designer-label

IPA/dɪˌzaɪnə ˈleɪbl/
IPA/dɪˌzaɪnər ˈleɪbl/

designer-label — noun

1. a famous fashion company that makes and sells high-priced products such as cloth

1.nounB1
Definition

a famous fashion company that makes and sells high-priced products such as clothes, bags, and watches carrying its well-known name or symbol

Example

Amara saved for months to buy a designer-label handbag for her sister's wedding.

collocation: designer-label handbag

The shop in the town square sells only designer-label clothing from European fashion houses.

collocation: designer-label clothing

Common collocations
  • designer-label clothing
  • designer-label goods
  • designer-label handbag
  • designer-label watch
  • designer-label shoes
  • designer-label accessories
  • wear designer labels
  • buy designer labels
  • sell designer labels
Synonyms
  • luxury brand

    focuses on high price and exclusivity; designer-label emphasises the famous designer's name

  • fashion house

    refers specifically to the company, often an established name in the fashion industry

  • label

    broader term for any brand's identifying mark; does not imply high fashion

Antonyms
  • generic brand

    a product sold under a store's own name without a famous designer's mark

  • high-street brand

    mass-market clothing brands sold at affordable prices, the opposite of exclusive designer labels

Grammar Patterns

designer-label + noun

a/the designer-label

Usage Note

Can refer to the company, the products themselves, or the brand name. Frequently used attributively before a noun that names the type of product (e.g. designer-label shoes).

Common Mistakes

My new bag is a designer-label called Gucci.
My new bag is from a designer label called Gucci.
Designer-label describes a category, not a specific brand name; use 'from a designer label' or simply name the brand.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms refer to companies that sell products with a recognised brand name, but they differ in scope and connotation. A designer label specifically emphasises that a famous designer created or endorses the products, so the name (e.g. Gucci, Prada) carries prestige from the designer's reputation. A luxury brand focuses on high price, quality, and exclusivity — it may or may not be tied to a single famous designer (e.g. Rolex is a luxury brand, but not typically called a designer label). A fashion house is the company itself, often a historic institution like Chanel or Dior, and tends to suggest a full line of clothing and accessories. Label is the broadest term — any brand's identifying name or symbol — and does not imply high fashion or high price. For example, you would say 'She only wears designer labels like Gucci and Prada' but not 'She only wears labels' — that is too vague.

designer labelluxury brandfashion houselabel ↗

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Designer-label is a compound noun formed in the late twentieth century from 'designer' (from French 'dessiner' meaning to plan or draw) and 'label' (from Old French 'label' meaning a ribbon or strip). The term rose to prominence with the global expansion of high-end fashion houses that stamped their names prominently on their products.