The global luxury market is finally moving back into growth mode in 2026, but this is not just a “bounce back” year—it is a reset of how luxury value is created and perceived. The 3% to 5% growth forecast at constant exchange rates for 2026 is for the personal luxury goods market (including jewelry, leather handbags, shoes, and ready-to-wear fashion).
What emerges is a market shaped by three clear shifts: consumers are prioritizing immersive brand experiences over simple product purchases, younger buyers are rewriting the rules of prestige, and brands are leaning on highly personalized digital relationships to keep luxury feeling scarce and special at scale .
After what Bain & Co. describes as the “shopping spree era,” experiences and emotions have become the true engine of luxury growth, with a tectonic shift toward hospitality, fine dining, and curated moments replacing traditional luxury goods as the primary driver of value .
How Our Ranking Was Built
To make sense of who is really winning in this new environment, the 2026 ranking combines two complementary lenses. First, Brand Finance’s Luxury & Premium 50 2025 report is used to anchor the list in hard numbers, ranking brands by the financial value of their name and image in US dollars.
Second, the Vogue Business Index H1 2025 adds a critical “demand-side” view—how desirable these brands are, how likely consumers are to buy, and how strongly they perform across digital and client experience. The final Top 10 prioritizes brand value, but adjusts for late-2025 shifts in sentiment and momentum that are expected to define 2026.
The Top 10 Luxury Brands of 2026
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Rank
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Brand
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Brand Value (USD)
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Key Strategic Highlight (2025-2026)
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2026 Outlook
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1
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Porsche
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$41.1 Billion
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Retains title as the world’s most valuable luxury and premium brand for the 8th consecutive year .
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Continued dominance, leveraging high-margin models and premium positioning.
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2
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Chanel
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$37.9 Billion
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Fastest-growing brand in the ranking (45% growth); closing the gap on the top spot .
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Focus on creative leadership under Matthieu Blazy to reverse purchase intent decline .
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3
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Louis Vuitton
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$32.9 Billion
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Maintains top spot in the Vogue Business Index for desirability and performance .
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Strong cultural relevance, particularly with Gen Z via high-profile ambassadors like Felix .
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4
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Hermès
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$31.0 Billion
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Master of scarcity and artisanal control, leading in consumer sentiment for in-store experience .
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Continued strong financial performance despite weaker digital/omnichannel scores .
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5
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Dior
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$17.3 Billion
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Strongest luxury brand globally (BSI 93.5); highest “most likely to purchase” sentiment .
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Poised for further ascent, leveraging superior brand strength and digital popularity.
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6
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Rolex
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$18.8 Billion
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36% brand value growth; strategic move into the pre-owned market with Certified Pre-Owned scheme .
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Resilient demand and pricing power, with a focus on controlling the secondary market.
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7
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Cartier
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$15.7 Billion
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Strong 15% brand value growth, solidifying its position as a hard-luxury leader .
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Sustained growth driven by timeless designs and high-value jewelry.
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8
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Ferrari
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$14.4 Billion
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36% brand value growth; second strongest luxury brand globally (BSI 90.1) .
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Reinforcing luxury appeal through scarcity, high-margin models, and lifestyle partnerships .
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9
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Ralph Lauren
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N/A
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Fastest riser in the Vogue Business Index (+7 positions), benefiting from the “preppy” trend .
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Disrupting the high-luxury space by offering a compelling “lifestyle ecosystem” and hospitality ventures .
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10
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Gucci
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$11.4 Billion
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Facing a 24% decline in brand value but undergoing a major creative shift .
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The appointment of Demna as Creative Director signals a high-stakes effort to forge a new, financially viable identity
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Source: RB analysis of Brand Finance’s Luxury & Premium 2025 Report and Vogue Business Index 2025 Report
Key Findings: Top 10 Luxury Brand Insights at a Glance
In this year’s lineup, familiar leaders remain on top, but the hierarchy inside the top tier is shifting. Porsche’s enduring strength shows how consistent equity, pricing power, and tightly controlled volumes can sustain leadership for eight consecutive years at the top of the luxury–premium table
Chanel and Dior, however, are the brands to watch: Chanel posts standout brand value growth, while Dior emerges as the “sentiment leader,” topping the charts on brand strength and purchase intent and signaling a serious challenge to the old order.
At the same time, names like Ralph Lauren are climbing fast on the back of lifestyle ecosystems, while
Gucci finds itself in a high-stakes reinvention phase after a drop in brand value and desirability. Gucci sits at an inflection point, its recent decline in value and sentiment reflects brand fatigue and oversaturation, and the appointment of Demna as Creative Director is a deliberate bet on a sharp new identity that must turn creative energy into profitable, durable demand.
The 3 Big Shifts Reshaping Luxury
Three structural trends explain why some brands are pulling ahead.
1. Experience Pivot
First, the “experience pivot” is real: luxury is moving beyond products into full “brand worlds,” from hospitality and clubs to cultural partnerships, with Ralph Lauren’s restaurants and private spaces as a clear example of lifestyle-led strategy.
2. Gen Z and Gen Alpha Buyers
Second, Gen Z and Gen Alpha buyers are redefining what it means to be “luxury,” putting cultural relevance, identity expression, and social storytelling ahead of traditional price-based hierarchy, which forces brands to compete in culture, not just in stores.
3. Resale Revolution
Third, the resale revolution is no longer peripheral—pre-owned luxury is expected to grow two to three times faster than first-hand through 2027, pushing brands like Rolex to formalize and control secondary demand via Certified Pre-Owned programs that protect equity and pricing.
Future Outlook
Regionally, the recovery is uneven but clear. Asia Pacific, led by China, is set to deliver some of the fastest growth, supported by improving consumer confidence and a shift toward experience-led spending.
North America remains a revenue powerhouse, supported by resilient local demand and strong outbound tourism, while the Middle East continues to expand rapidly, driven by larger basket sizes, heavy investment in luxury retail, and high-net-worth tourism flows.
