Luxury Womenswear Brands That Match Your Uniqueness
Every shade has almost unlimited nuances and the same happens with fashion. When it is time to express your style, let these luxury womenswear brands speak of your true self.
Five Designer Brands That Really Are Worth The Money
Enduring brands that have withstood fleeting trends and loved from era to era don't come without their price tag, but is this why they are so expensive?
Ph. Melanie Pongratz (Unsplash)
We explore five of the most famous luxurious brands out there and how well they measure up on style, cost and quality over time. Curious? We cover Gucci, Hermes, Chanel, Burberry and Rolex.
Designer brands are costly, but are any of them really worth the hefty price tag? In some cases, we think that they are.
Designer items are an extra reach, a piece of the dream and if we’re honest, we’ve all paged through a glossy magazine and coveted the latest Jeffery Campbell boots; they’re gorgeous. The Chanel Milk Carton bag was calling your name or you found yourself staring at the iconic silk scarf worn by a supermodel on a Gucci campaign and wanted a piece of the silk pie.
Some luxury brands offer a casual class like women’s Timberland boots compared to the iconic fancy of a Cartier bracelet. Either way at some point in our lives we’ve deliberated over a designer piece.
Can a case be made for these items actually being worth the hefty price tag? In some instances, we think that it can. Let’s take a look at five designer brands worth the money and the item we think will give you the most value for money.
Image by Mike Cabugao via Pexels
Gucci
Ph. James Ree (Unsplash)
The House of Gucci was infamous long before the movie starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver came out. Every designer in the world knows the story of Patrizia Reggiani and Mauricio Gucci; the whirlwind romance, the souring of the relationship, the eventual murder for hire. Despite this drama, Gucci has been one of the foremost luxury brands in the world almost since it was founded in 1921. Before all the drama that occurred in the film and after it, quality was and will always be Gucci’s primary concern. There is no doubt that their garments, especially the leather wares, are made to stand the test of time. Our particular favourite is the classic black and gold Gucci emblem belt. The simplicity of this item is one of the reasons it's worth the price tag; it's incredibly versatile and will go with most things in your wardrobe. The quality is the second reason; this belt will be an heirloom piece if you look after the leather.
Hermes
Ph. Tamara Bellis (Unsplash)
Hermes is most well known and loved for its leatherware and iconic scarves. The company began in 1837 as a harness and bridle workshop for horses of rich and fabulous Parisian, and Hermes would go on to make saddles and even catered to the Tsar of Russia for a time. In 1918, when they produced their first leather golfing jacket, their journey into fashion began. Hermes only adorned the bodies of the most fashionable people in Paris until 1924, when they first established a presence outside of France. The label is most famous for its exquisite silk scarves and leatherwork, particularly the Birkin Bag. The Birkin came to be in quite an unusual fashion; on a flight from Paris to London, Jane Birkin was seated next to the executive chairman of Hermes, Jean-Louis Duman. She bemoaned the lack of bags well suited to young mothers, and Dumas sketched the Birkin up on the spot. The quality of the stitching and materials means that this bag is definitely worth the price tag.
Chanel
Ph. Laura Chouette (unsplash)
Coco Chanel is undoubtedly one of the best-known women in fashion. It is her most iconic garment that we say is the one most worth its price tag; the Chanel Tweed Jacket. There have been more productions and iterations of this jacked than almost any in the world of designer brands. Some are cut to work as a suit and some are cut more along the lines of a modern, boxy blazer. Though there are a lot of color options, our personal favourite is the black tweed, as it is the most wearable. This jacket has been with us since the end of the Second World War; Chanel came up with it as a response to the return of corsetry. The shape was inspired by the jackets that Chanel would borrow from her aristocratic boyfriend.
Image by Jean Pierre via Pexels
Burberry
Ph. Pete Pedroza (Unsplash)
The epitome of smart, practical, and chic design lies in the Burberry trench. The style has been imitated year after year but never truly duplicated. The crux of the coat’s worth lies in the lightweight gabardine fabric, which Burberry founder Thomas Burberry invented in 1879. This trench has an illustrious history. It was worn by officers in the First World War when the epaulets were used to display rank, and the D rings held equipment. Aspects of this functionality are still reflected in the Heritage Trench. Burberry offers reproofing and repair services, which make their trench a very sustainable choice.
Image by Antony Trivet via Pexels
Rolex
Ph. Antony Trivet (Unsplash)
The longevity of a Rolex timepiece is what makes it worth your while, no doubt about it. A watch from Rolex isn't just a beautiful accessory but can actually be an investment if you look after it well and have it serviced when necessary. Because a lot of the brand’s appeal lies in its exclusivity, watch costs continue to rise. When you consider how many generations can own and wear one Rolex, the cost per wear goes down radically, and the price tag suddenly starts to make a lot more sense. The use of incredibly durable materials such as crystal and Oyster steel means that you have to to seriously mistreat a Rolex for it to become unusable. Since all Rolex timepieces are made with the same philosophy in mind and using the highest quality materials, any of them would be a good choice.
Final Word
If you select a piece from any of these five brands and you look after it well, you’ll have chosen a product that can last your lifetime and the lifetimes of your children and grandchildren. Doesn’t that sound like value for money?
Meet Alise Trautmane-Uzuner, Founder of doors.
Of the many fashion initiatives launched during the pandemic, doors. is a universe for independent designers where they can populate their own space with their style. Behind it there is entrepreneur Alise Trautmane-Uzuner.
Zendaya the Face of Valentino’s new Campaign Rendez-Vous
One name going around all social media channels and headlines is: Zendaya. The young actress has most certainly made a name for herself. One of the many reasons why the world is currently talking about her is her ongoing collaboration with the luxury fashion house Valentino.
Ph. Jordan Nix, Unsplash
Zendaya stuns in Valentino’s new Rendez-Vous campaign for Spring 2022. Everyone was waiting to see Euphoria's star in this new appearance.
About The Campaign, Valentino's Rendez-Vous Spring 2022
Zendaya has been the face of Valentino for a little over a year now and the collaboration between the brand and the actress has seen great success, no wonder she is the face of the new 2022 Spring Rendez-Vous collection.
The focus of this campaign is all about a change of perspective. The highlight is mainly on the way fashion comes alive and real when it becomes your companion in your daily life. As an expression of the wearer's unique identity, the garment is met with the beauty of the imperfections of our lives. The creative director of Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli, has made it his mission to re-signify the Valentino codes with regards to life and truth and his desire to connect the past to the present. When it comes to promoting the campaign there is no one that can do it better than Zendaya.
As Piccioli describes it: “Zendaya perfectly embodies and represents what Valentino is and stands for, today. She is a powerful and fierce young woman that uses her talent and her work to express herself, her values and her generation as well".
The Premiere Of The Promotional Video And Zendaya
Valentino announced their new campaign earlier last week and shortly afterwards released the promotional video featuring the actress. The video was shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles by Marcell Rev and Scott Sakamoto to the song “Crystalised” by The XX with choreography by Stephen Galloway.
The campaign presents Zendaya floating from backstage to the streets to convey a metaphorical journey. It is meant to represent a day in her life and how the garments are a part of that experience. Zendaya posted on Instagram a sneak peek of one of the outfits included in the video, as well as the green suit with a lavender shirt she wore for the press tour of the Spider-Man: No Way Home. We recognised two of the outfits seen in the video but the rest were certainly worth waiting for.
The promotional video did most certainly live up to our expectations, but this is only one of the big news around this campaign. The brand decided to launch pop-ups at four shops in Paris in Le Carreau du Temple from October 1st-5th to celebrate the new collection. Each shop will host exclusive products and events manifesting the Maison’s contemporary values. Keep your ears open because it seems like Valentino is getting ready for an exciting year full of surprises.
Yves Saint Laurent Aux Musées, Celebrating the Designer
60 years ago, Yves Saint Laurent created his debut collection for the couture house he and his partner, the businessman Pierre Bergéand, founded together. And ever since then, they changed the world of fashion forever.
Raoul Dufy - La Fée Electricité, 1937 - Ph. Pierre Antoine
The collection of Yves Saint Laurent is taking over six of the most established museums in Paris to celebrate the great fashion changemaker.
It was January 29th 1962 – Paris – when all the important people in the fashion industry in France gathered at 30 bis rue Spontini to watch Yves Saint Laurent presenting his first-ever collection. Just at the age of 26, he became known as part of the greatest fashion designers of the 20th century. Over the years, the designer became a prominent figure in France and this can be seen in some of his work. He shares a deep bond with French art, literature and museum collections.
Portrait de Yves Saint Laurent, 1971 - Ph. Jeanloup Sieff
60th Anniversary Of The Designer
This year marks the 60th anniversary of this special moment in the history of fashion and the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent decided to have a proper celebration for it.
“I thought it would be impossible to get so many museums to agree to our idea, but they were all very interested and hugely enthusiastic from the beginning. It is the first time they have all worked together on one project”, says Mouna Mekouar, the curator of the event.
Yves Saint Laurent - Robe Hommage à Piet Mondrian, Autumn/Winter 1965
Composition en rouge bleu et blanc II, 1937 - Piet Mondrian
The Centre Pompidou, The Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre and three other museums in Paris decided to honour the french designer and put his garments on display as part of their permanent exhibition. All museums taking part in paying tribute to the designer decided to simultaneously open the doors to the public. It was the date when 26-year-old Yves Saint Laurent presented his first collection in 1962: 29th of January. Other exhibitions are also taking place at the Picasso Museum*, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and will be available till the 15th of May.
Yves Saint Laurent - Veste Hommage à Pablo Picasso, Autumn/Winter 1979
Yves Saint Laurent - Veste Hommage à ma maison, Spring/Summer 1990
The Exhibitions
The interesting part of the exhibitions is that every museum presents and explores different moments in Laurent's life as a designer. The Musée d’Orsay showcases his love of Marcel Proust, the Louvre compares the lavish decorative arts in the Galerie d’Apollon with his garments and presents the why they inspired the designer. The avant-garde movement linked to one of his collections is portrayed in the Pompidou. While the art museums display his collections, the Museum of Fashion presents the sketches that resulted in the garments. Every single event will combine Saint Laurent’s pieces along with those of famous artists such as Mondrian, Picasso, Matisse, Bonnard and Dufy.
Galerie d'Apollon, Musée du Louvre - Ph. Antoine Mongodin
“Saint Laurent was very much inspired by art and this shows the links and dialogue between his work and the museum exhibits. We didn’t want to put the clothes in a room, we wanted them there among the permanent collections. This way the visitors will rediscover those collections at the same time as paying homage to Yves Saint Laurent. It’s like a cultural archipelago” continued Mekouar.
Yves Saint Laurent - Ensemble inspiré de Pierre Bonnard, Spring/Summer 2001
Yves Saint Laurent - Toile dune cape Hommage à George Braque, Spring/Summer 1988
Yves Saint Laurent, the genius with a remarkable vision, revolutionised women’s fashion and shifted the industry into a new and contemporary direction. Providing modern women with an appealing mix of power and femininity, he permanently transformed their wardrobes and he keeps doing so.
Yves Saint Laurent - Cœur (1962) - Ph. Nicolas Mathéus
“I tried to show that fashion is an art. I created for my era and I tried to foresee what tomorrow would be.” – Yves Saint Laurent
*The exhibition at the Picasso Museum will end exceptionally on 15th April.
Photo courtesy of Claudine Colin Communication
Johan Ku's A/W22 Collection
Johan Ku is a Taipei-born designer, an "enfant prodige" who started his career as a graphic designer aged just 17. The designer was later awarded the Gen Art's Avant Garde Prize in 2009.
How Technology is Taking Over the Fashion Industry
Way before the pandemic started, many of us have noticed the rapid evolution of technology. Covid just made all the technological advancements happen faster than anticipated. If you think about it, there are very few things nowadays that people do not need to use technology for. But what about the fashion industry?
Ph. Tumisu, Pixabay
Fashion did not stay behind as new technologies progressed fast forward. The biggest trend at the moment is, indeed, the metaverse and virtual fashion.
Many brands nowadays have easily featured their products and vision in the virtual space with the same value and status they have in real life.
What Is Metaverse?
The term 'metaverse' has become more widely used with the popularity of crypto and bitcoins, a whole new world is being built in front of our eyes. Ever since video games were created, a new virtual reality was introduced and this is now opening many opportunities for artists who are thriving on this new phenomenon. As for the web developers, they are trying their best to save it. But what is it all about? The New York Times defines metaverse as “a variety of virtual experiences, environments and assets that gained momentum during the online-everything shift of the pandemic”.
We can, without a doubt, say that this is a way for the community to realise that sooner or later everything could be moved into a new virtual world.
Is There Such A Thing As A Fashion Metaverse?
If everything is to be moved online nothing will be left behind and fashion is one of the things that are already there, even if it does not feel like it. As people spend more time online, CB Insights Industry Analyst Consensus estimates that virtual goods will represent a $190B market by 2025.1 The way fashion is immersed in the metaverse can be split into two categories: a combination of physical and digital, in which clothing can be worn through augmented or virtual realities, and a fully digital market in which items can be purchased directly from an avatar. Considering there is a demand for such products, more and more high-end brands are trying to make their way into the metaverse. However, with some people being sceptical about moving into virtual, brands are also showing their concerns. To test the virtual environment and digital fashion with all its perks and flaws, the majority of brands have made various collaborations with game, social, and metaverse platforms.
Ph. Mo, Pexels
The Place Of High-end Brands In The Metaverse
The virtual world is supposed to represent a flawless world, in which everyone wants to achieve perfection. Luxury is a key component in the metaverse and that is where the high-end brands can once again dominate the fashion world. Just because some of us are just now learning about the metaverse, this does not mean that it just appeared. Most brands have been working on various projects and collaborations to establish a status in the online society for years now. Louis Vuitton, for instance, released a League of Legends collection in 2019. The brand entered into a multi-year partnership with Riot Games in September that includes both physical and digital designs for the 2019 League of Legends World Championship. That is just one example of a way to be present in the metaverse. Moschino released skins for The Sims, Gucci released a digital collection for a styling app; Nike, Chanel and Balenciaga have collaborated with ‘Pokemon Go’ making virtual shoe collections.
That is just a glimpse into the virtual world. Many more things are being created on a daily basis and many more are disappearing from the real world. There is a place for everyone online, whether for better or worse. Along with trying to keep up with the trends in reality, now we would actually have to keep up with the digital ones as well. It is a challenge worth accepting.
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