Hermès Takes the Crown
For the first time, Hermès outranks Louis Vuitton as the world’s most valuable luxury brand. The ranking says as much about restraint as it does about size.
In April, Kantar’s BrandZ ranking of French brands placed Hermès first for the first time, valuing the brand at about $113 billion against $87.5 billion for Louis Vuitton and $83.1 billion for Chanel. This autumn FashionUnited’s index of the most valuable fashion brands followed suit, putting Hermès at the top ahead of Louis Vuitton and Chanel.
The headline matters less than the pattern beneath it. Kantar noted that Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels were among the strongest risers, while houses more exposed to fashion cycles — Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior and Celine among them — lost value. Globally, the combined value of the ten most valuable luxury brands fell by 8 per cent in the 2026 ranking.
“The houses that ration supply and say little in public are holding their ground.”ÉPURE
In other words, the market is polarising. The houses that ration supply, sell craft over novelty and say little in public are holding their ground; those that grew fastest on aspiration are giving some of it back.
For readers, the practical lesson is an old one: objects bought for their making tend to keep their meaning longer than objects bought for their moment.
Read next
Style
The Hotel Is the New Flagship
While fashion houses brace for a hard winter, the luxury money is moving into rooms with a view. Europe’s hotel pipeline has never been this upscale.
A Room with a Dolomite
The First Cortina opens on 4 December with 76 balconied rooms, a two-level REVĪVŌ spa and a view that does most of the work.
.jpg){kind=link}
Art Basel Paris, Cut Short
The fair’s fifth edition closed two days early as protests loomed. The previews, by most accounts, had already done the selling.