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Balmain is a French luxury brand that has influenced a generation of designers, but the question you have is: why is Balmain so expensive?
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From time to time, you see some news about a pair of Balmain jeans or a t-shirt priced over $2,000 and how ridiculous that may seem, even for a luxury brand. However, those prices don’t reflect the entire collection from this French luxury label since some items are below that price. You can find t-shirts for around $450 (still expensive, I know, but the standard price for luxury fashion pieces)
I am not saying Balmain is cheap because it’s definitely not. On the contrary, it’s one of the most expensive luxury labels on the market, but I still consider Gucci and Louis Vuitton a lot more costly. So let’s find out why Balmain is so expensive. You can also check out the best British and American luxury fashion brands.
Why Is Balmain So Expensive?
Balmain can be considered an expensive brand because it’s a well-known luxury label that provides status and exclusivity to those who wear its products. It also offers design value, has a loyal customer base, and higher consumer demand, and celebrities love it.
Read: Why Is Versace So Expensive?
Balmain Is A Luxury Fashion Brand
Why is Balmain so expensive? Because it’s a luxury brand. The fact that you have the Balmain name stamped on any goods makes those goods more valuable straight away. For some consumers, purchasing a Balmain item makes them feel better, like they accomplished something good.
Owning a luxury item is much more than purchasing an average product on the market. Luxury is a synonym for excellence, the best materials, the best craftsmanship, and the most enjoyable shopping experience that will make you feel fantastic. Balmain is expensive because it offers all the above to its consumers.
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For some people, acquiring a Balmain item can be a lifetime goal since they can’t afford it unless they save a lot of money monthly or even for years. Possessing Balmain can be a reward for something remarkable they did at work or in life. That’s the power of luxury labels. They play with your emotions, and you are willing to pay whatever they ask.
Balmain Provides Status and Exclusivity
Since not everyone can purchase a Balmain good, the brand becomes more exclusive, providing a certain status to those who wear it.
Sometimes consumers are not in the financial position to acquire a Balmain item, but they may decide to purchase it because they want to be part of the exclusive group that can afford it. They feel they gain acceptance from others and feel that they belong somewhere. Balmain is expensive because it doesn’t want everyone to buy its products, maintaining a certain exclusivity that its consumers love.
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Balmain can also make some people feel desired and confident because others will perceive them as someone who has money, providing a certain status. On the other hand, for some fashionists, non-luxury goods are perceived as inferior just because they are not luxury. Therefore, they perceive high prices as better quality and higher status.
Balmain Offers Design Value
Balmain offers designer value with timeless classic pieces, emphasizing impeccable construction and simple elegance (at least to most products since you can find some very extravagant).
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Pierre Balmain once said, “Keep to the basic principles of fashion, and you will always be in harmony with the latest trends without falling prey to them.” As a result, you can expect some convoluted and traditional haute couture techniques, making the manufacturing of Balmain costly and the French luxury label more expensive.
Balmain Has A Loyal Customer Base
Customers want to identify with brands that celebrate their designs, aesthetics, and sophistication. Balmain is one of those brands, so consumers stay loyal to the brand and keep purchasing no matter the price asked. Balmain’s aesthetic communicates the quality underlying the brand, so customers pay more for it.
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When Balmain made a unique collaboration with H&M, the entire collection was sold out in hours, showing that the brand has loyal customers. You had massive queues in front of H&M stores, and even both brands’ websites crashed just minutes after the worldwide launch. Many consumers were left frustrated because they couldn’t buy a piece of luxury for such an affordable price.
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For most customers, authenticity matters. So they prefer to pay the total price for a Balmain item, even if it’s in collaboration with a mass-market brand like H&M, that missing the opportunity of possessing something manufactured by Balmain.
Celebrities Love Balmain
Celebrities that have worn Balmain can be considered part of the Balmain Army. We speak about Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Darren Criss, Emilia Clarke, Beyonce, Rihanna, Kris Jenner, and Jennifer Lopez.
Oliver Rousteing designed outfits for the iconic Beyonce performance at Coachella, and collaboration happened between both, which was a massive success in sales. People love to wear the same clothes celebrities do because it makes them feel more connected with their favorite star and more powerful.
Read: Why Is Prada So Expensive?
Celebrities bring awareness and desirability to any luxury brand, making the label seem more exclusive, and making it more expensive, which is the case for Balmain.
Influencers can also become part of the Balmain Army if they identify with the luxury label’s bold spirit of adventure. Vogue even made a guide with some suggestions of how that could happen. This is a genius marketing movement to attract more attention to the luxury brand.
Common Questions About Why Is Balmain So Expensive
These are some of the most common questions about why is Balmain so expensive.
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Is Balmain Overpriced?
It depends from person to person. After all, a luxury fashion label is worth the money as much as the buyer is willing to pay. So a Balmain item can be overpriced for some people who don’t see value in the brand. However, the brand will not be overpriced for those who see value in possing a Balmain item. It all depends on your perception of Balmain.
Is Balmain Good Quality?
Yes, Balmain is an excellent quality fashion house, especially for jackets, dresses, and accessories. You do have some t-shirts made of cotton that are expensive because you have the Balmain logo there, not because they are made of unique material. However, the attention to the design is there.
Read: Why Is Loro Piana So Expensive?
Why Are Balmain Jeans So Expensive?
Balmain jeans are expensive because they are part of a luxury brand label and the attention to detail when manufacturing them is enormous. However, I also believe that the cotton used is of better quality than the one used by mass-market brands since most Balmain products are manufactured in Italy and some other European countries.
Conclusion Why Is Balmain So Expensive
Why is Balmain so expensive? Because it’s a luxury brand that provides status and exclusivity to the consumers who wear its products. The French label also has a loyal customer base who loves the design value offered by the brand and consistently keeps an eye on what celebrities are wearing to copy it.
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At the end of the day, if Balmain is too expensive, overpriced, or not worth it, it’s up to how you feel about the brand. If you like, keep buying and wearing it. If you don’t, you have a lot of luxury labels available to try. I would say Balmain is worth its price for jackets and dresses, but not so much when it comes to some of its t-shirts.
