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The apparel market in the U.S. holds the biggest market share in the world as it accounts for a total of 28% of the overall global traded that is equivalent to about $331 billion annually. With all the transactions of purchases in the world, this accounts to the growing riches of the clothing companies as well.
Listed below are the richest clothing and fashion brands in the world. These companies also hold the largest share in the market so it's inevitable that they end up with a massive net worth.
Lululemon ($6.5 Billion)
Lululemon is a widely known brand for their yoga and athleisure outfits. The company was founded in 1998 by Chip Wilson in Vancouver, Canada. The compay is one of the richest clothing brand in the world with about $39.8 billion net worth. This is not surprising since the brand became synonymous to yoga and athleisure and the yoga-inspired athletic apparel for men and women has a pretty strong market share.
The company even made a revenue of $5.85 billion in 2021 alone and it does not seem to decrease as they continue to increase their popularity.
Phillips-Van Heusen ($6.04 billion)
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation is now called PVH Corp. and is the clothing line that owns the prominent brands such as Calvin Klein, Warner's, Tommy Hilfiger, Olga and True & Co. The company was founded by Endel Phillips, and Moses Phillips in 1881. The company reported a massive net income of $952 million in 2021.
PVH Corp was the first one to introduce the self-folding collar in 1919 and is now widely known for their high profile ad campaigns that involves prominent celebrities like David Beckham. They are also supplying neckties to brands like Ted Baker and DKNY.
Estée Lauder ($9.71 billion)
Estée Lauder Companies Inc is a multination cosmetics company that is widely known for their make ups, skin care, fragrances and some hair care products. The company was founded by Estée Lauder, and Joseph Lauder in 1946. The company is considered to be the second largest cosmetics company in the world after L'Oréal.
The company offers a wide selection of items which helps them target a large portion of the market. Their signature luxury cosmetic brands include Clinique, M.A.C., Jo Malone and Bobbi Brown.
Richemont ($11.83 billion)
Richemont was founded in 1988 by Johann Rupert, and Anton Rupert that sells jewelry, clothing, leather goods and luxury watches. The Swiss company has acquired a lot of prominent and luxurious fashion brands through the years including Baume & Mercier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Piaget and IWC. They are also the company behind Cartier.
Dior ($11.91 billion)
Dior was founded by Christian Ernest Dior in 1946, although technically, Dior considers 1947 as their year of conception since that was the year the brand released their first collection. Dior is widely known for their fragrant perfumes, fancy cosmetics as well as their luxury bags, jewelries and bags.
The French fashion house first gained recognition after they started selling voluptuous styles of silhouttes as opposed to the famous boxy shapes during the post war in Europe.
Gap ($15.65 billion)
The Gap Inc. was founded by Doris F. Fisher, and Donald Fisher in 1969 in San Francisco, California. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California and currently operates in four main divisions such as Banana Republic, Old Navy, Gap and Athleta.
The brand is considered to be one of the most iconic brand in today's generation and is popular among the young ones.
Kering ($15.70 billion)
Kering is a multinational corporation that was founded by François Pinault in 1963. The company specializes in luxury goods and owns the luxury brands Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen. In 2019, the company reported a massive revenue of $14.16 billion.
H&M ($18.82 billion)
H&M is one of the most popular clothing brands in the world and they have perfectly targeted both the elites and the middle class section of the market. The multinational company was founded by Erling Persson in 1947 in Sweden.
H&M is one of the fast fashion icons in the market that caters to men, women, teenagers and children. The company currently has a massive market share and reported a revenue of $24.8 billion in 2019.
LVMH ($37.14 billion)
It is not surprising that LVMH tops the list as the luxury goods company is widely known and has a relatively more expensive prices on their goods. Despite the pricey price tags on their items, people still buy their goods. The company was founded through a merger of two fashion houses Louis Vuitton and Moët Hennessy in 1987.'
The companies have been in the industry for over a century. Louis Vuitton was founded in 1854 while Moët & Chandon was founded a decade earlier as it was established in 1743 and the cognac producer was founded in 1965.
Sources: Finances Online, Forbes, LVMH