Are brands such as Michael Kors and Tory Burch considered luxury brands?
No. Michael Kors and Tory Burch are probably best categorized as "casual luxury," which is a fancy term for clothing that has some sort of prestige but is more accessible (i.e. has a lower price point). I believe Michael Kors himself has even stated this to be his target market. I see what Meg is getting at with her implication that some people are total snobs about what constitutes luxury. While I totally agree, I think that you can still objectively say that Tory Burch and Michael Kors still aren't luxury brands. Tom Ford, for instance, is absolutely considered luxury, despite being a much newer American brand. Oscar de la Renta is luxury. It's just a higher level of prestige and craftsmanship.If anything, Tory Burch and Michael Kors may not even aspire to that level in the first place, because they are much more interested into diversifying their brand into lower price points (MICHAEL by Michael Kors, Tory Burch for Target, etc.) and wider availability, further away from the luxury market. I'm not saying that's a bad thing—both designers have massive empires and are clearly savvy business owners. They just aren't heading luxury brands.
How can I find good replicas on AliExpress?
If you are searching for expensive branded/ designer replica products on AliExpress, you are in for a hard time. AliExpress has clamped down hard on so called counterfeits, knockoffs, replicas, imitations, fakes, and "designer inspired" items for well known brands such as Chanel or LV etc.However if you put in the effort to search on social platforms such as reddit or facebook, you may find several communities that can ease your search. The members are always happy to point you in the correct direction for the items you desire.Alternatively for other replica products that are not as exorbitant, its easy to find them using alternative spellings or product name on AliExpress, DHgate, Taobao or JD etc Nike Air Max 270 > Air Max Shoe.Just look at the rating and number of sales the seller has made so far. This is a good indicator.For convenience, here are 2 sites that recommend trusted Aliexpress Sellers that I find useful:Best Replicas from ChinaBest Selling Aliexpress Products at your Fingertips
How does a brand like ZARA manage to come under the category of a luxury brand even though the pricing is not that high?
Zara doesn't fall under the category of a luxury brand. Even for a luxury brand, high price is not a must. But that's for another time. Zara created fast fashion and keeps their quantities per style low for faster sketch pad to shelf turnaround. Thus, ensuring limited availability, which is a feature a luxury brand traditionally must possess. Of course Zara basics are manufactured in masses, and many luxury brands today stand diffused.