Contents

1. MARC JACOBS............................................................................................................................ 2

2. GIORGIO ARMANI ................................................................................................................... 4

3. TOM FORD ................................................................................................................................... 6

4. DOMENICO DOLCE ................................................................................................................... 8

5. STEFFANO GABBANA............................................................................................................ 10
Dolce & Gabbana .............................................................................................................................. 10
6. MIUCCIA PRADA ..................................................................................................................... 12

7. VERA WANG .............................................................................................................................. 14

8. HUBERT DE GIVENCHY ......................................................................................................... 16

9. YVES SAINT LAURENT ......................................................................................................... 18

10. KARL LAGERFELD ................................................................................................................ 20

11. ZAC POSEN............................................................................................................................ 22

12. CRISTBAL BALENCIAGA................................................................................................ 24

13. CHRISTIAN DIOR ............................................................................................................... 26

14. VALENTINO .......................................................................................................................... 28

15. MICHAEL KORS.................................................................................................................... 31

16. GIANNI VERSACE ............................................................................................................... 33

17. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN .................................................................................................... 35

References ......................................................................................................................................... 38

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 1. MARC JACOBS

Born: April 9, 1969 in New York City, NY

Designs for: Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Marc by Marc Jacobs

Friends: Kim Gordon, Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, Winona Ryder

Fan of: Courtney Love, Nirvana, Sonic Youth

Marc Jacobs grew up in New York City with his grandmother, who taught him to knit. It was his
knitting skills that won him his first major success, when the Sunday Times pictured Jacobs'
thick, oversized sweaters (created as his senior project for design school Parsons) in their "On
the Street" section.

Career Highs

Jacobs, who began designing for the Perry Ellis brand after graduating from Parsons, caused a
splash with his 1993 "grunge" collection for Perry Ellis. The collection featured typical street
wear recreated in opulent fabrics, like an old flannel shirt woven in silk. In 1997, he was named
the Creative Director of Louis Vuitton. His own labels, Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs,
continue to offer innovative takes on retro cuts and colours.
I dont have any problem with what people refer to as sexy clothes...I mean, everybody likes
sex. The world would be a better place if people just engaged in sex and didnt worry about it.
But what I prefer is that even if someone feels hedonistic, they dont look it. Curiosity about
sex is much more interesting to me than domination. Like, Britney and Paris and Pamela might be

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 someones definition of sexy, but theyre not mine. My clothes are not hot. Never. Never.
Marc Jacobs

Career Lows
Jacobs is occasionally criticized for regurgitation. Famed fashion designer Oscar de la Renta
scoffingly referred to Jacobs as a "copyist"; in 2008 he was accused of plagiarism by a man
whose mother had designed a scarf identical to one in Jacobs' Winter 2008 collection in the
1950s. Jacobs prefers to think of his borrowing as reinvention, as he told index magazine: "I
love to take things that are everyday and comforting and make them into the most luxurious
things in the world."

Legacy
As the creative director of three of the most sought-after labels in the world, Marc Jacobs'
name has become synonymous with contemporary fashion. His ability to borrow from styles past
to create new, innovative looks is especially relevant these days, when the global economy is
forcing people to rethink their approach to fashion and create new looks from what they already
own.
Line

Jacobs often professes his love of clichs. While his designs are often wacky and
groundbreaking, they usually feature something wholly familiar as well. Mix and match vintage
looks until you hit upon a look that's fresh. Use of vintage jewellery and other accessories, like
hats from the '40s and '50s, are also a good idea.

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 2. GIORGIO ARMANI

Born: July 11, 1934 in Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Designed for: Nino Cerruti, Armani Collezione, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange, etc.; Alitalia
(uniforms)
Fans: Katie Holmes, Cate Blanchett, Investment Brokers in the 1980s

Not a Fan of: Gianni Versace, Valentino, Donatella Versace

Beginnings
Giorgio Armani dropped out of medical school at the University of Milan in the 1950s, taking a
job with La Rinascente department store. He was eventually promoted to the style office, where
he bought clothing from around the world to feature in the stores. He plunged further into the
fashion world when he began designing for Nino Cerruti - sans formal training.

Career Highs
Giorgio Armani made a name for himself by using interesting fabrics in unique contexts, but he
catapulted to international stardom when he designed the wardrobe for Richard Gere's title
character in the popular film American Gigolo (1980). He redefined the suit for both men and
women in the 1980s, his "power suits" eventually coming to define an era of economic success.
I design for real people. I think of our customers all the time. There is no virtue whatsoever in
creating clothing or accessories that are not practical. - Armani

Career Lows

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In 1996, Armani was convicted of embezzlement (as was fellow designer Gianfranco Ferre).
While such an incident might have destroyed a lesser designer, Armani quickly recovered. In
2001, Forbes listed Armani as one of the most successful designers in the world, with an
estimated personal net worth of $5 billion.

Legacy
Giorgio Armani set the bar for businesswear near the end of the 20th century. He
revolutionized the use of lightweight, flexible fabrics in businesswear, allowing for both luxury
and comfort. His minimal, always contemporary designs make the combination of exquisite
tailoring, unmatched comfort, and subtle sex appeal seem effortless.

Line
Armani has often said that fashion is useless if it's impractical. Dress for comfort above all
else, but remember: less is more. Armani often makes public appearances in jeans and a
trademark black sweater. If the clothes fit well and make you feel good about your appearance,
I'm sure Mr. Armani would approve.

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 3. TOM FORD

Born: August 27, 1961, Austin, Texas

Labels: Cathy Hardwick, Perry Ellis, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford

Relationships: Richard Buckley, former EIC of Vogue Hommes International

Beginnings.
Tom Ford bought his first pair of Gucci loafers when he was 13. He says he bugged his mother
until she bought them for him. Its possible to mark that occasion as the point in time in which
Ford chose his career path. After stints at Cathy Hardwick and Perry Ellis (where he worked
with Marc Jacobs), Ford, then barely known in the fashion world, took a job at Gucci and began
the arduous task of resurrecting the dying luxury brand.
Career Highs

Tom Fords career began at Gucci in 1990 when he headed up womens ready-to-wear. By 1994,
despite the wishes of Maurizio Gucci 50% shareholder and the companys public face Ford
was promoted to creative director. Between 1995 and 1996, Gucci sales increased by 90% and
by 1999, Gucci, which was nearly bankrupt when Ford started, was worth an estimated $4.3
billion. Among numerous other awards, Ford won the Council of Fashion Designers of Americas
Menswear Designer of the Year award in 2008. So hes got that going for him.
Real fashion change comes from real changes in real life. Everything else is just decoration.
Career Lows
When Ford left Gucci in 2004, it was a bit jarring for everyone. I went to my house in London
at 4 p.m. on the afternoon that I left Gucci and got into bed, Ford said in a New York Times
article. I was super-depressed. I had terrible, terrible nightmares. My life at Gucci was like
being married, having two kids, and living in a house youve built. Then you come home one day,
the doors locked, and your wife is in there fucking someone else. He pursued a career directing

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film, writing screenplays and thought about designing a car and even a plane. Eventually he found
his way back to fashion.
Legacy
Tom Ford will forever be remembered as the guy who saved Gucci. Hes the miracle-worker in
the fashion world that put an exclamation mark behind the phrase, Sex sells, but the best
work from Ford is no doubt yet to come. As of this writing, the Tom Ford brand of mens and
womens apparel and accessories is exploding on runways and in stores.

Line
Go buy a suit designed by Tom Ford and pair it with a pressed shirt with a large, chunky collar
unbuttoned mid-chest.

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 4. DOMENICO DOLCE

Domenico Mario Assunto Dolce (Italian: [dol.te]; born 13 August 1958) is an Italian fashion
designer and entrepreneur. Along with Stefano Gabbana, he is one half of the luxury fashion
house Dolce & Gabbana (D&G). Since founding D&G in 1985, Dolce has become one of the world's
most influential fashion designers and an industry icon.

Dolce was born in Polizzi Generosa, Sicily, in 1958. His father was a tailor and his mother sold
fabrics and apparel. He moved to Milan to attend the fashion design school Istituto Marangoni,
but he dropped out before graduating, confident he knew enough to work in the industry. His
dream was to work for Armani.

In 1980, Dolce met Milan native Stefano Gabbana through Dolce's employer, designer Giorgio
Correggiari. In 1983, Gabbana and Dolce left Correggiari to work on their own; two years later,
they launched Dolce & Gabbana S.p.A. (D&G).

In October 1985, the Dolce & Gabbana brand made its fashion show debut at Milano Collezioni's
Nuovi Talenti (New Talents). In March 1986, D&G released its first collection and held its own
show, "Real Women." In 1987, the first D&G store opened in Milan, at 7 Via Santa Cecilia. In
1988, D&G established a partnership with Dolce's father, Saverio, who owned the manufacturing
company Dolce Saverio in Legnano, near Milan.
D&G continued to expand, holding its first fashion shows in Tokyo (April 1989) and New York
(April 1990), and releasing new collection lines, including its first lingerie and beachwear line in
July 1989, and its first menswear line in January 1990. In November 1990, D&G opened its New
York City showroom at 532 Broadway in SoHo, Manhattan. D&G released its first fragrance,
Dolce & Gabbana Parfum, in October 1992.

In 1993, the Italian designers received worldwide fame when Madonna chose D&G to design the
costumes for her Girlie Show World Tour. They have since gone on to design for Monica
Bellucci, Kylie Minogue, Angelina Jolie and Isabella Rossellini.

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Later additions to the D&G line included ties, belts, handbags, sunglasses, watches and
footwear. By 2003, the company sold more products in Italy than Armani, Gucci, Prada, and
Versace. In 2009, nearly 25 years after D&G opened, the company had 113 stores and 21
factory outlets, a staff of 3,500 people and an annual turnover of more than 1 billion.

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 5. STEFFANO GABBANA

Stefano Gabbana (born 14 November 1962) is an Italian fashion designer and, along with
Domenico Dolce, the co-founder of the Dolce & Gabbana luxury fashion house. He is one of the
world's most influential fashion designers.

Dolce & Gabbana

Met: 1982 in Milan, Italy

Brands: Dolce&Gabbana, D&G, D&G Junior

Celebrity fans: Isabella Rossellini, Naomi Campbell, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, the Beckhams,
Paris Hilton

Beginnings

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana met at a nightclub in Milan in 1982 while they were
working as assistants in an atelier. Two years later they started both a romantic relationship
and a business together, with some help from Domenico's family company of tailors, Dolce
Saverio. In 1985, they were invited to show their homemade, exhibitionist collection in a fashion
show honouring "New Talents" sponsored by the Milano Collezioni.
Career Highs

That first show won the duo national acclaim, and as they say, the rest was history. The brand
expanded to beachwear, menswear, lingerie, and fragrances, and in 1989, they opened their first
store in Tokyo. Career highs for these two are too many to count: They have Madonna on speed
dial, 200 stores worldwide, 2,000 employees and more than 579 million pounds coming in

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annually. They are the couturiers of the stars, and they have refused to sell out to LVMH and
the Gucci group - in fact, the only two shareholders in the Dolce & Gabbana empire are Dolce
and Gabbana.
We wouldnt mind if our only contribution to the fashion world was a black bra! We want to
produce the best, most flattering clothes.

Career Lows
The couple received some criticism by the Advertising Standards Authority in Britain in January
of 2007. The advertising police organization disapproved of some of Dolce & Gabbana's
advertisements, which featured models holding and waving knives around. A month later, D&G
pulled an advertisement in Madrid and Paris in which a man was holding a woman down to the
ground by her wrists while a group of men watched. Spain's Labour and Social Affairs Ministry
claimed the campaign was illegal and humiliating to women.

Legacy
Besides the countless collections, red carpet gowns and celebrity performance getups that
Dolce & Gabbana have given the world, they are known for their distinctive aesthetic of fierce,
sleek and purely sexy clothes that make the absolute best of any woman's body. In fact,
Isabella Rosselini said, "The first piece of theirs I wore was a white shirt, very chaste, but cut
to make my breasts look as if they were bursting out of it."

Get the Look.

Bold colours, body-hugging (but always flattering) shapes, wild prints and plenty of cleavage -
these are the trademarks of Dolce & Gabbana. If you want to look sexy, these are your guys.
Find something that fits close to you and enhances your shape, but keep it sleek instead of soft.
The lines should be as sharp as a military uniform with a soft femininity.

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 6. MIUCCIA PRADA

Born: May 10, 1949 in Milan, Italy

Labels: Prada, Miu Miu, Prada for Men

Models: Daria Werbowy, Gemma Ward, Suvi Koponen, Sasha Pivovarova

Celebrity fans: Anna Wintour, Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman, Mischa Barton, Chloe Sevigny,
Kate Bosworth

Beginnings
Before she was a fashion mogul, Miuccia Prada got a Ph.D. in political science, became a member
of the Communist Party and studied mime. In 1978 she took over her grandfather's luxury
leather goods company in Milan, revamping it into a fashion powerhouse and conglomerate that
took charge of Fendi, Helmut Lang, Jil Sander and Azzedine Alaia.
Career Highs

Prada's iconic style was first demonstrated by the black nylon backpacks worn by everyone who
was anyone in the '90s. The cult following that the bag achieved expanded in later years, as
Prada opened stores across Europe and became an Oscar gown designer for stars like Uma
Thurman. In 1992, she debuted a new line called Miu Miu, which was less expensive than Prada
and inspired by her own wardrobe. Now, the line has reached such a high status that it is
practically a competitor with Prada itself. The collection has a girly edge - but in the end it is
nasty.
Career Lows

In the 1990s, Prada wanted to become a luxury goods company on par with LVMH and the Gucci
group, so the house acquired shares of Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, Church & Company and Fendi.
Despite this growth, the Prada company was in $850 million of debt by 2000, so Patrizio
Bertelli, Prada's husband and business partner, sold many of the labels he had bought previously.

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Legacy
Prada is always considered one of the most important female figures in the fashion world to
date. She never designs with an eye toward trends, and she has a blatant disregard for what
everyone else is creating. Her collections are feminine but always intelligent and strong, and she
has set a new standard for ladylike but still powerful designs.
Line
Prada is known for lowered waistlines, thin belts, and knee-grazing skirts with a proper, girlish
appeal. Colours are neutral or basic, heels are sky-high, and handbags are classic. Ignore trends,
and instead look for items that flatter your shape and look demure while still maintaining a
utilitarian detail. Choose pieces that will endure but aren't boring.

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 7. VERA WANG

Born: June 27, 1949 in New York City

Lines: Bridal, Ready to Wear, Fragrance, Eyewear, Home Fashion, Accessories, Footwear

Celebrity Fans: Jessica Simpson, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Karenna Gore, Sharon Stone,
Melania Trump

Beginnings
Having never made it as a figure skater (her childhood goal), Vera Wang worked as a senior
fashion editor at Vogue for 16 years before she branched out to do what she really loved:
design. She was offered a job by icon Ralph Lauren, where she had the opportunity, for the
first time, to design accessories, lingerie and sportswear. After she married her husband,
Arthur Becker, Wang decided to start her own line of bridal wear.
Career Highs
Vera Wang filled a gap in the bridal market that no one else before her had managed to do.
While the wealthy had the option of buying a one-time designer dress from brands like
Valentino, there was no such opportunity for fashionistas who couldn't afford it. By creating an
entire bridal line that was stylish, contemporary and sophisticated (instead of traditional
fairytale hokey), Wang found her niche.
I thought of myself not as a bridal designer but a fashion designer who happens to do white,
ivory, nude. Its good because its so off the radar. I mean, that I should end up in bridal. I

14
might as well have been doing scuba equipment. There are people out there who cant even cut on
the bias. I do know how to make a dress. Vera Wang

Career Lows
Wang loved designing bridal wear not because of the excitement of the Big Day or the glamour
of the evening gown, but for the simplest reason: her obsession with clothes. Her time at Vogue
had taught her about the avant-garde, which never had much of a place in bridal. When she was
starting out as a designer she begged her father to help her open a store of tops, and she was
desperate to design ready-to-wear, but she never made it big with any of that until after she
had established her brand with bridal.

Legacy
Before Vera Wang, bridal was void of sophistication. It was poufy sleeves, awkward hemlines,
and huge skirts and trains. She brought the elegance of an evening gown to the Big Day. Since
Vera, many other comparable bridal lines (such as Lazaro and Amy Michelson) have popped up,
offering well-cut, simple collections at affordable prices.
Line
Wang's dresses are modern, elegant, and very conscious of the wearer's figure. Many of her
designs tend to be very simple, but they have some interesting details that make them unique.
Go with a basic that has some kind of accent, such as a collared sash, an open back, or a
dramatic skirt. Keep in mind, though, that Vera herself has said that she is "not a dress person,"
so for her, separates and ready-to-wear reign. Her casual lines feature contemporary graphics,
cool accessories, and effortlessly chic layers

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 8. HUBERT DE GIVENCHY

Born: February 20, 1927 Beauvais, France

Celebrity fans: Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Gloria Guinness, Grace Kelly, Babe Paley
Beginnings

Hubert de Givenchy started out in the fashion industry working for Robert Piguet and, later, for
Lucien Lelong, where he worked alongside assistants Pierre Balmain and Christian Dior. He also
worked with Elsa Schiaparelli before opening his own company, the House of Givenchy, in 1952.
Career Highs
In 1953, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and an entire nation mourned the loss. But
when Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy showed up at the funeral in a custom design by Givenchy,
people started to take notice. The same year, Givenchy met actress Audrey Hepburn for
wardrobe fittings for her upcoming film Sabrina. He continued to style Hepburn for later
movies she acted in, and the two forged a lifelong friendship that made Hepburn a fashion icon
and gave Givenchy a permanent spot on the style radar.
I never thought about whether the skirt is wide enough to walk in, how the wearer will look
getting into and out of a taxi. I consider the beauty and artistic value of a fashion, not its
utility. - Givenchy

Givenchy owned his House for 36 years before selling it to Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy in 1988.
He appointed Dominique Sirop as his successor, but when Bernard Arnault took over LVMH, he
didn't think Sirop was high-profile enough for the brand. Givenchy was not pleased with

16
Arnault's leadership and expressed discontent that he didn't have enough contact with the
head to express his ideas and counsel.
Legacy
Givenchy is responsible for so much of the iconic old Hollywood glamour that we have come to
love. The perfectly-cut, feminine dresses and gowns are ubiquitous on movie posters adorning
the walls of young women, and the Audrey Hepburn little black dress and pearls has been
imitated so many times it's practically a costume. The House of Givenchy still thrives, and still
clothes Hollywood's finest.
Line

Givenchy, unlike many designers, is not about ready-to-wear. It isn't about comfort, or
functionality, as he says in the quote above. It is about style, and grace, and the ability to be so
effortlessly lovely that people stop in their tracks. Choose something dramatic, but demure;
colourful, but understated. Details, cut, and innovation should be the main event of any
ensemble, and nothing funky or grunge.

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 9. YVES SAINT LAURENT

Born: August 1, 1936, Oran, Algeria

Died: June 1, 2008, Paris France

Popularized: Le Smoking Suit (a tuxedo suit for women), the beatnik look, thigh-high boots,
safari jackets, peacoats, leopard print

Fan of: Betty Catroux, Talitha Pol, Katoucha Niane, Iman, Laetitia Casta, Catherine Deneuve
Fans: Catherine Deneuve, Paloma Picasso, Lauren Bacall, his mother

Beginnings

Yves Saint Laurent, like his design contemporary Karl Lagerfeld, won first prize in an
International Wool Secretariat competition in 1954 for his sketch of a cocktail dress. His win
led to an interview with Christian Dior, who hired him immediately. When Dior died in 1957,
Yves, who had been Dior's "right arm," was named Dior's head designer at the age of 21. His
first collection for Dior, based on a "trapeze" silhouette, debuted to much acclaim on January
30, 1958.
Career Highs

Yves Saint Laurent continued to change the shape of modern fashion, creating many of the looks
now coming back into vogue. It was Yves who popularized peacoats, safari jackets, trench coats,
and smoking jackets for women. It was he who swathed his models in racy leopard print. Perhaps
most importantly, Yves revolutionized modern womenswear by introducing pants as eveningwear.
As he put it,

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 "My small job as a couturier is to make clothes that reflect our times. I'm convinced women
want to wear pants. The clothes incorporated all my dreams, all my heroines in the novels, the
operas, the paintings. It was my heart - everything I love that I gave to this collection." Yves
Saint Laurent

Career Lows
In September of 1960, a few months after Saint Laurent's last collection for Dior, he was
conscripted into the French military during the Algerian War. He suffered a nervous collapse
three weeks into his mandatory 27 months of service, leading the House of Dior to name Marc
Bohan, Saint Laurent's former assistant, the new head designer. At the military psychiatric
hospital he received electro-shock therapy, which he said changed him forever. Still, the 1962
debut of his own couture house was a resounding success.
Legacy

Who knows how long it might have been until women wore formal pants, had it not been for Yves
Saint Laurent?! He also created many of the looks we see being reinvented today: his 1976 "rich
peasant" collection inspired the bohemian peasant top you bought last summer. But his mark in
the fashion world isn't confined to his revolutionary designs: Yves Saint Laurent was the first -
and for some time, the only - high fashion designer to use models of colour in his runway shows
and advertisements.

Line
Yves Saint Laurent was so instrumental to modern fashion; his designs continue to be reinvented
by other designers. Thus, it's highly likely you own all the pieces you need for an outfit Yves
would have found classy. He loved to say that a woman could be fashionable with nothing more
than a pair of pants, a sweater, and a raincoat. As long as the pieces are classic - the kind you'll
want to keep and wear forever - then you're set.

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 10. KARL LAGERFELD

Born: September 10, 1938 in Hamburg, Germany.

Designed for: Balmain, Jean Patou, Chloe, Chanel, Fendi, H&M

Fans: Every young Hollywood starlet, including Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Fan of: Modern architects Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas

Karl Lagerfeld (born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt) left his native Germany for school in Paris at the age
of 22. He won a contest held by the International Wool Secretariat for a coat design soon
thereafter, which led fashion house Balmain to offer him a job. According to Karl, who never
attended fashion school, "...it was the idea of going back to school that kept me in fashion--I
was not crazy about school."

Career Highs
In 1983, he was named artistic director of Chanel, which had been suffering poor reviews and
sales for over a decade. He breathed new life into the project with his remarkable eye for

20
street-style trends, re-establishing Chanel's prominence in the world of high fashion. In 2004,
his line for bargain clothier H&M sold out in one day.
There is a strange and invisible borderline when fashion is not only fashion, but becomes the
most evident and most easily visible expression of an area. Fashion as history is beyond fashion,
and it is not only limited to clothes. Karl Lagerfeld

Career Lows
Lagerfeld's early career was anything but auspicious. Fashion writer Carrie Donovan reported
that the press actually "booed" his first show for Jean Patou in July 1958. Some of his later,
edgier designs, such as his satin "slap in the face" hat meant to hang over the wearer's cheek,
may have been a bit too daring for their times.
Legacy

There is precious little in modern fashion that hasn't been touched by The Lagerfeld in some
shape or form. As a designer for Chanel, Fendi, and his own Lagerfeld Gallery label, Lagerfeld
maintains what is classic and iconic about his respective labels while remaining steadfastly
contemporary and current.
Line

Even those who can't afford Chanel can borrow from Lagerfeld's signature style. He has
proclaimed a love of statement-making accessories paired with simple, classic black clothes. Mix
and match cheap costume jewellery with more elegant pieces for a Karl-inspired look.

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 11. ZAC POSEN

Zachary E. "Zac" Posen (/zk pozn/; born October 24, 1980) is an American fashion
designer.

Posen was born and raised to a Jewish family in New York City, residing in the SoHo
neighbourhood of lower Manhattan. He is the son of Susan (ne Orzack), a corporate lawyer, and
Stephen Posen, an artist. His interest in fashion design started early, and as a child he would
steal yarmulkes from his grandparents' synagogue to make ball dresses for dolls.

He attended Saint Ann's School, a private school in Brooklyn and in his sophomore year interned
with fashion designer Nicole Miller. As a teen, he also won a Scholastic Art and Writing Award.

At age 16 he enrolled in the pre-college program at Parsons The New School for Design. He
graduated from Saint Ann's in 1999. For three years, Posen was mentored by curator Richard
Martin at The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
At age 18, he was accepted into the womens wear degree program at London's Central Saint
Martins College of Art and Design at the University of the Arts London.
In 2001, Posen constructed a gown entirely made from thin leather strips and dressmaker hooks
and eyes that was displayed by the Victoria and Albert Museum and featured in their
"Curvaceous" exhibition.

In 2000, Posen received a prominent career opportunity after a dress he made for Naomi
Campbell changed hands several times among several fashion insiders, including actress Paz de la
Huerta.
He is famously well-connected and has called Stella Schnabel his muse.

Through Interview magazine Editor-in-Chief Ingrid Sischy, Posen met his future publicist and
event producer Ed Filipowski of KCD, who offered to represent him for free.

Upon returning to New York in 2001, Posen set up an atelier in his parents' living room, while
they gave him a USD$15 allowance. In October of the same year, he was chosen to present a
capsule collection as part of Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion New York 2001. He received a
grant for $20,000.

22
After his first runway show in 2001, Posen was courted by fashion titans Yves Carcelle,
president of LVMH Fashion Group; Sidney Toledano, CEO and director of Christian Dior S.A.;
and Domenico De Sole, president and CEO of Gucci Group NV. Following the success of this
presentation, Posen established his design studio in Tribeca.

His awards include the Council of Fashion Designers of America's 2004 Swarovski's Perry Ellis
Award for Womens wear. Posen has become a favourite of Natalie Portman, Rihanna, Amanda
Seyfried, Kate Winslet, Claire Danes,

Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Mischa Barton, Beyonc Knowles and others.
In 2004, high-end urban fashion brand Sean John made an investment deal with Posen. Ashley
Olsen interned with Posen in 2005 while a student at The Gallatin School of Individualized
Study, an undergraduate college within New York University.
In April 2008, Posen's capsule collection created in collaboration with Target, Zac Posen for
Target, was released in 75 stores in Australia.
At the 2012 Academy Awards, Glenn Close wore a Posen gown on the red carpet, as did both
Reese Witherspoon and Naomi Watts at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards.
Other notables who have worn Posen creations on red carpets include Uma Thurman at the 2013
Met Ball; Sofia Vergara at the 2014 Golden Globes; Anna Chlumsky at the 2014 Emmy Awards;
and Rita Ora at the 2014 AMA Awards.

On December 18, 2012, Posen was announced as an official judge of Project Runway Season 11 on
Lifetime Television.

In February 2014, Posen partnered with another major retailer, David's Bridal, to create Truly
Zac Posen, a line of affordable bridal gowns. The line was Posen's first official bridal collection.

Also in 2014, he was named Creative Director for Brooks Brothers, tapped to modernize their
signature women's clothing and accessories line.
In 2014, he introduced a more casual Pre-Fall 2015 Trunk Show collection.

In recent collaborations, Posen was selected to redesign the uniforms for Delta Air Lines
60,000 employees. These uniforms are set to appear on Delta Air Lines staff members, from
flight attendants to customer service, in 2017.

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 12. CRISTBAL BALENCIAGA

Cristbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre (pronounced [kistoal alenjaa eja ire]) (January 21, 1895
March 23, 1972) was a Spanish Basque fashion designer and the founder of the Balenciaga
fashion house. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards and was
referred to as "the master of us all" by Christian Dior and as "the only couturier in the truest
sense of the word" by Coco Chanel, who continued, "The others are simply fashion designers".
He continues to be revered as the supreme deity of the European salons. On the day of his
death, in 1972, Women's Wear Daily ran the headline "The king is dead" (no one in the fashion
world had any doubt as to whom it referred).

Since 2011 the purpose built Museo Balenciaga has exhibited examples of his work in his birth
town Getaria. Many of the 1200 pieces in the collection were supplied by his pupil Hubert de
Givenchy and clients such as Grace Kelly.
Balenciaga was born in Getaria, a fishing town in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, on January 21,
1895. His mother was a seamstress, and as a child Balenciaga often spent time with her as she
worked.
At the age of twelve, he began work as the apprentice of a tailor. When he was a teenager, the
Marchioness de Casa Torres, the foremost noblewoman in his town, became his customer and
patron. She sent him to Madrid, where he was formally trained in tailoring.

Balenciaga is notable as one of the few couturiers in fashion history who could use their own
hands to design, cut, and sew the models which symbolized the height of his artistry.
Balenciaga was successful during his early career as a designer in Spain. He opened a boutique in
San Sebastin in 1919, which expanded to include branches in Madrid and Barcelona.

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The Spanish royal family and the aristocracy wore his designs, but when the Spanish Civil War
forced him to close his stores, Balenciaga moved to Paris. He opened his Paris couture house on
Avenue George V in August 1937.
However, it was not until the post-war years that the full scale of the inventiveness of this
highly original designer became evident. In 1951, he totally transformed the silhouette,
broadening the shoulders and removing the waist.
In 1955, he designed the tunic dress, which later developed into the chemise dress of 1957.

In 1959, his work culminated in the Empire line, with high-waisted dresses and coats cut like
kimonos.

In 1960 he made the wedding dress for Fabiola de Mora y Aragn when she married King
Baudouin I of Belgium. The Queen later donated her wedding dress to the Cristbal Balenciaga
Foundation.

He taught fashion design classes, inspiring other designers including Oscar de la Renta, Andr
Courrges, Emanuel Ungaro, Mila Schn and Hubert de Givenchy. His often spare, sculptural
creations were considered masterworks of haute couture in the 1950s and 1960s.
Balenciaga closed his house in 1968 at the age of 74 after working in Paris for 30 years. He
decided to retire and closed his fashion houses in Paris, Barcelona and Madrid, one after the
other. Balenciaga died on March 23, 1972 in Xbia, Spain.

Today the Balenciaga fashion house continues under the direction of Demna Gvasalia and under
the ownership of the Kering Group.

During the 1950s designers like Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, and Coco Chanel, emerged,
creating pieces very representative to their fashion houses and to their own styles. An
important protagonist for this period was Cristobal Balenciaga. This Spanish fashion designer
was known as "The King of Fashion" and was one of the great masterminds of the period.
Balenciaga was born and raised in Spain, where he worked for the Spanish royalty, but because
of the Spanish Civil War he moved to Paris where he became this "King of Fashion".

The most eye-catching designer of this period was Balenciaga because of his structural designs,
which had never before been seen in the fashion world. He was a master of tailoring, and he was
able to translate his illustrations from paper to real life. His advanced tailoring skills gave him
an advantage over designers all over the world, making him a major target for customers. "He
reshaped women's silhouette in the 1950s, so that clothes we think as typical of that decade
are mostly dilutions of his work" (Irvine, 2013).

Compared to some work like the New Look from Christian Dior, which featured full skirts and a
tiny waist, Balenciaga changed these to look like the Yoki coat, which was a one-seam coat, or to
voluminous looks. However, this look made customers travel from all over the world for his
outfits.
On 7 June 2011, the Balenciaga Museum was inaugurated in his hometown of Getaria by Queen
Sofa of Spain and with the presence of Hubert de Givenchy, honorific president of the
Balenciaga Foundation. The museum has a collection of more than 1,200 pieces designed by
Balenciaga, some of them donations by disciples, like Givenchy, or clients, like Queen Fabiola of
Belgium and the heirs of Grace Kelly.
His most famous clients were Mona von Bismarck, Grace Kelly, Ava Gardner, Audrey Hepburn
and Jackie Kennedy.

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 13. CHRISTIAN DIOR

Christian Dior (French pronunciation: [kistj dj]; 21 January 1905 24 October 1957) was a
French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses,
also called Christian Dior, which is now owned by Groupe Arnault.

Christian Dior was born in Granville, a seaside town on the coast of Normandy, France. He was
the second of five children born to Maurice Dior, a wealthy fertilizer manufacturer (the family
firm was Dior Frres), and his wife, formerly Madeleine Martin. He had four siblings: Raymond
(father of Franoise Dior), Jacqueline, Bernard, and Catherine Dior. When Christian was about
five years old, the family moved to Paris, but still returned to the Normandy coast for summer
holidays.

Dior's family had hoped he would become a diplomat, but Dior was artistic and wished to be
involved in art. To make money, he sold his fashion sketches outside his house for about 10
cents each. In 1928, Dior left school and received money from his father to finance a small art
gallery, where he and a friend sold art by the likes of Pablo Picasso. Three years later, after the
death of Dior's mother and brother and a financial disaster in the familys fertilizer business,
during the Great Depression, that resulted in his father losing control of Dior Frres, the
gallery had to be closed.
From 1937, Dior was employed by the fashion designer Robert Piguet, who gave him the
opportunity to design for three Piguet collections. Dior would later say that 'Robert Piguet
taught me the virtues of simplicity through which true elegance must come.' One of his original
designs for Piguet, a day dress with a short, full skirt called "Cafe Anglais", was particularly well

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received. Whilst at Piguet, Dior worked alongside Pierre Balmain, and was succeeded as house
designer by Marc Bohan who would, in 1960, become head of design for Christian Dior Paris.
Dior left Piguet when he was called up for military service.
In 1942, when Dior left the army, he joined the fashion house of Lucien Lelong, where he and
Balmain were the primary designers. For the duration of World War II, Dior, as an employee of
Lelong who laboured to preserve the French fashion industry during wartime for economic and
artistic reasons designed dresses for the wives of Nazi officers and French collaborators, as
did other fashion houses that remained in business during the war, including Jean Patou, Jeanne
Lanvin, and Nina Ricci.

In 1946 Marcel Boussac, a successful entrepreneur known as the richest man in France, invited
Dior to design for Philippe et Gaston, a Paris fashion house launched in 1925. Dior refused,
wishing to make a fresh start under his own name rather than reviving an old brand.

On 8 December 1946, with Boussac's backing, Dior founded his fashion house. The actual name
of the line of his first collection, presented on 12 February 1947, was Corolle (literally the
botanical term corolla or circlet of flower petals in English), but the phrase New Look was
coined for it by Carmel Snow, the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar.

Dior's designs were more voluptuous than the boxy, fabric conserving shapes of the recent
World War II styles, influenced by the rations on fabric. He was a master at creating shapes
and silhouettes. Dior is quoted as saying "I have designed flower women." His look employed
fabrics lined predominantly with percale, boned, bustier-style bodices, hip padding, wasp-
waisted corsets and petticoats that made his dresses flare out from the waist, giving his models
a very curvaceous form.

Initially, women protested because his designs covered up their legs, which they had been
unused to because of the previous limitations on fabric. There was also some backlash to Dior's
designs due to the amount of fabrics used in a single dress or suit. During one photo shoot in a
Paris market, the models were attacked by female vendors over this profligacy, but opposition
ceased as the wartime shortages ended.
The "New Look" revolutionized women's dress and re-established Paris as the centre of the
fashion world after World War II.

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 14. VALENTINO

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani (born 11 May 1932), best known as Valentino, is an Italian
fashion designer and founder of the Valentino SpA brand and company. His main lines include
Valentino, Valentino Garavani, Valentino Roma, and R.E.D. Valentino.
Valentino was born in Voghera, in the province of Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. He became interested
in fashion while in primary school in his native Voghera, Lombardy, northern Italy, when he
apprenticed under his aunt Rosa and local designer Ernestina Salvadeo, an aunt of noted artist
Aldo Giorgini. Valentino then moved to Paris to pursue this interest with the help of his mother
Teresa de Biaggi and his father Mauro Garavani. There he studied at the cole des Beaux- Arts
and at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.

His first choice for an apprenticeship, in Paris, was Jacques Fath, then Balenciaga. He found an
apprenticeship with Jean Desss where he helped Countess Jacqueline de Ribes sketch her
dress ideas. He then joined Guy Laroche for two years. At Jean Desss, Valentino sketched
furiously, between helping with window dressing and greeting clients for the daily 2:30 pm
private showings. Most of his early sketches were lost. However, at a Rome exhibition in 1991 a
smattering of them went on display and then current clients such as Marie-Hlne de
Rothschild and Elizabeth Taylor marvelled that the DNA of Valentino's style was already
apparent in the layers of white pleats and animal prints.

After five years, Valentino left Jean Desss over an incident about prolonging a vacation in
Saint-Tropez that still makes him uncomfortable today. Rescued by his friend Guy Laroche, he
joined his "tiny, tiny" fashion house. After discussions with his parents, he decided to return to
Italy and set up in Rome in 1959.
In 1960 Valentino left Paris and opened a fashion house in Rome on the posh Via Condotti with
the backing of his father and an associate of his. More than an atelier, the premises resembled
a real "maison de couture," it being very much along the lines of what Valentino had seen in Paris:
everything was very grand and models flew in from Paris for his first show. Valentino became
known for his red dresses, in the bright shade that became known in the fashion industry as
"Valentino red."

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On 31 July 1960, Valentino met Giancarlo Giammetti at the Caf de Paris on the Via Veneto in
Rome. One of three children, Giammetti was in his second year of architecture school, living at
home with his parents in the haut bourgeois Parioli section of Northern Rome. That day
Giammetti gave Valentino a lift home in his Fiat and a friendship, as well as a long-lasting
partnership, started. The day after, Giammetti was to leave for Capri for vacation and, by
coincidence, Valentino was also going there, so they met again on the island 10 days later.
Giammetti would shortly thereafter abandon the University to become Valentino's business
partner. When Giammetti arrived, the business situation of Valentino's atelier was in fact not
brilliant: in one year he had spent so much money that his father's associate pulled out of the
business, and had to fight against bankruptcy.
Valentino's international debut took place in 1962 in Florence, the Italian fashion capital of the
time.

At some point in 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy had seen Gloria Schiff, the twin sister of the Rome-
based fashion editor of American Vogue and Valentino's friend Consuelo Crespi, wearing a two-
piece ensemble in black organza at a gathering. It made such an impression that Kennedy
contacted Ms. Schiff to learn the name of the ensemble's designer, which was Valentino.

In September 1964, Valentino was to be in the United States to present a collection of his work
at a charity ball at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Mrs. Kennedy wanted to view the
collection but could not attend the event, so Valentino decided to send a model, sales
representative and a selection of key pieces from his collection to Mrs. Kennedy's apartment on
Fifth Avenue.
Mrs. Kennedy ordered six of his haute couture dresses, all in black and white, and wore them
during her year of mourning following President John F. Kennedy's assassination. From then on,
she was a devoted client and would become a friend. Valentino would later design the white
Valentino Gown worn by Kennedy at her wedding to Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis. In 1966 he
moved his shows from Florence to Rome where two years later he produced an all-white
collection that became famous for the "V" logo he designed.
1990 marked the opening of the Accademia Valentino, designed by architect Tommaso Ziffer, a
cultural space located near Valentino's atelier in Rome, for the presentation of art exhibitions.
The next year, encouraged by their friend Elizabeth Taylor, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo
Giammetti created L.I.F.E., an association for the support of AIDS-related patients, which
benefits from the activities of the Accademia Valentino.

In 1998 Valentino and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti sold the company for approximately
US$300 million to HdP, an Italian conglomerate controlled, in part, by the late Gianni Agnelli,
the head of Fiat.

In 2002, Valentino S.p.A., with revenues of more than $180 million, was sold by HdP to Marzotto
Apparel, a Milan based textile giant, for $210 million. Maison Valentino is controlled since 2012
by Mayhoola for Investments S.P.C., a holding company sustained by a group of private investors
from Qatar. It is present in over 90 countries through 160 Valentino directly-operated
boutiques and over 1300 points of sale.

On 4 September 2007, Valentino announced that he would retire fully in January 2008 from the
world stage after his last haute couture show in Paris. He delivered his last women's ready-to-
wear show in Paris on 4 October.

His last haute couture show was presented in Paris at the Muse Rodin on 23 January 2008. It
was, however, somewhat marred by his criticism of fellow Italian design duo Dolce & Gabbana,
and the death of Australian actor Heath Ledger although few allowed these things to detract

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from his final show, which received a standing ovation from the entire audience that included
hundreds of notable names from all areas of show business. Many models returned to attend
Valentino's last haute couture show; the audience included Eva Herzigov, Naomi Campbell,
Claudia Schiffer, Nadja Auermann, Karolina Kurkov and Karen Mulder.

In 20122013 a major new exhibition opened at Somerset House in London celebrating the life
and work of Valentino, showcasing over 130 exquisite haute couture designs.
In September 2007, Valentino decided to leave the Creative Direction of his brand. Maria
Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were first nominated Creative Directors of all accessories
lines, and the following year, they were appointed Creative Directors of Valentino, guiding all
collections, from Prt--Porter to Haute Couture. In June 2015 the Creative Directors were
bestowed with the prestigious CFDA International Award, recognition that paid homage to the
professional path and to the success of the Maison. On 7 July 2016 Maison Valentino nominated
Pierpaolo Piccioli its sole Creative Director of the Maison.
On 7 September 2011, Valentino was presented with the sixth annual Couture Council Award for
Artistry of Fashion from the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology at a benefit
luncheon held at the David H. Koch Theatre, Lincoln Centre in New York City.

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 15. MICHAEL KORS

Michael David Kors (born Karl Anderson Jr.; August 9, 1959) is an American sportswear fashion
designer. He is the honorary chairman and chief creative officer for his company, Michael Kors
Holdings Limited, which sells men's and women's and ready-to-wear, accessories, watches,
jewellery, footwear and fragrance.

Kors was the first womens ready to-wear designer for the French house Celine, from 1997 to
2003.
Kors was born Karl Anderson Jr. on Long Island, New York. Kors' mother is Jewish, whereas his
father was of Swedish descent. His parents are Joan Hamburger, a former model, and her first
husband, Karl Anderson Sr., a college student. His mother remarried Bill Kors when he was five,
and his surname was changed to Kors. His mother told him that he could choose a new first name
as well; subsequently he renamed himself Michael David Kors. He grew up in Merrick, New York
and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, New York.

Kors married his partner, Lance Le Pere, on August 16, 2011, in Southampton, New York.

Kors' affinity for fashion started when he was very young. His mother thought his affinity
might have been caused in part by his exposure to the apparel industry through her modelling
career.

Michael, at the age of five, even redesigned his mother's wedding dress for her second
marriage.
As a teen, Kors began designing clothes and selling them out of his parents' basement, which he
renamed the Iron Butterfly. Kors also took acting lessons when he was young, but stopped when
he was 14 when he decided to focus on becoming a fashion designer.
In 1977, he enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. However, he
dropped out after only nine months and took a job at a boutique called Lothar's across from
Bergdorf Goodman on 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan, where he started as a salesperson
and went on to become both the designer and visual display head for the store. Shortly after,

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Dawn Mello, the fashion director at Bergdorf's, discovered Kors. She asked if he would show his
collection to Bergdorf Goodman's buyers and that was just the beginning.
In 1981, Kors launched his Michael Kors women's label at Bergdorf Goodman. In 1990, the
company launched KORS Michael Kors as a licensee. A Chapter 11 filing in 1993, caused by the
closure of the licensing partner for KORS Michael Kors, forced him to put the KORS line on
hold. He managed to get back on his feet by 1997 and launched a lower priced line and at the
same time was named the first womens ready-to-wear designer for French house Celine.

In his tenure at Celine, Kors turned the fashion house around with successful accessories and a
critically acclaimed ready-to-wear line. Kors left Celine in October 2003 to concentrate on his
own brand. Kors launched his menswear line in 2002.
The MICHAEL Michael Kors line was launched in 2004, joining the original Michael Kors
Collection label. The MICHAEL Michael Kors line includes women's handbags and shoes as well as
women's ready-to-wear apparel. As of the end of the first fiscal quarter in 2016, Kors has over
770 Lifestyle stores around the world. Currently, Kors has Collection boutiques in New York,
Beverly Hills, Palm Beach, Chicago, Miami and Southampton. In the U.S, his women's runway
collection, labelled Michael Kors Collection, is sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue,
Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and numerous specialty stores. Michael Kors
Collection is also carried at the brand's stores in London, Paris, Cannes, Milan, Tokyo, Hong Kong,
Shanghai and Seoul. The year 2016 marked the 35th anniversary of Kors' business.
Among the celebrities who have worn Kors' designs are Olivia Wilde, Dakota Johnson, Blake
Lively, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift, Kate Middleton, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer
Lopez, Hillary Clinton, Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Heidi Klum, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Michelle Obama wore a black sleeveless dress from the designer for her first term official
portrait as First Lady and later sported Kors again at the 2015 State of the Union address.

Viola Davis wore a custom Michael Kors Collection gown when accepting a Golden Globe for best
supporting actress in a motion picture for her role in Fences.

Kate Hudson and Olivia Wilde both wore gowns by the designer to the 2016 Golden Globes, and
Emily Blunt, nominated for her role in Into The Woods, wore a white custom gown by the
designer in 2015.

Joan Allen wore his gown when she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for
her role in The Contender.

As creative director of Celine, Kors designed many outfits for actresses to wear on screen,
including Gwyneth Paltrow in Possession; and Rene Russo in The Thomas Crown Affair. One of his
gowns was worn by Alicia Keys for her performance at Barack Obama's inaugural ball on January
21, 2013

The ad campaigns for Kors, shot by Mario Testino, often reflect the jet-set sportswear that his
fans like. Previous campaigns include the model Carmen Kass on a safari in Africa and relaxing on
a yacht. More recent campaigns feature models Joan Smalls and Freja Beha-Erichsen living the
jet set lifestyle. Kors was a judge on the Emmy-nominated reality television program Project
Runway, which aired on Bravo for five seasons; subsequent seasons aired on Lifetime. On
December 18, 2012, it was announced that Kors would be leaving Project Runway, to be replaced
by fellow designer Zac Posen.

In January 2014, Forbes reported that Kors now has a personal fortune in excess of $1billion,
making him the latest fashion industry billionaire. Michael Kors Holdings had already minted
two billionaires: Silas Chou and Lawrence Stroll.

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 16. GIANNI VERSACE

Gianni Versace (Italian pronunciation: [danni versate], born Giovanni Maria Versace; 2
December 1946 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer and founder of Versace, an
international fashion house, which produces accessories, fragrances, make-up, and home
furnishings as well as clothes. He also designed costumes for the theatre and films. As a friend
of Eric Clapton, Diana, Princess of Wales, Naomi Campbell, Duran Duran, Madonna, Elton John,
Cher, Sting, and many other celebrities, he was one of the first designers to link fashion to the
music world.

Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy, on 02 December 1946, where
he grew up with his elder brother Santo and younger sister Donatella, along with their father
and dressmaker mother, Francesca. An older sister died at age 12 due to an improperly treated
tetanus infection.
He was strongly influenced by ancient Greek history, which dominates the historical landscape
of his birthplace. He attended Liceo Classico Tommaso Campanella, where he studied Latin and
ancient Greek, without completing the course. He was also influenced by Andy Warhol. Versace
began his apprenticeship at a young age at his mother's sewing business, which employed up to a

33
dozen seamstresses. He became interested in architecture before moving to Milan at the age of
26 to work in fashion design.
In 1973, he became the designer of "Byblos", a successful Genny's youthful line, and in 1977 he
designed another more experimental line for Genny, "Complice". A few years later, encouraged
by his success, Versace presented his first signature collection for women at the Palazzo della
Permanente Art Museum of Milan. His first fashion show followed in September of the same
year. After presenting his menswear collection, he joined Jorge Saud. The first boutique was
opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978.
Versace was shot dead on 15 July 1997, aged 50, on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion as he
returned from a morning walk on Ocean Drive. In September 1997, the media announced that
Versace's brother, Santo, and Jorge Saud would serve as the new CEOs of Gianni Versace S.p.A.
Versace's sister, Donatella, became the new head of design.

In his will, Gianni Versace left 50% of his fashion empire to his niece Allegra Versace. Her
younger brother, Daniel, inherited Versace's rare artwork collection. Allegra inherited her
stake, worth around half a billion dollars, when she turned 18 years old in 2004.

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 17. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE (17 March 1969 11 February 2010) was a British fashion
designer and couturier. He is known for having worked as chief designer at Givenchy from 1996
to 2001 and for founding his own Alexander McQueen label. His achievements in fashion earned
him four British Designer of the Year awards (1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003), as well as the
CFDA's International Designer of the Year award in 2003.

Born on 17 March 1969 in Lewisham, London, to Scottish taxi driver Ronald and social science
teacher Joyce, McQueen was the youngest of six children. He reportedly grew up in a council
flat, but, in fact, the McQueens moved to a terraced house in Stratford in his first year.

McQueen later attended Rokeby School and left aged 16 in 1985 with one O-level in art, going
on to complete a tailoring course at Newham College and serve an apprenticeship with Savile Row
tailors Anderson & Sheppard, before joining Gieves & Hawkes and, later, the theatrical
costumiers Angels and Bermans.

While serving his apprenticeship, McQueen attended the Rosetta Art Centre led by Yvonne
Humble, who also wrote his reference that saw him go straight on to an MA course at Central St
Martins. The skills he learned as an apprentice on Savile Row helped earn him a reputation in the
fashion world as an expert in creating an impeccably tailored look.

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McQueen returned to London and applied to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, to
work as a pattern cutter tutor. Because of the strength of his portfolio he was persuaded by
Bobby Hillson, the Head of the Masters course, to enrol in the course as a student.
He received his master's degree in fashion design and his 1992 graduation collection was bought
in its entirety by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who was said to have persuaded
McQueen to become known as Alexander (his middle name) when he subsequently launched his
fashion career. Isabella Blow paved the way for Alexander McQueen using her unique style and
contacts to help him she was in many ways his mentor.
It was during this period that McQueen relocated to Hoxton, which housed other new
designers, including Hussein Chalayan and Pauric Sweeney. It was shortly after creating his
second collection, McQueens Theatre of Cruelty", that McQueen met Katy England, his soon to
be "right hand woman", when outside of a "high profile fashion show" trying to "blag her way in".
He promptly asked her to join him for his third collection, "The Birds" at Kings Cross, as
"creative director". Katy England continued to work with McQueen thereafter, greatly
influencing his work his "second opinion".
McQueen designed the wardrobe for David Bowie's tours in 1996-1997, as well as the Union
Jack coat worn by Bowie on the cover of his 1997 album Earthling.

Icelandic singer Bjrk sought McQueen's work for the cover of her album Homogenic in 1997.
McQueen also directed the music video for her song "Alarm Call" from the same album and later
contributed the iconic topless dress to her video for "Pagan Poetry".

McQueen also collaborated with dancer Sylvie Guillem, director Robert Lepage and
choreographer Russell Maliphant, designing wardrobe for theatre show "Eonnagata", directed by
Robert Lepage. The film "Sylvie Guillem, on the edge" produced by French production company A
DROITE DE LA LUNE, traces whole history of the creation of the show, from first rehearsals
which took place in Quebec until world premiere which was held in 2008 at Sadler's Wells
theatre in London.

McQueen's early runway collections developed his reputation for controversy and shock tactics
(earning the title "l'enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion"), with trousers aptly
named "bumsters" and a collection titled "Highland Rape".

In 2004, journalist Caroline Evans also wrote of McQueen's "theatrical staging of cruelty", in
032c magazine, referring to his dark and tortured renderings of Scottish history. McQueen was
known for his lavish, unconventional runway shows: a recreation of a shipwreck for his spring
2003 collection; spring 2005's human chess game; and his autumn 2006 show "Widows of
Culloden", which featured a life-sized hologram of supermodel Kate Moss dressed in yards of
rippling fabric.

McQueen's "bumsters" spawned a trend in low rise jeans; on their debut they attracted many
comments and debate.

Michael Oliveira-Salac, the director of Blow PR and a friend of McQueen's said, "The bumster
for me is what defined McQueen." McQueen also became known for using skulls in his designs. A
scarf bearing the motif became a celebrity must-have and was copied around the world.

McQueen has been credited with bringing drama and extravagance to the catwalk. He used new
technology and innovation to add a different twist to his shows and often shocked and surprised
audiences. The silhouettes that he created have been credited for adding a sense of fantasy
and rebellion to fashion. McQueen became one of the first designers to use Indian models in
London.

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Upon arrival at Givenchy, McQueen insulted the founder by calling him "irrelevant". His first
couture collection with Givenchy was unsuccessful, with even McQueen telling Vogue in October
1997 that the collection was "crap".
McQueen toned down his designs at Givenchy, but continued to indulge his rebellious streak,
causing controversy in autumn 1998 with a show which included double amputee model Aimee
Mullins striding down the catwalk on intricately carved wooden legs.
This year also saw McQueen complete one of his most famous runway shows previewing
Spring/Summer 1999, where a single model, Shalom Harlow, graced the runway in a strapless
white dress, before being rotated slowly on a revolving section of the catwalk whilst being
sprayed with paint by two robotic guns. Givenchy designs released by Vogue Patterns during this
period may be credited to the late designer.
Some of McQueen's accomplishments included being one of the youngest designers to achieve
the title "British Designer of the Year", which he won four times between 1996 and 2003; he
was also awarded the CBE and named International Designer of the Year by the Council of
Fashion Designers in 2003.
December 2000 saw a new partnership for McQueen, with the Gucci Group's acquiring 51% of
his company and McQueen's serving as Creative Director. Plans for expansion included the
opening of stores in London, Milan, and New York, and the launch of his perfumes Kingdom and,
most recently, My Queen. In 2005, McQueen collaborated with Puma to create a special line of
trainers for the shoe brand.

In 2006, he launched McQ, a younger, more renegade lower-priced line for men and women.
McQueen became the first designer to participate in MAC's promotion of cosmetic releases
created by fashion designers.

The collection, McQueen, was released on 11 October 2007 and reflected the looks used on the
Autumn/Winter McQueen catwalk. The inspiration for the collection was the 1963 Elizabeth
Taylor movie Cleopatra, and thus the models sported intense blue, green, and teal eyes with
strong black liner extended Egyptian-style. McQueen handpicked the makeup.
By the end of 2007, Alexander McQueen had boutiques in London, New York, Los Angeles, Milan,
and Las Vegas. Celebrity patrons, including Nicole Kidman, Penlope Cruz, Sarah Jessica Parker,
and Rihanna, Monica Brown and J-pop queens, such as Ayumi Hamasaki, Namie Amuro, and Koda
Kumi, have frequently been spotted wearing Alexander McQueen clothing to events. Bjrk,
Ayumi Hamasaki and Lady Gaga have often incorporated Alexander McQueen pieces in their
music videos.
McQueen was an avid scuba diver and used his passion as a source of inspiration in his designs,
including spring 2010's "Plato's Atlantis". Much of his diving was done around the Maldives.

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 References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domenico_Dolce

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefano_Gabbana

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Wang

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zac_Posen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crist%C3%B3bal_Balenciaga

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_de_Givenchy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miuccia_Prada

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Dior

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentino_(fashion_designer)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kors

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Jacobs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ford

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianni_Versace

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgio_Armani

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Saint_Laurent_(designer)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_McQueen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Lagerfeld

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