Famous Fashion Designers

“ The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you”- Coco Chanel

Gabriel ‘ Coco’ Chanel: is credited with the idea of the necessity of the ‘little black dress’. She promoted the idea of ‘expensive simplicity’, practical design and need for basics in every women’s closet. She felt that a simple dress could be changed dramatically by using scarves, jewellery, jackets etc. Comfort and elegance were her trademarks. Her signature perfume, ‘Chanel No 5’,  has become an iconic product. She is the only fashion designer listed on Time Magazine’s ‘List of the 100 most influential person of the 20th Century’.

Christian Dior: became wildly popular when he introduced his ‘ New Look’ designs in 1947. The ‘New Look’ involved a fitted waist jacket with a peplum and calf length skirt. Rationing of fabric was in force during the World War II, he used 10 yards of fabric for an outfit which was considered ‘shocking’. His evening gowns were ultra feminine and usually consisted of of strapless bone tops with full skirts. Many of his styles accentuated female curves and emphasized the female silhouette.

Ralph Lauren: started his career designing neckties. He popularised the classic ‘Polo’ style shirt. He was also popular for his classic men’s business suits and was first to design formal women’s suits. He has appeared on over 100 magazine covers as a designer, philanthropist and collector of rare automobiles.

Giovanni Maria Versace: was famous for his innovative designs. Most popular are the evening wear and theatrical costumes. He drew attention with his use of metal, plastic and leather in his designs. His theatrical costumes were t flamboyant and beautifully conceived. He designed shoes, dresses, suits, accessories, just about anything a woman could wear. Tragically he was shot dead on the steps of his Miami beach mansion. The killer who was obsessed with the designer committed suicide eight days later after the murder.

Vera Wang: has designed wedding & evening gowns for celebrities of all kinds. She entered the fashion industry when she failed to make it to the USA Olympics team in Figure Skating. She has also designed skating outfits for many Olympic skaters which led to her induction into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Several movies, television shows and books have mentioned Wang’s works.

Giorgio Armani: is considered one of the greatest Italian fashion designers and is particularly well known for his men’s suits. He has designed costumes for numerous movies such as ‘The Untouchables’, stage outfits for pop super star, Lady Gaga and suits for the England Foot Ball Team. He is the first designer to ban models with a body mass index of under 18. His company has diversified into music, sports and hotels.

Yves Saint Laurent: started his career with Christian Dior at the age of 19. He is credited with creating the ‘Women’s Tuxedos’. The popular designs were known as ‘Le Smoking’ which were ground baking and innovative. His clothing runs from the very simple to very intricate. He was truly one of the greatest fashion designers of the 20th century. No wonder Forbes rated him as ‘ top earning dead celebrity’ in 2009.

Mary Quant: this fashion icon, is credited for creating the ‘mini skirt’ and ‘hot pants’. She believed that the women’s clothing should be comfortable and liberating. Most of her clothing were designed for the young girls of the 1960s. Her pixie haircut and androgynous appearance only increased her popularity.

Calvin Klien: was well known for is racy and somewhat decadent television commercials. Many of his commercials had teenage models in provocative or suggestive poses and settings. He was the first designer to to make women’s underwear that looked like men’s Jockey shorts. Most of his designs are in neutral colours and simple lines.

Diane Von: formerly ‘Princess Diane of Furstenberg’ is a Belgian Fashion designer. She is renowned world over for creating ‘Wrap Dresses’. The design is so iconic to the fashion world, that it is featured at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2015, she was included in the ‘Time 100’ as an icon by the Time Magazine and in 2019, she was inducted into National Women’s Hall of Fame’.