Even if you are not into fashion, you must have come across dozens of people parading their Gucci bags or Louboutin pumps. In this discussion of ours, we will unravel what designer labels are and how this frenzy of high-end fashion started. So, let's dive in.
A designer label is a prestigious marque under which apparel, automobiles, gadgets, and any personal item are sold. It is essentially a brand. Named after a designer, founder, or location, these labels mainly target the upper-middle class or mass affluent segment. These labels make a large portion of their income from the sale of fashion jewelry, handbags, and wallets to the middle class while restricting haute couture pieces to wealthier upper-class clientele. Products with a designer label are perceived to be of superior quality to ones without a label.
In the world of fashion, a designer label is synonymous with limited edition pieces, exotic skins and furs, or items simply priced higher. The clothing industry is one of the most ancient industries but very few brands got famous and occupy the top spots globally. Global apparel production houses are polarized geographically. Few fashion houses dictate the global taste for what to wear. In the category of footwear, Jimmy Choo, Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik and uber-expensive Stuart Weitzman (a pair can cost 3 million USD) are front runners. Trendsetters in apparel are Armani, Versace, Ralph Lauren, and Valentino among others.
The pricing of fashion items includes a lot of factors and is sometimes not very rational. We pay handsomely for a designer’s time and brilliance, then material and labor costs. The better and rarer the material, the pricier the item is. Added to this is the cost of licensing. Plus, the big labels try to preserve their image of exclusivity.
Fashion cycles have become smaller because of fast fashion and social media and there is a push to bring new fashion lines every once in a while. The world has become a global village and this has given opportunities to local and hyperlocal designers to make their designs mainstream and en vogue.
Rounding up, designer labels are status symbols and give a sense of pride to those who purchase and carry them. They also promote new, raw, authentic, and diverse artistic creations, not to mention good fashion sense. Thus they should be promoted not shunned.
