Designer Clothing Guide

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
    A European luxury goods house, e.g. Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton
    An American sportswear label, e.g. Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren

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 the designer's name; and provide the designer with another income stream.

The quality of the clothing, and resemblance (or lack thereof) to the designer's work vary considerably depending on the licensee, and the terms of the agreement the designer has struck. Some terms of these agreements may include limits on the number of styles of different types of garments that may be produced, or a final approval clause allowing the designer to veto any designs they find unappealing.

This licensing of designer names was pioneered by designers like Pierre Cardin in the 1960s and has been a common practice within the fashion industry from about the 1970s.