Designer clothing is clothing that bears the logo of a recognizable fashion designer.
The "designer" whose name is on the label may be:
- A European couturier, e.g., Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent
- A European luxury goods house, e.g., Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton
- An American sportswear label, e.g., Juicy Couture, Joe Boxer, Banana Republic, Coach, The North Face, Pearl Izumi, Golfsmith
- An American entrepreneur and their eponymous retail brand, e.g., Kate Spade, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Maria Pinto
When talking about designer clothing, the highly creative and expensive creations of top fashion designers are rarely what is meant.
Rather, designer clothing is typically used to describe clothing that was not designed or made by the top fashion luminary, but bears their name due to a licensing agreement the designer has entered into with a mass market apparel manufacturer. These agreements allow manufacturers of commodity apparel items to sell their wares at a premium price due to the cachet of the designer's name and providing the designer with another income stream.
Read more about Designer Clothing: Designer Brands, Designer Jeans
Famous quotes containing the words designer and/or clothing:
“The basic Female body comes with the following accessories: garter belt, panti-girdle, crinoline, camisole, bustle, brassiere, stomacher, chemise, virgin zone, spike heels, nose ring, veil, kid gloves, fishnet stockings, fichu, bandeau, Merry Widow, weepers, chokers, barrettes, bangles, beads, lorgnette, feather boa, basic black, compact, Lycra stretch one-piece with modesty panel, designer peignoir, flannel nightie, lace teddy, bed, head.”
—Margaret Atwood (b. 1939)
“In the very midst of the crowd about this wreck, there were men with carts busily collecting the seaweed which the storm had cast up, and conveying it beyond the reach of the tide, though they were often obliged to separate fragments of clothing from it, and they might at any moment have found a human body under it. Drown who might, they did not forget that this weed was a valuable manure. This shipwreck had not produced a visible vibration in the fabric of society.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)