The Top Fashion Designers for Women

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Updated August 11, 2023 28.5K votes 5.5K voters 501.6K views
Over 5.5K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Top Fashion Designers for Women
Voting Rules
Designers who create original clothing or accessories for women and have their own product lines

Fashionistas, just like you can never have too many designer shoes, we know you love your designer clothing brands like Versache, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana, but which is the absolute top fashion designer for women? Whether you're a fan of the funky Betsey Johnson or the classic Louis Vuitton, we want to hear which designer you love best and which you wouldn't be caught dead wearing. Add your list of your favorite fashion designers for women and best designer brands and vote for the ones you love or hate below!

Fashion is a tricky thing to follow and predict as styles and top designer brands change almost as often as the weather. Accordingly, staying trendy can be equally as tricky, and also expensive, but certainly keeps the top designers in business. As many aspiring fashion desingers have learned, it's also a tough business to break into and even harder to stay in. However, as the Valentinos and Chanels prove, some of the best fashion designers for women are timeless.

Vote for your favorites on this list of women's designer clothing brands, and then head to the stores for a shopping spree! You've earned some new designer looks!
Most divisive: Diane Von Furstenberg
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Ranked by
  • Gucci
    1

    Gucci

    1,680 votes
    Gucci is an Italian fashion and leather goods brand, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by the French company Kering, formerly known as PPR. Gucci was founded by Guccio Gucci in Florence in 1921. Gucci generated about €4.2 billion in revenue worldwide in 2008 according to BusinessWeek magazine and climbed to 41st position in the magazine's annual 2009 "Top Global 100 Brands" chart created by Interbrand. Gucci is also the biggest-selling Italian brand. Gucci operates about 278 directly operated stores worldwide and it wholesales its products through franchisees and upscale department stores. In the year 2013, the brand was valued at US$12.1 billion, with sales of US$4.7 billion. In the Forbes list for 2013, Gucci was ranked the 38th most valuable brand. As of January 2015, the creative director is Alessandro Michele.
  • Chanel
    2

    Chanel

    2,115 votes
    Chanel S.A. Heey is a French, privately held company owned by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, grandsons of Pierre Wertheimer, who was an early business partner of the couturière Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. Chanel S.A. is a high fashion house that specializes in haute couture and ready-to-wear clothes, luxury goods and fashion accessories. In her youth, Gabrielle Chanel gained the nickname Coco from her time as a chanteuse. As a fashion designer, Coco Chanel catered to women’s taste for elegance in dress, with blouses and suits, trousers and dresses, and jewellery of simple design, that replaced the opulent, over-designed, and constrictive clothes and accessories of 19th-century fashion. The Chanel product brands have been personified by fashion models and actresses, including Inès de la Fressange, Catherine Deneuve, Carole Bouquet, Vanessa Paradis, Nicole Kidman, Anna Mouglalis, Hope Portocarrero, Audrey Tautou, Keira Knightley and Marilyn Monroe. The House of Chanel is known for the “little black dress”, the perfume No. 5 de Chanel, and the Chanel Suit. Chanel’s use of jersey fabric produced garments that were comfortable and affordable.
  • Prada
    3

    Prada

    1,375 votes
    Prada S.p.A. is an Italian luxury fashion house, specializing in ready-to-wear leather and fashion accessories, shoes, luggage, perfumes, watches, etc., founded in 1913 by Mario Prada.
  • Louis Vuitton
    4

    Louis Vuitton

    569 votes
    Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton, or shortened to LV, is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes, watches, jewelery, accessories, sunglasses and books. Louis Vuitton is one of the world's leading international fashion houses; it sells its products through standalone boutiques, lease departments in high-end department stores, and through the e-commerce section of its website. For six consecutive years, Louis Vuitton was named the world's most valuable luxury brand. 2012 valuation was 25.9 billion USD. Year 2013 valuation of the brand was 28.4 billion USD with a sales of 9.4 billion USD. The company operates in 50 countries with more than 460 stores worldwide
  • Yves Saint Laurent
    5
    Yves Saint Laurent YSL is a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. The founder of the brand died in 2008 and the house produced its last haute couture line in 2002. Founded in 1961 it has been considered one of the world's most prominent fashion houses and known for its modern and iconic pieces, such as its tuxedo jackets for women. Today Saint Laurent Paris markets a broad range of women's and men's ready-to-wear products, leather goods, shoes, and jewellery. Yves Saint Laurent Beauty also has a notable presence in the luxury beauty market, although this is run independently through L'Oreal Paris that licenses the name.
  • Burberry
    6

    Burberry

    1,046 votes
    Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, distributing outerwear, fashion accessories, fragrances, sunglasses, and cosmetics. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. Burberry is most famous for its trench coat, which was designed by founder Thomas Burberry. The company has branded stores and franchises around the world and also sells through concessions in third-party stores. Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales have granted the company Royal Warrants, which have been maintained despite Burberry's closure of its factory in Wales. Christopher Bailey has been the CEO and Chief Creative Officer since 2014. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. In 2014, Burberry ranked 73rd in Interbrand's 'Best Global Brands' report, listing the world's most valuable brands.