Designer clothing refers to the clothes that are sold with a logo of the fashion designer who designs them. It is different from the costume design in the sense that costume design is popular just for one or two seasons whereas the designer clothing represents a specific style which is popular amongst a specific group with specific style.

Features of designer clothing that differentiate it from the generic clothing are:

§ Exclusivity (Even if made for mass market they are small in number)

§ Creativity (Sometimes reaching the level of such zaniness that clothes can’t be worn by a sensible person)

§ Expensiveness (For the unique design, special attention and time)

Designer clothing evolved in Paris when Charles Fredrick Worth used his name as a label for his creations. In fact the term couturier was devised to describe him.

Designer Clothing does not always represent the actual work of the designer whose label it bears. Mostly it refers to the licensing agreement of the designer with the manufacturing company to use his/her name as a brand. 1^st licensing agreement was signed in 1960s by a designer named Pierre Cardin.

Nowadays a designer clothing brand may represent a couturier who is the sole owner of the company e.g. Christian Dior, Channel or Yves Saint Laurent or it may be a fashion house that does not necessarily operate just in clothing line e.g. Gucci, Louis Vuitton. It may also be a retailer who is in agreement with some designer and buy his/her creations and sells with his label as done in mass market sales in some cases.

Categories of Designer Clothing: Designer Clothing can be divided into three main categories on the basis of their target market:

§ Haute couture: Haute Couture refers to trend setting fashion. General trend in designer clothing till 1950s was to design the garments for a specific individual. Attributes of haute couture are time taking designing techniques and special attention to details and finish of the garment to create breath taking piece of clothing regardless of the cost it incurs.

§ Mass market: Recent trend in the designer clothing is mass market sales. These clothes are designed to cater the needs of various groups instead of a specific client and are available in a range of sizes. Mass market designers’ collection is usually inspired by the collection of top designers. Cheap material, creative work and relatively inexpensive garments is what describes a mass market collection.

§ Ready-to-wear: Ready-to-wear designer clothes are the intersection of the haute couture and the mass market designer clothing in the sense that though these are not made for a single client but special care and attention is taken to ensure exclusivity. They are relatively expensive than mass market designer clothes and are marketed by fashion houses each season.

Gone are the days of mass marketing. Current and successful strategy to capture the market is niche. Designers these days focus on catering the needs of a specific group of individual. Even the large fashion houses with more capabilities focused their attentions and energies on satisfying the needs of one group in the start but after they gain popularity it was easier for them to add new lines to their collection.

Various areas of specialization for designer clothing include:

§ Women Designer Clothing: Women designer clothes can be further divided into women’s day wear, women’s evening wear and women’s lingerie wear. Focus of women designer clothing is practicality, comfort, glamour and sophistication.

§ Men Designer Clothing: Men designer clothing can be classified into men’s day wear and men’s evening wear. Comfort and practicality are the main focus of men’s wear.

Other categories of designer clothing include teenage wear, girl’s wear, sportswear, knitwear, outerwear, kids wear, baby wear and bridal wear.

Fashion has evolved as an industry over the period. Many countries have their own fashion industry with a distinctive style and some of them are of international acclaim in designer clothing. Top three fashion industries of the world are that of Italy, French and America.

§ Italian Designer Clothing: Italian designer clothing is characterized by its elegance and luxury fabric. The best known Italian designer brand in clothing is Gucci. Valentino Garavani, Giorgio Armani and Prada are other examples of world known Italian designer brands.

§ French Designer Clothing: French designer clothing features style, sophistication and elegance. Chanel, Christian Dior and Givenchy are examples of famous French designer brands.

§ American fashion design: A casual and athletic style is what characterizes an American clothing design. Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauran and Donna Karan are examples of American brands of international acclaim.