An image can speak a thousand words, which makes Instagram one of the loudest social media platforms to date. With its edgy filters, vintage feel and easy to access apps, Instagram is a powerful tool for the fashion industry, whose visual aesthetic plays a key role to its success. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that many of the most luxurious brands out there are taking advantage of this social media platform to further their success. In just a few clicks, anyone can view exclusive images of some of the most popular luxury products the world has to offer.

These brands’ Instagrams are a haven for luxury lifestyle enthusiasts, with many of their posts containing celebrities, private yachts, exotic countries, expensive champagne and beautiful people draped in the most on-trend and extravagant clothing and jewellery. Their Instagrams take photography to the next level, a level that is accessible to everyone to see, yet remains elusive in its exclusivity. According to a recent survey of 249 luxury brands, 93% of them are on Instagram. Brands that utilize Instagram to promote their products generate 15 times the amount of engagement, despite only having a fraction of the reach compared to other social media platforms such as Facebook! So let’s take a look at what luxury brand is doing Instagram best!

10. Valentino: 641,828 Followers, 878,839 Hashtags 

Valentino was established in 1962 in Florence, Italy by Valentino Garavani. Working with the very simple concept that women just “want to be beautiful”, Valentino designs beautiful couture dresses and romantic gowns that have a tendency to stand out of the crowd. Valentino mixes fashion-forward cuts with elegant fabrics, bold colours with luxurious lengths and elegant shapes with quirky details to make its dresses some of the most memorable of all time.

On Instagram, Valentino’s elegance and sophistication translates into waves of beautiful fabric, sophisticated poses and fabulous silhouettes. Valentino's Instagram currently has 641,828 followers and 878,839 #valentino hashtags, ranking it the 44th most popular Instagram all round, and 10th most popular luxury brand Instagram.

9. Ralph Lauren: 681,690 Followers, 776,916 Hashtags

Best known for his signature polo t-shirt, Ralph Lauren does American sports apparel mixed with luxury like no other brand. It’s sister companies, “Polo by Ralph Lauren”, “Ralph Lauren Purple Label”, “Ralph Lauren Collection”, “Black Label”, “Blue Label”, “Lauren by Ralph Lauren”, “Polo Jeans Co.” and Club Monaco" are among some of the most recognisable names in fashion today.

Ralph Lauren’s Instagram sells not only their clothes, but a luxury lifestyle. Saturated in palm trees, blue waters and fresh faces, Ralph Lauren portrays itself as the picture of outdoor style. With 681,690 followers and 776,916 #ralphlauren hashtags, Ralph Lauren is definitely making a name for itself on Instagram.

8. Versace: 573,799 Followers, 1,142,193 Hashtags

When I think of Versace I think of bold colours, diamonds and a ton of black and gold. I also think of that dress (you know, the one that Elizabeth Hurley wore). Founded in 1971 in Milan by Gianni Versace, Versace has made a name for itself as a bold and daring fashion house, with celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Elton John favouring the fashion house’s flare for the dramatic.

This same drama flows through their Instagram, with Donatella Versace and Lady Gaga being prominent faces amongst the bold designs and black and gold accents. With 573,799 followers and 1,142,193 #versace hashtags, Versace is certainly doing well at keeping people engaged in their daring and dramatic endeavors in the world of fashion!

7. Marc Jacobs: 1,165,237 Followers, 952,043 Hashtags

Marc Jacobs was the lead creative director at Louis Vuitton for six years before he left to create his own self-named brand, Marc Jacobs. The American fashion house that has over 200 retail stores in over 80 countries, is a new and upcoming name is luxury fashion and doesn’t shy away from social media in order to market its brand.

With 1,165,237 followers and 952,043 #markjacobs hashtags, it's clear that people are engaging on a dramatic level with Marc Jacobs' street-savvy style, a style that translates over to Instagram with bold flare on a white minimalist background.

6. Louboutin: 2,331,725 Followers, 699,612 Hashtags

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past two decades and didn’t know: Louboutin is a French shoe company, famous for its red patent sole. The Parisian designer Christian Louboutin is also known for being creative and imaginative in his advertisement campaigns and very rarely giving his shoes away for free, even to his most famous and richest of clients.

Louboutin’s Instagram shows a staggering portfolio of work at 1,449 posts, 2,331,725 followers and 699,612 #louboutin hashtags. From flats, to men’s shoes to the infamous stiletto, Louboutin’s Instagram is a shoe addicts dream come true.

5. Prada: 625,094 Followers, 2,523,183 Hashtags  

Italy is renowned as the home of fashion, and Prada is a shining example of that title. Founded in 1913 by Mario Prada, Prada specialises in luxury goods such as fashion accessories, perfumes and watches. In 1919, just six years after its foundation, Prada was made the official designer of the Italian royal household which launched its status as top designer amongst European elite.

Not one for posting something daily, Prada’s Instagram is still as refined and glamorous as its brand and with 625,094 followers and 2,523,183 #prada hashtags, it is one of the most popular luxury brands of Instagram.

4. Burberry: 1,337,917 Followers, 1,258,416 Hashtags

Burberry is a British luxury fashion design house. Famous for its “Burberry tartan” and trench coat, this fashion house was established in 1856 by a young 21-year-old Thomas Burberry. Thomas Burberry became successful in rainy Britain for his focus on outdoor attire, something that was purely functional in design previously. In 1880, Thomas Burberry developed a waterproof fabric that was also light and easy to wear.

In more recent years Burberry has gone through a process of rebranding, using celebrities such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Emma Watson as the new faces of their brand, and with 1,337,917 followers and 1,258,416 #burberry hashtags on Instagram, it looks like they've been quite successful!

3. Louis Vuitton: 1,517,443 Followers, 2,086,511 Hastags

Founded in 1854 in France by Louis Vuitton, the line started its successful career by making square luggage. Yes, you read that correctly: Louis Vuitton’s break-through idea was square luggage. Beforehand, luggage had rounded-tops in order to encourage water run-off, but as you can imagine, made stacking luggage very difficult.

Nowadays, Louis Vuitton’s signature LV appears on anything from luxury accessories to books. A classic luxury brand, that’s known for its brown and beige patterns and leather handbas, Louis Vuitton has not been left behind by modern day web-users. With 1,517,443 followers, 2,086,511 #louisvuitton hashtags, it’s safe to say Louis Vuitton is around for the long run.

2. Michael Kors: 1,908,916 Followers, 1,955,196 Hashtags

The New York based designer, Michael Kors has stormed onto the scene as a big name in luxury brands. Recently named Forbes’ “Newest Fashion Billionaire”, Kors is known for his ready-to-wear pieces as well as his American women’s sportswear.

Michael Kors’ Instagram has over 1,908,916 followers and 1,955,196 #michaelkors hashtags, sandwiching it between two of the biggest names in luxury fashion history: LouisVuitton and Guicci! With 894 posts, Michael Kors’ tries to keep its audience captive with daily pictures of their most up-to-date lines. Interestingly, the first ever ad to run on Instagram was one for Michael Kors!

1. Gucci: 1,273,815 Followers, 2,755,865 Hashtags

Italy’s biggest selling brand, Gucci was formed in 1921 in Florence. Known for its high-end leather goods, clothing, and other fashion products, Gucci reigns king of luxury goods. With high profile celebrities such as Rihanna, Leonardo DiCaprio and Pippa Middleton all sporting Gucci on a regular basis, it’s easy to see why it has remained the name in luxury fashion.

With 1,273,815 followers and 2,755,865 #gucci hashtags, Gucci is the most popular luxury brand on Instagram. With regular posts of celebs wearing Gucci designs, and floods of their newest and hottest items being posted, followers can get a glimpse of the latest luxury in just a few clicks.