New York City-based research organisation TheLuxury Institute has published the results of its most recent study into which fashion brands are making the biggest impression on wealthy consumersin Europe.
The study is based on the organisation's Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey of high-earning European consumers, asking them which brandsdeliver "true luxury".The survey asks participants to rate luxury brands by category across four equally weighted components: consistently superior quality, uniqueness and exclusivity, making the customer feel special and being consumed by people who are admired and respected.
In women's shoes, the top three brands for 2009 wereChristian Louboutin with a score of 8.37 (out of 10) on the index, Manolo Blahnik with 8.35 and Jimmy Choo with 8.30.
The result for men's shoes hadBottega Veneta in first place with a score of7.83, Piaciotti Cesare in second with 7.77 and Salvatore Ferragamo in third with 7.64.
A separate category on bags placedHermes first with7.84, thenChanel with 7.69 and Jimmy Choo 7.66.
"Europe will always be a core market for the luxury industry," said Milton Pedraza, chief executive of the Luxury Institute on announcing the results. "It is still the largest continental economy in the world and continues to be the cradle of luxury."
