Luxury is still just business
Christian Dior. Bulgari. Fendi. Tiffany & Co. Dom Perignon. Givenchy. They're some of the most famous luxury brands in the world, with one important thing in common: All of them — along with 69 other glittering brand names — belong to one French conglomerate, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH.
According to Reuters, LVMH claims about 22 percent of the global market for high fashion, fine leather goods, and high-end watches and jewelry. And for well-heeled buyers who truly can afford anything, LVMH even sells luxury yachts through its Princess Yachts division.
But even if you don't buy Givenchy couture or Tiffany diamonds, there's still a reasonable chance that you've contributed to LVMH's bottom line. The luxury giant also markets beauty brands like Fenty Beauty, Make Up For Ever, and Benefit Cosmetics, along with fragrances from its vaunted fashion houses. You can find almost all LVMH beauty and fragrance products at your local Sephora store — which LVMH also owns.
If you'd like to avoid spending money with such a large conglomerate, you can simply head to Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Balenciaga, or Saint Laurent — legendary fashion brands controlled by Kering, another (albeit slightly smaller) French luxury conglomerate. Kering also owns high-end pen maker Montblanc, Maui Jim sunglasses, and the sportswear label Puma (periodically available at your local Costco).
Are any luxury labels still independent? Actually, yes. Hermes — or Hermes International S.A. — continues to operate independently and markets all of its ultra high-end products, including the famed Birkin bag, under the Hermes label. Though smaller than LVMH, Hermes is still the second largest luxury goods maker on the planet, outstripping brands like Kering and Ferrari by a wide margin.
