Hermès has overtaken Louis Vuitton to become the world’s most valuable luxury brand, according to Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2026 ranking, ending years in which its French rival held the top spot in the luxury category.
The Paris house, famous for its Birkin and Kelly handbags, rose to 15th place overall with a brand value of $45.2 billion, up 10.6 percent on the year, edging just ahead of Louis Vuitton at 16th place with $45.1 billion.
A first at the top
Interbrand said Hermès overtook Louis Vuitton for the first time in its annual ranking, crediting the house’s emphasis on craftsmanship, controlled scarcity and experiential initiatives such as its “Hermès in the Making” travelling workshops. The result comes in a demanding market marked by reduced consumer spending and shifting shopping behaviour, in which the consultancy said the strongest luxury brands have shown that disciplined brand management and desirability remain powerful drivers of value.
Louis Vuitton’s slip to second place in the ranking follows a difficult period for the wider luxury sector, with weaker demand in China weighing on the industry’s biggest groups. LVMH, Louis Vuitton’s parent, has reported falling sales in its fashion division this year as Chinese consumers cut back on luxury spending.
Chanel and the jewellers climb
Chanel held its position among the world’s most powerful luxury brands at 24th place, with a brand value of $32.9 billion, up 8.1 percent. Interbrand linked the growth to a period of creative renewal under artistic director Matthieu Blazy, who has brought fresh energy to the house while keeping the design codes that made it distinctive.
Jewellery brands also performed strongly. Cartier rose to 69th place with a brand value of $12.2 billion, up 9.4 percent, while Tiffany & Co. reached 91st place at $8.1 billion, up 6.2 percent. Interbrand said both houses had invested in creativity, cultural partnerships and elevated shops, and that consumers were rewarding brands able to unite heritage with contemporary service.
Heritage alone is no longer enough
The ranking’s broader message, Interbrand said, is that heritage alone no longer guarantees growth: the winners in luxury are those that have strengthened desirability rather than relying on existing scale. A separate ranking, Kantar’s BrandZ 2026, likewise places Hermès first among luxury brands, underlining how far the house has pulled ahead in a year when much of the sector has struggled.
FAKTA
- Hermès is ranked the world’s most valuable luxury brand in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2026, at 15th overall with a brand value of $45.2 billion, up 10.6 percent.
- Louis Vuitton drops to second in the luxury category at 16th overall, valued at $45.1 billion.
- Chanel ranks 24th overall at $32.9 billion, up 8.1 percent, under artistic director Matthieu Blazy.
- Cartier is valued at $12.2 billion, up 9.4 percent, and Tiffany & Co. at $8.1 billion, up 6.2 percent.
- Interbrand credits Hermès’s craftsmanship, controlled scarcity and experiential projects such as “Hermès in the Making”.
Conclusion
Hermès’s rise to the top of Interbrand’s luxury ranking captures the luxury market’s new order: in a cautious spending climate, scarcity, craft and cultural relevance are beating sheer scale. Whether Louis Vuitton can win the crown back will depend on reviving demand in its key markets, above all China.
