Fashion Accessory Designers - The Ultimate Guide to What Makes Them Unique
Posted on 13 January 2018
As you've been shopping for fashion accessories, we think you've probably noticied that all fashion accessory designers have their own unique style. We’ve compiled a list of some of the top fashion designers, highlighting what makes the accessories they sell so unique.
This designer specialises in accessories that have a heavy metal vibe blended with luxury wear. Many of their accessories include the icon of a golden skull. With stunning items, typically favouring blends of golds, it will certainly add to a rock style. Mcqueen’s fixation on skulls is present on many of their accessories however the designer has also been known to produce other golden pieces that almost look like they could have been worn by ancient royalty.
Using straps and zips to add texture to design, Balenciaga specialises in bags that have a vintage appeal. Their chic accessories have an almost industrial feel and will be perfect for anyone who wants to make a unique statement with their style. As well as using buckles and zips on their bags the designer is also well known for producing bracelets and other wrist accessories with similar style choices. It is this particularly apparent style choice that makes them one of the most unique designers of accessories on the market today.
The designer's bags and accessories generally favour darker tones with tassels and other features to give each piece a unique vibe. Contemporary style choices ensure their brand stands out in the fashion industry. The designer also often uses unique features to create different patterns and variations on each accessory. Arguably one of the most modern designers on this guide, Barbara Bui has certainly been popular for their range of items in 2017. While they have dabbled in bright colours, they do tend to favour dark browns and shades of black for most of their pieces.
Famous for their distinct check pattern, Burberry accessories are widely imitated, but never matched. The nova check canvas colours can be seen on many of their accessories including a wide selection of stunning bags. From scarfs to small key rings, the check canvas is apparent on virtually every accessory sold by Burberry. It is often associated with Scotland due to similarities to tartan in their style and yet the headquarters of this designer are actually based in London. The designer is currently in the midst of a reinvention as a super luxurious, British brand and as such after this year the accessories they sell could be radically different.
With their ultra luxurious designs, their accessories are often seen on the fingers, over the shoulders and around the wrists of the rich and famous. Cartier’s designs often make use of radical shapes for accessories such as bags, and while the designs may seem simple, they are often beautifully elegant.
Celine designs are notable for the style of their handbags. Many of the bags have panels at the side that point out at angles. As well as this, the accessories tend to use softer curves on the patterns on the bag rather than vertical or horizontal lines. Typically, the colours and shades used by this designer are under-spoken, allowing, even more attention to be drawn to the shape of the accessories.
Accessories from Chanel tend to use a variety of different textures and patterns to make their designs stand out, including quilted caviar leather. Their bags often have chains rather than straps and tend to boldly display the beautiful double C symbol of the brand.
This designer's accessories are both beautiful and elegant. However, what makes them stand out is the way the design uses key features in remarkable ways. For instance, the Drew bags offered by this designer tend to use a twist lock that can be seen as the centrepiece of the design.
The designer is mainly known for their stunning collection of shoes among other accessories. The beautiful shoes are incredibly elegant with delicate heels that add a sense of grace to each design. The designer tends to favour simple styles that essentially, speak for themselves although there are some other more bold choices on the market from this brand too.
Dior have so many different styles present across their range of accessories that it is difficult to pinpoint what makes the designer unique. Though, looking at the items available from Dior, one could suggest that the designer tends to favour more artistic tendencies, often using themes or indeed images and logos to add something more to their accessories. Dior also tends to favour metallic and pastel colours in accessories such as handbags.
This designer has been known to favour floral patterns and fabrics with their accessories. You will also typically find that many of their accessories use bold or perhaps even unexpected colours and shades. Beautiful prints are also often use to add more life and vibrancy to otherwise traditional style choices.
Diane Von Furstenberg accessories are quite minimal and yet do delight with the bold choices for colours that they tend to use. As well as this, the accessories often include a unique symbol or image to give the items character. Many of the accessories do mix and match colours and different shades to a stunning effect, often clashing various styles.
Elie Saab have designed a number of gorgeous accessories over the years including a wide range of different bags. Buyers may notice that many of their bags and indeed accessories favour a minimalistic design. Unlike other designers, they tend to avoid over stylising. Though, their accessories can certainly be recognised by the different fabrics they use to add texture to the different items.
Fendi accessories can typically be recognised for the F monogram present on the fabric or indeed the label. The designs are quite bizarre in some cases with bags that seem to have been given personality with characters added to the design. Arguably it is features like this that separate the work of Fendi from other designers. It’s not surprising that this is the case as Fendi is, of course, part of Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy.
In their designs, Gucci often favours using images and graphics such as tigers, bees and butterflies. They also tend to mix darker shades and brighter colours to create, stunning, stylish effects. Indeed, many of Gucci's style choices for their accessories could even be seen as abstract art, giving the designer a unique place in the marketplace.
This designer has made a name for themselves with accessories that are both bold and vintage. Indeed, the styles may seem like something that was worn decades ago, but it is precisely this that makes them so popular. On top of this, the designer often uses bold aesthetics in their accessories that are radical and exciting.
Jimmy Choo’s accessories are elegant with a wonderful touch of ostentation. The styles have the grace of Christian Louboutin with the glitz and glamour of Dior. The designer has been known to create some stunning accessories with different snakeskin aesthetic materials. You’ll find that Jimmy Choo designs to tend to favour gold, black, white and silver shades, shying away from more distinguished colours.
It’s perhaps worth pointing out that both Chloe and Chanel have both been impacted by the work of Lagerfeld. Accessories for this designer tend to have a feline aesthetic, perhaps even including symbols of whiskers and noses. Many of the designs even include images of cats and icons of the famed designer himself.
Louis Vuitton Accessories can most commonly be recognised by their signature monogram. In styles, the designer often collides gold tones with deep brown palettes with stunning effects. However, the designer has also been known to use multi colours for their monograms. Aside from this style feature, these accessories tend to be quite simple and chic.
Simplistic, chic and elegant, Prada accessories are unique due to their minimal design in most cases. Although, the designer has also produced more bold accessories. Due to the basic designs for most accessories, Prada tends to be all about the fabrics and textures that are used. It is these choices that make the accessories they sell so popular, particularly with the wealthy.
Proenza Schouler are, in terms of fashion, a fairly fresh designer on the market. Established in 2002, they have made great strides, capturing the eyes of many fashion enthusiasts and this is partly due to their stunning accessories. One of the features that makes their bags in particular unique is the use of a turn lock clasp as part of a larger design at the front of the item. As well as this, the designer does wonders by matching bright colours with darker shades. Their accessories are often quite minimal but usually have at least one feature that works as a stunning centerpiece.
This popular designer’s accessories can often be recognised due to the Egyptian styles and the favouring of golden shades. The accessories often include animal icons in the designs such as leopards, crocodiles and tigers. As such, much of the pieces seem to have an African theme. The designer commonly also tends to favour abstract designs, blending a variety of different materials together to make one piece.
Recognised for the unique emblem on many of their designs of two connected horseshoes, the accessories certainly stand out. While much of the designs are minimalist and contemporary, the golden emblem is often used to bring a little more colour and variety.
Simple, sassy and sexy, Stella McCartney accessories will perfectly compliment any outfit. What makes them stand out and seem unique is the way that the strap of the handbags is used to frame the entire item in a rather spectacular fashion. Many of the bags are styled with the chain link trim, a unique feature of this particular designer. With shaggy fabrics, the accessories certainly stand out from more plain options.
Arguably, the most recognisable feature of Tiffany & Co designs is the signature ‘Tiffany Blue.’ You’ll see this shade on many of their accessories as well as the product packaging. You will certainly recognise a Tiffany clutch or handbag due to this unique colour. However, the designer is also known for incredible pieces of jewellery accessories that are absolutely dazzling.
Valentino accessories are perhaps best known for their plentiful use of studs on everything from shoes to clutches and handbags. It certainly adds a unique and eye-catching texture to the accessories that are hard to imitate. As well as this, many of the accessories tend to use bold, beautiful patterns, clashing a wide variety of colours to a stunning effect. While there are certain pieces that are more minimal in general, Valentino accessories will make an impression.
The accessories of this designer can be perhaps best categorised as that of royal calibre. Particularly favouring gold shades, the accessories are certainly not minimal. Indeed, many are designed to be a centrepiece of an outfit rather than an add-on. You will find that even seemingly plain pieces have emblems of gold fitted to add a little extra glamour. Indeed, many of the accessories from this designer could not be mistaken for anything other than the ultimate in luxury fashion. Typically, jewellery pieces will include the emblem of the designer, something that makes the brand both sought after and expensive. Even the bags offered by this company tend to favour beautiful golden chains rather than straps.
Many of the designs by Yves Saint Laurent, use the emblem of the company YSL or indeed, just one of the letters. In some pieces such as handbags and clutches, an initial is used to compliment a piece as a clasp. Though the designer has experimented with bold and bright colours, typically the accessories are styled with darker shades. The designs are particularly elegant and often have unique features such as tassels for extra texture.
We hope this article highlights how different designers use unique style and design choices to make their accessories stand out on the market. This is true whether at fashion shows or in shop stores. While there are similarities and even designers who have worked on multiple brands, each designer has certainly found a way to separate themselves from the crowd with their choices.