Am I Dreaming Or Are Some Luxury Fashion Prices Actually Kind Of Decreasing?

While high prices are everywhere in luxury fashion, it's not all that it seems. Plus, some thoughts on whether a new Fendi baguette has entered the scene.

In the past couple of years, one of the biggest conversations in the fashion industry has been the seemingly endless inflation of prices. And the proof is, of course, in the numbers. As I wrote last summer, luxury prices were around 36% higher in the United States versus 2020, and over 50% higher in Europe versus 2019. Ouch.

Today, as new, Spring 2026 ready-to-wear collections are starting to drop and become available to purchase, the buzz surrounding luxury fashion’s ultra-high-prices and many five-figure clothing items feels more prominent than ever.

Take Demna’s first collection for Gucci, for example, which includes a pink chiffon dress selling for $16,000, a blue shearling coat selling for $15,000, and another shearling coat—this time in tiger print—selling for $48,000. Yep, you read that right. Nearly fifty thousand dollars.

At this point, you’re lucky if you find a high-fashion price tag that doesn’t include a comma. And while high prices have always felt somewhat inherent to luxury fashion, what do these steep prices mean for consumers and brands alike? Actually, it’s not all that it seems.