Designer or Not?

I was at Mod Pizza waiting for my order when I overheard a mom/lady say to her kids: "I know what I want for Christmas. A designer purse. Kate Spade and up, no Coach or Michael Kors." 

I love hearing comments like this, to get an idea of what people think about silly things, like what counts as designer or not. Because let's be real, there are some pricey Coach and Michael Kor stuff. But they are VERY popular, and almost everyone has one of those labels around here. I personally LOVE Kate Spade's aesthetic, but I wouldn't really consider them more designer than the other two, all three seem the same level to me. But I am for sure no expert.

I have a friend that says where she is from, Coach is for sure NOT considered designer at all. She said that is like getting a bag from Target. For them, designer is more like Fendi or Prada.

So what does "designer" even mean then? It seems like there is probably a real defined meaning, and then a personal meaning, like to the pizza lady or me or my friend.

Google shows it means "luxury item made by a well-known designer". Well-known I would think means if you say the brand, most people would know it, like Coach, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton. So now we just have to define "luxury". Again, more reading later, luxury is defined as:

--quality (how long the item lasts with regular wear)
--customer service (AFTER purchasing the item such as repairs, cleaning and replacement)
--how it makes you feel owning/wearing it
--LAST: price point (worth the cost)

So... I don't know. I think a bag that costs $500 and up is luxury, where anything less than that is more casual luxury? Is that a thing? But having just recently bought a coach bag as a gift, that thing came pre-boxed with a very impressive gift box and ribbon FOR FREE and looks very luxe to me.

Brands I own that I consider luxury:

--Vince Camuto: two pairs of booties bought at Nordstrom Rack

--Kate Spade: handbags and coat

--Tommy Hilfiger: backpack and blouse

--Calvin Klein: coat (and undies and nylons but those are not pricey)

--Fossil: handbag

--Dooney & Bourke: handbags

--Kurt Geiger: handbag

--Whiting & Davis: wristlet

--Tokidoki: handbags

--Brooks Brothers: coat

--Oilily: coat

I would count ALL of these items as luxury/designer items, but not all the brands are "well-known" I don't think.

I hope that lady gets a Kate Spade bag for Christmas because they are super cute!

What do you consider a luxury/designer brand? Do you own any? Or have one on your dream wish list?