The luxury clothing market been has more insulated from the effects of economic turbulence than the midmarket, with London being a hotspot for designer flagship store openings – seemingly incongruous in the current era of austerity. The premium market has prospered from a shift in consumer mindset, with more shoppers preferring to invest in fewer items of higher quality clothing. Although ‘luxury’ is conceptualised in very different ways, Mintel’s research reveals that the employment of superior quality materials and craftsmanship, as well as exclusivity, provide the overriding definitions of a luxury brand.

The fashion-conscious under-25s have the greatest affinity for designer/high-end clothing, fuelled by their desire to seek out prestigious status symbols. However, it is 25-34s (particularly men) who are most valuable to the market, being more willing to pay premium prices, in contrast to their bargain-hunting younger counterparts. Affluent ABs and aspirational C2s emerge as the key socio-economic groups within the luxury sector. The feelgood factor associated with luxurious items is the major motivator for sales, with most people buying premium clothing as an indulgent treat.

This report examines consumer attitudes towards luxury and designer brands. We asked consumers to select the criteria that define a luxury brand before asking their views on shopping for luxury brands, motivations for buying luxury brands, in which product categories luxury brands have been purchased, where these have been bought, and their attitudes towards luxury brands.

Because of the difficulty in defining a designer brand/high-end retailer and the different opinions within the trade as to what constitutes a designer label, Mintel does not attempt to define the market in terms of specific brands or retailers, however we do offer an estimate of consumer spend on designer and high-end clothing based on our 2010 analysis (see Mintel’s Designer/Upmarket Clothing – UK, March 2010) of TGI data on the proportion of adults who spend more than £250 per year on clothes together with our knowledge of the market and from trade insight.

This report examines consumer attitudes towards buying designer clothing and footwear compared to other consumer goods areas, which include: beauty products, home and personal electronics, footwear, bags, jewellery and watches, furniture and home appliances.