New data from Brand Finance reveals total brand value of world’s top 50 apparel brands exceeds $366 billion
LONDON, 28 August 2025 – Nike emerges as the strongest apparel brand globally, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 94.7 out of 100, according to a new report from Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy. Brand Finance data also reveals that Nike is also the second strongest brand in the world, across all sectors and countries, in 2025.
According to Brand Finance research, Nike earns excellent scores across most brand strength metrics. Notably, Nike nets strong scores for price acceptance across several key markets, including France, Italy, Sweden, South Africa, and Malaysia, underscoring the brand’s ability to maintain strong value perception globally.
Chanel has overtaken Louis Vuitton to become the world’s most valuable apparel brand, following a 45% increase in brand value to USD37.9 billion. This also makes it the second fastest-growing apparel brand. The Apparel 50 2025 ranking also reveals that just nine French brands contribute USD135.6 billion – 37% of the ranking’s total value.
Annie Brown, Valuation Director, Brand Finance commented:
“Even though the U.S. contributes the highest number of brands in the Apparel 50 2025 ranking at 12, just nine French brands generate almost double the total value of their U.S. counterparts. This strength is closely tied to France’s enduring legacy in luxury apparel and the role of tourism as a powerful market driver. As one of Europe’s most visited destinations, and with the momentum of the 2024 Olympic Games, France continues to attract international shoppers who value purchasing from brands in their country of origin. French luxury apparel brands are capitalising on this demand with strategic expansions that reinforce their global position, driving both brand value and brand strength.”
UK sportswear brand Reebok is the fastest-growing apparel brand in 2025, its brand value rising 79% to USD1.7 billion. Brand Finance attributes this, in part, to several brand campaigns executed by the brand in order to capture wider audiences, including its “Sport is Everything” campaign featuring sports stars like Angel Reese, Justin Fields, and Suryakumar Yadav. Adidas and New Balance are also among the top 10 fastest-growing apparel brands in 2025.
Chinese down apparel brand Bosideng (brand value USD2.1 billion) has emerged as a ‘brand to watch’ in the Apparel 50 ranking, securing 45th position overall. Bosideng’s brand value has more than doubled since 2019, when it was valued at USD939 million, driven by its strategic focus on long-termism, technological innovation, and cultural influence. With a BSI score of 81.1 out of 100 and a corresponding AAA- rating, Bosideng is the 18th strongest brand in the ranking, reflecting its expanding global footprint and brand resilience.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
