If you’re looking for the most famous Italian brands, we have the list for you! Read on.
Italy is home to a great number of prestigious brands. The country is known to produce the most iconic brands — from clothing lines to luxury cars and even chocolates — which have made quite a name in their respective industries. These brands not only dominate the local market but are making enormous impact across the globe as well.
20 Most Famous Italian Brands
Italy has become synonymous with luxury and quality because of the many major and distinguished worldwide brands that hail from the country. This is why the merchandise mark “Made in Italy” is quite famous and very much sought-after.
Let’s jump into the most famous Italian brands that make the mark “Made in Italy” so precious.
Brands from Italy: Automobiles
1. Ferrari
Ferrari is said to be the symbol of speed, luxury, and wealth.
The Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, which was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939, is known to produce some of the fastest and the sleekest cars in the market.
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The brand is one of if not the most popular names in the world of motorsport. It is known to be among the top producers of performance cars in nearly 60 years now.
Ferrari ranks 10th among the most valuable car companies in the world despite the fact that it has sold a relatively small number of vehicles when you compare it to competing brands.
2. Lamborghini
Lamborghini wasn’t always the exclusive car brand that we know today. It started out as a tractor company and the luxury cars around exist today because the Lamborghini founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, experienced mechanical difficulties with his Ferrari.
Lamborghini founded the car manufacturing company in 1963 to compete with Ferrari. Lamborghini is headquarted in Sant’Agata Bolognese, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy.
Between Ferrari and Lamborghini, the latter is the more wallet-friendly brand, with about $50K USD difference for their cheapest cars . For those who want luxury cars and want to save some thousands of dollars, go for Lamborghini.
3. Maserati
Maserati has been producing luxurious and fast cars for over a hundred years now. This leading purveyor of sports and luxury cars was founded by the Maserati brothers — Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore, and Ernesto — in 1914. The brand was purchased by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in 1993.
Maserati was once popularly known as Juan Manuel Fangio’s steed when the Argentine racing car driver (who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing) won his 1957 Formula 1 world championship.
Aside from their world-famous lineup of elite and performance-oriented cars, Maserati is said to release some high-powered, all-electric cars which are going to be the Italian automakers first eco-friendly vehicles.
4. Ducati
Ducati is an Italian brand of motorcycles known to produce among the fastest road bikes. It is one of the most popular brands in the automotive industry.
Founded by Antonio Cavalieri Ducati and his three sons — Adriano, Marcello, and Bruno — in 1926, Ducati has become a household name in motorcycling in the 1060s after introducing a 250 cc road bike, the fastest at that time. It was later acquired by Volkswagen Group’s Audi subsidiary in 2012.
Through the years, the brand has never failed to attract bike enthusiasts from across the globe by producing the most gorgeous bikes known for their irresistible power.
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5. Pirelli
Pirelli is a tire manufacturing company headquartered in the Bicocca district of Milan, Italy. It was also in this city that Giovanni Battista Pirelli founded the company in 1872.
Pirelli solely manufactures tires for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. In the past, however, it also produced scuba diving rebreathers as well as cables for energy and telecommunications. Pirelli has also launched its clothing, watch, and eyewear brand in 2002.
Pirelli works with some of the world’s most prestigious car manufacturers such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche, and Bently in developing the ideal tire to achieve the highest-performing cars.
Brands from Italy: Fashion
6. Gucci
Gucci is one of the leading fashion houses in the world. Its prominence with style and class has made Gucci an icon in the world of glitter, glamor, and fashion.
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Started by Guccio Gucci in Florence in 1909, the brand took the world of luxury and fashion by storm. It is definitely one of the most famous fashion brands in the world, securing a spot on Businessweek Magazine‘s Top 100 Brands.
Gucci is actually the second best-selling fashion brand in the world (next to LVMH) and the biggest selling Italian brand world-wide.
7. Prada
This luxury fashion house is known for its classic yet eccentric style. The luxury brand — which was founded by Mario Prada and his brother Martino as a leather goods shop called Fratelli Prada in 1913 — is an influential force in the fashion industry with its ambiguous touch on techno-retro.
Italians are known for their discreet elegance and fine craftsmanship and this is very evident in Prada’s beautifully crafted products.
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For over 100 years, Prada has been one of the most respected fashion houses in the world with its amazing collections of clothes, luggages and bags, shoes, accessories, perfumes, and a lot more.
8. Armani
Deemed the second-largest Italian fashion group after to Prada, Armani was founded in 1975 in Milan, Italy, by Giorgio Armani and his partner — architect Sergio Galeotti.
Armani designs, manufactures, distributes, and retails luxury clothing, men’s suits, jeans, leather goods, shoes, watches, eyewear, jewelry, accessories, and cosmetics, as well as home interiors.
Armani brands include Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, A|X Armani Exchange, Armani Collezioni, Armani Junior, Armani Baby, Armani/Fiori, Armani/Dolci, Armani/Casa, and Armani/Hotels.
9. Valentino
Italian luxury fashion house Valentino is known for its trademark “rosso Valentino” (“Valentino red”) and “jet-set chic” style.
Valentino was founded in 1960 in Rome, Italy, by Valentino Garavani. Valentino’s international debut then took place two years later in Florence, which was Italy’s fashion capital at the time.
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Today the company is headquarted in Milan. It produces high-fashion clothing, footwear, watches, eyewear, perfumes, and accessories.
10. Dolce & Gabbana
If we talk about the best-known fashion houses in the world, Dolce & Gabbana always makes it on the list.
Founded in 1985 by Italian fashion designers, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana (business and life partners as well), this Italian brand defines Italian luxury fashion.
Dolce & Gabbana has influenced international fashion heavily to the point that it is already considered a worldwide phenomenon.
Popular celebrities like Madonna, Angelina Jolie, Monica Bellucci, and Isabella Rossellini are seen in public sporting this luxury brand.
11. Versace
Adding to the list of luxurious brands from Italy that dominate the fashion industry worldwide is Versace. This brand has also become a symbol of Italian luxury.
The brand was established by Gianni Versace in 1978. It was, however, taken over by his sister, Donatella Versace, in 1997 following Gianni’s murder. The brand is renowned for revolutionizing the `90s glamor.
Important figures like Princess Diana was often seen donning Versace dresses. Other big celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Eva Longoria, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Gisele Bündchen also wear Versace.
Although Versace is noted for creating exclusive, remarkable, and high-quality products, they refused to be called just a luxury brand. The brand believes what they do goes beyond that. Versace is, in fact, “a statement, a lifestyle, an icon.”
12. Fendi
Known for its excellent handbags with impeccable precision, Fendi — being one of the leading Italian luxury fashion houses and the most famous fashion brand to originate in Rome — also offers shoes, clothes, fragrances, fur, eyewear, timepieces, and accessories.
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The brand started out as a fur and leather shop in 1926 by Adele and Edoardo Fendi. Even after 100 years in the business, Fendi has never failed to create innovative designs for their patrons.
13. Bottega Veneta
Best known for their leather goods with instantly recognizable intrecciato weaving technique, Bottega Veneta produces handcrafted luxury goods in-house and their leather products are some of the most exquisite, which is seen in the quality (and price) of each piece.
Bottega Veneta, which means “Venetian shop” in Italian, was founded in the Venetian city of Vicenza in 1966 by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro.
For over 50 years, the Intrecciato woven leather remains Bottega Veneta’s iconic look. Today the company is headquartered in Milan and continues to cater to the world’s elite.
14. Salvatore Ferragamo
After a stint in the United States making shoes for Hollywood celebrities such as Joan Crawford and Gloria Swanson, Salvatore Ferragamo returned home to Italy to start up a shoe shop in the Tuscan city of Florence in 1927. However, the company marks 1928 as its founding year.
The road to success wasn’t always smooth for Ferragamo and his namesake brand. In 1933, Ferragamo had to file for bankruptcy, bouncing back five years later when he purchased one of the great Florentine palaces, the Palazzo Spini Feroni. The Palazzo still houses the company’s flagship store today. Here you can also find a museum dedicated to Salvatore Ferragamo’s life and work.
Salvatore Ferragamo produces luxury shoes and other leather goods as well as clothing, eyewear, and timepieces.
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15. Bulgari (BVLGARI)
Stylized as BVLGARI using the classing Latin alphabet, the brand name Bulgari is derived from Sotirios Voulgaris, the company’s founder, whose Greek surname means “Bulgarian.”
Founded in Rome in 1884, the company is till headquartered in the same city today. Bulgari produces world-famous jewelry and accessories as well as fragrances and watches.
In 2001, Bulgari joined The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in launching hotels and resort destinations around the world called Bulgari Hotels & Resorts.
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Brands from Italy: Food and Drink
16. Martini & Rossi
This Italian multinational alcoholic beverage company has become so exemplary that it has become a name of an iconic cocktail to the point that you can now use the terms Martini and vermouth interchangeably.
Martini & Rossi started as a bottling plant for vermouth — a red or white wine flavored with aromatic herbs — way back in the mid-19th century. The brand has become so huge that it is now the top seller of vermouth in the whole wide world.
As a matter of fact, according to the data from the International Wines and Spirits Record (IWSR), more than 45% of the global vermouth sales come from Martini & Rossi. This is huge considering that its closest competitor only makes up 7% of the market share.
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17. Campari
Invented by Gaspare Campari in Novara, Italy, in 1860, Campari is an Italian apéritif that uses herbs and fruit as ingredients.
Campari’s distinctive red color was caused by carmine dye derived from pulverized cochineal insects. The usage of this kind of dye in Campari drinks was discontinued in 2006.
The Campari brand is sold in over 190 countries. It is commonly used in cocktails and served with soda water or citrus juice. It can be garnished with blood orange or mixed with prosecco as a spritz.
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In Italy, Campari mixed with soda water is sold as Campari Soda, packaged in distinctive individual bottles designed in 1932 by Italian futurist painter and sculptor Fortunato Depero.
18. Nutella
Nutella has become a household name. Its hard to find a single kid — or a kid at heart, for that matter — who doesn’t enjoy consuming Nutella either as part of their breakfast or dessert (or eaten as it is, straight from the jar).
This highly-addictive and incredibly tasty sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread is manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero.
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Pietro Ferrero, an Italian bakery owner, first introduced Nutella in 1964. It has become so popular around the world that an American blogger, Sara Rosso established, declared February 5, 2007 as World Nutella Day!
19. Ferrero Rocher
Aside from being the maker of the ever famous Nutella, Ferrero is actually the second biggest chocolate producer and confectionary company in the world.
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Aside from Nutella and the renowned Ferrero Rocher, this Italian multinational manufacturer is also the maker behind Kinder Eggs and Tic Tacs. The company started in 1946 when Pietro Ferrero invented Pasta Gianduja — a cream of hazelnuts and cocoa which is derived from gianduja.
Now, Ferrero is one of the world’s largest chocolate producers selling in over 170 countries.
20. Barilla
Barilla is an Italian family-owned food company founded in 1877 as a bakery in Parma, Italy, by Pietro Barilla, Sr.
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Barilla is the world’s leading producer of pasta in over 160 different shapes and sizes. It also produces bakery goods and ready-to-use sauces.
Very informative! 💕