Designer label
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The term designer label refers to clothing, luxury automobile manufacturers and other personal accessory items sold under an often prestigious marque which is commonly named after a designer, founder or location where founded such as BMW. The term is most often only applied to luxury items. Examples include labels such as Burberry, Gucci, Armani, Calvin Klein, Versace, Shiatzy Chen, Louis Vuitton, Cartier SA, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Valentino, Chanel, Lanvin, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Kenzo, Tod's, Fendi and others which are derived from the company's founder and most iconic designer. Other clothing (and accessories) marquee names do not directly refer to the company's founder: for example, Dooney & Bourke, United Colors of Benetton, and L.L.Bean may be referred to as designer labels. While members of the upper middle class, or the mass affluent, are perhaps the most commonly targeted customers of these designer labels, some marquees—such as Cartier, Rolex, Montblanc and Haute Couture—tend to a wealthier customer base.Template:Citation needed
Many department stores themselves may be considered designer labels, such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, David Jones, Takashimaya and Daimaru.
Designer labels are not only restricted to the fashion industry, many car and motorcycle companies are regarded as designer labels. Mercedes Benz, BMW, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Bugatti, Jaguar, Audi and Harley Davidson are examples of these brands. These companies make their vehicles to a higher standard than the average manufacturers and many other attributes such leather used in the upholstery, woodworks and paneling, high levels of technology, extra safety and speed are employed to make for a better product. These vehicles are also in high demand all over the world, and waiting lists may be applied to some models such as the Rolls Royce Phantom and the Bugatti Veyron .
Many people consider designer labels to be a status symbol.
The relationship between consumer products, and social status is highly debated.
