orn Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, “Coco” was an exquisite French fashion designer and founder of the well-known CHANEL brand. Her modernist thinking, practical design, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important and influential figure in 20th-century fashion. Coco Chanel was the only fashion designer to be named on the Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century.
2. Donna Karan
Donna Karan’s love of fashion was instilled in her at a young age, shaping her brand in a number of ways. The renowned fashion designer launched Seven Easy Pieces with her first collection in 1984, transforming the way women dressed and examined style. Donna Karan’s understanding of the needs and desires of the modern woman is conveyed through every fabulous piece. The fashion visionary is the sole creator of the DKNY label (Donna Karen New York), flourishing as an iconic creative mind and designer throughout the past three decades.
3. Giorgio Armani
The outstanding Italian fashion designer, Giorgio Armani, is famous for the clean, tailored lines of his menswear collections. He established Armani, the fashion powerhouse, in 1975. With the aid of his success, he was acclaimed as the most successful Italian designer by 2001. “Successful” is an understatement for Giorgio Armani as he has earned an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a personal fortune of $7 billion as of 2012. Armani is the first designer to ban models who had a Body Mass Index under 18, revolutionizing the fashion industry and transforming how the industry perceives body image. Giorgio Armani is truly a living legend.
4. Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein has dominated the fashion world as a top house for over 75 years. Born in 1942, the Bronx native studied fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, before apprenticing as a coat and suit designer at a manufacturer in the New York garment district. When he established his company in 1968, he transformed style at an age where hippie-style clothing was all the rage. His timeless aesthetic is portrayed in his collections, emphasizing classic modernity with simple yet trendy and fashionable pieces.
5. Donatella Versace
After the murder of Gianni Versace in 1997, his younger sister Donatella Versace took the reigns in leading the Versace name to new heights and vast fame. She ensured that Versace stores and boutiques would cater to different fashion centers around the world, particularly Milan and New York. Prominent celebrities, such as Jennifer Lopez and Madonna, have endorsed the company’s fabulous collection of clothing, accessories, fragrances, and home furnishings.
6. Ralph Lauren
Worth $7.5 billion, Ralph Lauren is celebrated for his exquisite fashion sense that embodies chic sophistication, classic innovation, and style. In 1970, the first Polo logo was showcased in Ralph Lauren’s ground-breaking line of women’s suits that were designed in the classic men’s style. Two years later, the famous short sleeve shirt with the renowned Polo emblem appeared again, becoming a classic. The shirts have since prevailed, permeating throughout the world.
7. Christian Dior
Born in 1905, the iconic French designer was eminent for his distinctive “New Look” silhouette. Debuted in 1947, Christian Dior suits and dresses revolutionized the way women dress and consider fashion following World War II. The fashion house made headlines in July of 2016 as Maria Grazia Chiuri was named the first female artistic director in Dior’s seven decades of male leadership. In two short years, the former Valentino co-creative director has already made an incredible impact on the fashion house, using the runway as a platform to spread messages of women empowerment, feminism, and the arts.
8. Tom Ford
Tom Ford, deemed as one of the most famous contemporary designers, has created high fashion, high-end accessories, and clothing that we can’t get enough of. The designer has served as creative director for both Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci before creating his own fabulous label. The Texas-born icon aspired to be an actor, but fate had other “designs” for him. The icon’s popularity reached its peak in 2000 when he won the award for Best International Designer.
9. Pierre Cardin
The Italian-born Frenchman is praised for his 20thcentury pieces that exuded a futuristic flair. As Pierre Cardin rose to fame in the age of the space race, his creations embodied the perfect touch of innovation, inventiveness, and modishness. His ‘bubble dresses’ radiated science fiction, combining earthly elegance with out-of-this-world colors and avant-garde design.
10. Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent gained popularity in the world of fashion due to his creativity in redesigning masculine clothing into beautiful, feminine pieces for women. Perhaps one of the most renowned designers in France, Yves was the first designer to introduce “power dressing” for women in the form of trendy, high fashion power suits in 1966. The visionary is credited with designing the men’s smoking jacket. His refreshing concept of ready-to-wear fashion has allowed him to make history during his legendary time.
New Museums Dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent Open in Paris and Marrakech
11. Christian Louboutin
Born in France in 1963, Christian Louboutin has flourished as a top fashion designer for over two decades. The icon was expelled from school at age 16, a blessing in disguise in that he was able to work for the brilliant and talented shoe designer Charles Jourdan. In the early 1990s, Louboutin launched his own line of women’s shoes, adding his bold, legendary bright red sole in 1993. The Christian Louboutin brand is a crowd favorite as it enchants women by the striking high heel and eye-catching red sole.
12. Karl Lagerfeld
One of the most acclaimed fashion designers in the world, Karl Lagerfeld was born in Hamburg, Germany. As a teenager, Lagerfeld worked at Balmain for four years before moving to Jean Patou where he became artistic director at 21. His prolific portfolio now encompasses Chanel and Fendi along with his own house. Known for his bold designs and constant reinvention, he’s been hailed by Vogue magazine as the “unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment.” King Karl, the one-man multinational fashion phenomenon.
A Tribute to Karl Lagerfeld: One of the Most Prolific Designers of the 20th & 21st Centuries
13. Roberto Cavalli
Born in Florence, Italy in 1940, Roberto Cavalliexuded artistic talent early on. Roberto showcased his first collection in 1970, shocking the world with his beautiful, lavish-printed, colored-leather gowns and denim. Exotic elegance was his signature, enchanting fashion lovers with wild prints and bohemian glamour. He has designed red carpet pieces for exclusive celebrities, such as Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham.
14. Marc Jacobs
Born in 1963, New York designer Marc Jacobs has taken the fashion world by storm with his bold, high fashion pieces worn by Cara Delevingne, Dakota Fanning, Kate Moss, and Lady Gaga— to name a few. Since he established his successful label in 1986, Marc Jacobs has never gone out of style, continuing to impress fashion lovers across the globe.
15. Betsey Johnson
The Connecticut-born designer spent her childhood in dance classes, inspiring her exuberant, vivacious label that rocks the fashion industry due to unique, one-of-a-kind designs since the 1960s. Betsey Johnson’s creativity and imagination are apparent in her pieces, constantly ever-changing with the times, but remaining true to herself and her personal design aesthetic, embodying enthusiasm, fun, and fervor.
16. Sandy Powell
British costume designer Sandy Powell has won numerous awards for her incredible, inspiring creations that exude personality and individuality of character. The impressive, Oscar-Winning costume designer has also won three Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, and has been nominated a whopping 12 times for the award. She crafts beautiful, breathtaking masterpieces that elevate the meaning of fashion design in the film industry.
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