Worn by Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, actor Gary Cooper, and American property magnate Donald Trump, Italian label Brioni takes the crown when it comes to prestige in men s style, according to a US survey. Brioni was rated the most prestigious luxury men s fashion brand by a narrow margin in the 2007 Luxury Brand Status Index survey from the independent New York-based Luxury Institute. Italian high-fashion rival brands Armani and Ermenegildo Zegna tied for second place while Ferragamo was rated third. This is the first time men s luxury fashion brands have been rated by wealthy consumers, said Milton Pedraza, chief executive of the Luxury Institute, in a statement. This category is highly competitive, with many brands seeking the same client. Interestingly, each brand has key strengths, but no brand dominates on all the critical luxury metrics. The privately owned company Brioni Roman Style, founded in Rome in 1945, boasts that its suits take at least 18 hours of work and are hand-stitched. Customers can choose from more than 5,000 difference fabrics. Ready-to-wear Brioni suits can start from about $4,000 and are sold through Brioni stores as well as upmarket retailers internationally while custom-tailored suits can carry a price tag of around $20,000. The company also sells casual clothing and carries a small range of women s apparel. The online survey by the Luxury Institute involved over 1,500 wealthy Americans with an average income of $319,000 and average net worth of $3 million.
