Bosworth for their weddings.
10. Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer who was born in Manhattan, New York City. He attended the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan, then studied at Parsons School of Design, where he won both the Perry Ellis Gold Thimble Award and the CFDA’s New Fashion Talent prize. He then launched his eponymous label in 1986. Jacobs’s designs are highly sought after, and his label has a wide range of clothing, shoes, handbags, and perfumes.
Jacobs is also known for his collaborations with other designers and artists. In 2001, he collaborated with Stephen Sprouse to produce a collection of bags and luxury goods that featured graffiti-style accents on the classic “LV” monogram pattern. Then in 2009, he worked with artist Richard Prince to create a series of nurse-themed collections featuring black lace face masks and exaggerated nurses’ bonnets.
