Luxury bag brands, ranked
Luxury is a ladder, not a line. Knowing where each brand sits, and why, is how you spend well: sometimes on the name, more often on the bag. Here’s the whole ladder, from PKR 2,376,500 for a Chanel 25 down to the everyday pieces that give you most of the pleasure for a fraction of the price.
In this guide (9)
- What are the big 5 luxury brands?
- What is the No. 1 luxury brand?
- Which luxury brand is the richest?
- Which luxury bag brands are the most expensive?
- Which is the cheapest luxury bag brand?
- What is the best everyday luxury bag?
- What is quiet luxury?
- Why are Gucci and Louis Vuitton so expensive?
- What are the oldest luxury brands?
What are the big 5 luxury brands?
There’s no official list, but the five most people mean are Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior and Gucci. Narrow it to three and it’s Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Chanel, the names at the top of brand-value rankings; a “big four” usually adds Dior.
Choosing between the two most famous? Read Louis Vuitton vs Gucci.
| Brand | Owned by | Founded | Signature bags | At ULVARE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermès | Hermès (family-controlled) | 1837, Paris | Birkin, Kelly | Not stocked |
| Louis Vuitton | LVMH | 1854, Paris | Speedy, Neverfull | Not stocked |
| Chanel | Chanel (privately owned) | 1910, Paris | Classic Flap, 25 | PKR 2,376,500 |
| Dior | LVMH | 1946, Paris | Lady Dior, Saddle | PKR 514,100 to PKR 853,600 |
| Gucci | Kering | 1921, Florence | Jackie, Horsebit 1955 | Not stocked |
What is the No. 1 luxury brand?
By brand value, Hermès: it overtook Louis Vuitton for first place in Kantar BrandZ’s 2026 ranking. By sales, Louis Vuitton is still the world’s biggest luxury brand, by most estimates.
Which luxury brand is the richest?
LVMH, the group behind Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Celine and some 70 other houses, is the biggest luxury company by sales: €80.8 billion in 2025. On the stock market, Hermès has at times been worth more; it first overtook LVMH in April 2025.
Sources: LVMH, 2025 results; CNN, Hermès overtakes LVMH (April 2025)
Which luxury bag brands are the most expensive?
Hermès and Chanel sit at the top. Next come the great houses, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Goyard, Valentino and Gucci. Below them, new-luxury names like Polène, then accessible luxury: Coach, Tory Burch, Michael Kors and Longchamp.
Here’s the same ladder with what those brands’ bags cost at ULVARE today.
| Tier | Brands | Bags at ULVARE |
|---|---|---|
| Top tier | Hermès, Chanel | PKR 2,376,500 |
| Great houses | Dior, Louis Vuitton, Goyard, Valentino, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Burberry | PKR 237,650 to PKR 853,600 |
| New luxury | Polène, Benedetta Bruzziches | PKR 155,200 to PKR 257,050 |
| Accessible luxury | Coach, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Longchamp, Kurt Geiger | PKR 31,040 to PKR 135,800 |
| Contemporary | JW PEI | PKR 33,950 to PKR 58,200 |
Which is the cheapest luxury bag brand?
Among heritage brands, Longchamp and Coach are the easiest ways in, followed by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and Tory Burch. Their bags cost a fraction of a European house’s, and Coach (1941) and Longchamp (1948) have more than 75 years of craft behind them.
At ULVARE, designer bags start at PKR 31,040, for the Longchamp Le Pliage Original Pouch with Handle (Black). Coach bags start at PKR 33,950. Tory Burch at PKR 48,500.
What is the best everyday luxury bag?
A mid-size leather shoulder bag or tote in a neutral colour: big enough for a phone, wallet, keys and sunglasses, light enough to carry all day, classic enough to wear for years. At three budgets: the Coach Tabby 26, the Polène Cyme and the Goyard Saint Louis.
- Coach Tabby 26, from PKR 53,350: the icon of accessible luxury, in leather.
- Polène Cyme, from PKR 179,450: sculpted, logo-free, made in Spain.
- Goyard Saint Louis PM, from PKR 475,300: the insider’s tote, light enough to carry every day.
What is quiet luxury?
Quiet luxury is expensive without announcing it: no big logos, just excellent materials, careful construction and muted colours. Think The Row, Loro Piana and Bottega Veneta, and, at a far friendlier price, Polène.
The rule is old: if it’s good, you don’t need to say who made it. In a bag, that means smooth or grained leather, tonal hardware, and a shape you’ll still want to carry in ten years.
Why are Gucci and Louis Vuitton so expensive?
Partly the making: fine leather, hand-finishing and hours of skilled work. But mostly the name. The great houses limit supply, rarely discount, and spend heavily on stores and advertising, because at this level a high price is part of what you’re buying.
Economists call these Veblen goods: demand rises with the price, because the price itself says something. It’s why Louis Vuitton never holds a sale.
The gap between what a bag costs to make and what it sells for is widest at the top. Accessible luxury brands such as Coach and Tory Burch sell well-made leather bags for a fraction of the price, because they’re selling the bag more than the name.
What are the oldest luxury brands?
Hermès (1837) is the oldest of the big names, followed by Goyard (1853), Louis Vuitton (1854) and Burberry (1856). Chanel (1910), Gucci (1921) and Dior (1946) are young by comparison.
| Brand | Founded | Started as |
|---|---|---|
| Hermès | 1837, Paris | A harness and saddle workshop |
| Goyard | 1853, Paris | A trunk maker, with roots in 1792 |
| Tissot | 1853, Le Locle | A watchmaker |
| Louis Vuitton | 1854, Paris | A trunk maker |
| Burberry | 1856, Basingstoke | An outfitter |
| Seiko | 1881, Tokyo | A watch and jewellery shop |
| Swarovski | 1895, Wattens | A crystal-cutting works |
| Chanel | 1910, Paris | A milliner |
| Prada | 1913, Milan | A leather-goods shop |
| Gucci | 1921, Florence | A leather-goods shop |
| Coach | 1941, New York | A family leather workshop |
| Dior | 1946, Paris | A couture house |
| Longchamp | 1948, Paris | A maker of leather-covered pipes |
| Valentino | 1960, Rome | A couture house |