Hermès Tops Kantar BrandZ 2026 Luxury Ranking, Ending Louis Vuitton's Reign
In the latest Kantar BrandZ rankings for 2026, Hermès has taken the lead as the top luxury brand, overtaking Louis Vuitton for the first time in its 21-year history. This ranking measures how much of a company's value comes from its brand alone. Kantar credits Hermès's success to its limited production strategy for iconic bags like the Birkin and Kelly, creating high demand. Additionally, the brand made history by hiring Grace Wales Bonner, the first Black woman to lead its design team. In contrast, Louis Vuitton and Chanel were the only two European brands in the Global Top 100 to see a decline in value, amid challenging market conditions.
Key facts
- Hermès displaced Louis Vuitton as the most valuable luxury brand in Kantar BrandZ's 2026 ranking, the study's 21st edition
- Louis Vuitton and Chanel were the only European brands in Kantar's Global Top 100 whose valuations fell year on year, which Kantar attributed to challenging market conditions
- European brands in the ranking grew their value by 14% on average, and the Global Top 100 reached a combined $13.1 trillion
- Kantar tied Hermès's rise to the appointment of British designer Grace Wales Bonner, the first Black woman to lead design at the house
- Hermès founder Thierry Hermès opened a harness workshop in Paris in 1837, and sixth-generation family member Axel Dumas serves as executive chairman
- Louis Vuitton began in 1854 making flat-topped travel trunks and introduced its monogram canvas in 1896; LVMH is controlled by Bernard Arnault
- Chanel is privately held by the Wertheimer family, owners since the 1950s, and began voluntarily publishing annual revenue figures in 2018
- LVMH acquired Tiffany & Co in 2021 in a deal valued at roughly $15.8 billion, its largest acquisition at the time
Entities
Artists
- Grace Wales Bonner
- Thierry Hermès
- Axel Dumas
- Bernard Arnault
- Alessandro Michele
- Christian Dior
- John Galliano
- Maria Grazia Chiuri
- Jonathan Anderson
- Aldo Cipullo
- Miuccia Prada
- Raf Simons
- Thomas Burberry
- Diana, Princess of Wales
- Hans Wilsdorf
Institutions
- Hermès
- Louis Vuitton
- Kantar
- Kantar BrandZ
- LVMH
- Chanel
- Gucci
- Kering
- Dior
- Fendi
- Tiffany & Co
- Cartier
- Richemont
- Van Cleef & Arpels
- Montblanc
- Saint Laurent
- Bottega Veneta
- Balenciaga
- Rolex
- Hans Wilsdorf Foundation
- Prada
- Prada Group
- Miu Miu
- Burberry
- London Stock Exchange
- Hong Kong Stock Exchange
- Quartz
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Florence
- Italy
- Milan
- London
- United Kingdom
- Geneva
- Switzerland
- New York
- United States
- Shanghai
- China
- Seoul
- South Korea
Sources
- Quartz —