Aberta Ferretti

Alberta Ferretti (Cattolica, 1950)[1] is an Italian fashion designer and dressmaker. She designs
for Alberta Ferretti and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti. Her showroom is in Milan, Italy but her
studio is in the village of Cattolica, near Rimini, Italy.[2] Her target customer is the cocktail crowd.
Ferretti is known for her designs featuring twisting, tucking, and draping techniques.

Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE (17 March 1969 11 February 2010) was a British fashion
designer and couturier.[2] He is known for having worked as chief designer at Givenchy from 1996
to 2001 and for founding his own Alexander McQueen label.[2] His achievements in fashion
earned him four British Designer of the Year awards (1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003), as well as
the CFDA'sInternational Designer of the Year award in 2003.[2]

Alexander Wang
Alexander Wang (born December 26, 1983) is an American fashion designer[1] and the former
creative director of Balenciaga. Wang is known for his urban designs. After designing a Fall 2008
collection using black as the predominant color,[5] he designed his Spring 2009 collection using
bright colors such as orange, dusty purple, aqua and hot pink.[6] In the meantime he has reverted
to using mainly black fabrics, and is often praised for exhibiting outstanding tailoring skills. [7][8]. On
July 31st it was announced that Alexander Wang would leave Balenciaga.
In 2015, he was included in the Times 100 Most Influential People of 2015

Anna Sui
Anna Sui is a fashion designer and perfumer, who is much celebrated in the
history of fashion. She is known for her enduring designs and her skill for
developing collections with cultural and historical references.

Rock music has been Suis initial stimulation towards fashion designing. She was involved at
the times punk scene and was highly attracted to rock stars dressing style. For her, they were
the most interesting individuals
Sui loves art and history since there is so much to explore and learn. She mixes the two
together in her designs in a way that the outcome makes sense.

Anya Hindmarch
Anya was able to establish her own company, running around sixty branded stores in
seventeen countries. Her stocks are found in retail shops, such as Tokyos Isetan,
Americas Saks, Philippiness Adora, ParissColette, and Milans Corso Como. Hindmarch
designs are popular among celebrities and film stars, including Scarlett Johansson, Madonna,
Sienna Miller, Margaret Thatcher, Claudia Schiffer, Reese Witherspoon and Kiera
Knightley among others.
Hindmarch creates merchandize for collections thrice annually. The three ranges include
luggage, shoes, leather products, handbags, prt-a-porter, beachwear and so on. These works
are featured in top fashion publications, such as Harpers Bazaar and Vogue. Hindmarchs
collections have been so famous and fashionable that they became the target of raids in her
shops in London.

Balenciaga
Balenciaga is a European fashion house founded by Cristbal Balenciaga, a Spanish designer,
born in the Basque Country, Spain. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising
standards and was referred to as "the master of us all" by Christian Dior.[1] His bubble skirts and
odd, feminine, yet ultra-modern shapes were trademarks[citation needed] of the house. The House of
Balenciaga is now owned by the French multinational company Kering. Balenciaga's current
Creative Director is Alexander Wang.[2]

His manipulation of the waist, in particular, contributed to "what is considered to be his most
important contribution to the world of fashion: a new silhouette for women

Several designers who worked for Balenciaga would go on to open their own successful couture
houses, notably Oscar de la Renta (1949), Andre Courreges (1950), Emanuel Ungaro (1958),

but his most famous and noted protg was Hubert de Givenchy, who was the lone designer to
side with Balenciaga against the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne and also
the press over the scheduling of his shows.[citation needed]

Balmain
Balmain (French: [balm]) is a haute couture fashion house that was founded by Pierre Balmain.
He always had a love of fashion and an eye for design.
While at Lelong, he met Christian Dior, a designer who would play a huge role in Balmains
career and the postwar fashion industry in general. The name Pierre Balmain stands

for a unique concept of elegance, a clientele of royalty and film stars, and
a fashion hallmark recognized throughout the world
Oscar de la renta alsso worked under Balmain
But the house soon fell into financial hard times and was forced to file for bankruptcy.
Investors revived Balmain in 2005, and brought on designer Christophe Decarnin, fresh
from a decade's work at Paco Rabanne. And for a label that was once known for
ultraelegant evening attire with a draping and pleating focus, Decarnin's appointment
took it toward tough-chic, thigh-grazing, body-skimming looks a sensibility that
embraces the quintessential trendsetting French party girl. In 2011, Olivier Rousteing
was named the new creative director of Balmain.

Betsy Johnson
Johnson snagged a spot on the fashion map in the sixties and seventies for helming culty
brands and heading up chic boutiques. She started her eponymous line in 1978 with exmodel Chantal Bacon. The two opened a boutique in Soho and sold Johnsons
dancewear-inspired creations, tapping into a punk-cum-Warholian aesthetic. While
countless brands describe themselves as flirty or sassy, Betsey exemplifies both.
Soon the brand expanded, and she went on to design watches, lingerie, and a Samsung
cell phone. In April 2012, the designer filed for bankruptcy, resulting in the closure of all
63 stores and the dismissal of over 350 employees. While many were disusing the
downfall of the brand Betsey was planning a comeback. Despite the setbacks, it was
announced that in 2013 she will release a lower-priced line of clothing and accessories,

under her parent company Steve Madden, which will be sold in stores such as Macys and
Nordstrom.

Burberry
Thomas Burberry (then a tailors apprentice) founded the brand in 1856. What began
as a collection of sturdy outerwear sold out of a shop in Hampshire, evolved to
include jackets in airy, water-resistant gabardine by 1880. Ten years later, Thomas
Burberry & Sons debuted in Londons West End. In 1911, the house outfitted the first
explorers to reach the South Pole, and by 1914, adapted its coats for WWI soldiers
fighting in the trenches (hence the trench coat). Its trademark check pattern lined its
trench coats by 1920, and rose to national ubiquity by 1955, when Queen Elizabeth II
awarded the house a Royal Warrant (its first of two). In 1961, the house dressed
Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, introducing its branch of accessories by
the mid-sixties. Aggressive retail expansion in the seventies and eighties spun
Burberry into a household name, with stores in every major U.S. city. Embracing
another image shift in the late nineties, Burberry furthered its hold on the luxury
market through high fashion, debuting its first ready-to-wear collection under
Roberto Menichetti, and launching major advertising campaigns. By 2001, Burberry
became cool, thanks to then-CEO Rose Marie Bravo, who tagged Kate Moss as muse
and Christopher Bailey as designer. Bailey cut his teeth under Tom Ford at Gucci,
and he has brought that same sexy edge to the revered heritage brand. He unites
punk with luxury, and edge with opulence. And while the houses legendary coats
(and sometimes tartans) still dominate, they serve as a canvas for Baileys covetable
and profitableart.

Burberry Prorsum

Calvin Klien

Its one of the most recognized fashion brands in the world andwith more than $5
billion in annual salesalso one of the most profitable. Bronx-born Klein started his
company in 1968, a coat shop with childhood friend Barry Schwartz. Legend has it
that a buyer from the now-defunct high-end department store Bonwit Teller
accidentally stumbled into his workroom in 1969 after getting off on the wrong floor;
within a week, Klein had his first $50,000 order. By the early seventies, he was
designing award-winning womenswear and lingerie collections and hed made the
cover of Vogue. A decade later, the brand became known as much for its pioneering
marketing and advertising campaigns as its minimalist fashions: Brooke and her
jeans, Kate and her Obsession, Mark and his tightie-whities. With a mix of successes
(huge growth, marketing genius, critical acclaim) and failures (rocky start with
menswear, near-bankruptcy in the early nineties, a feud with a distributor), the
business would relentlessly expand and establish lucrative licensing deals for jeans,
underwear, fragrance, home products, and eyewear. Klein sold the company to
Phillips-Van Heusen in 2003, and his Brazilian protg, Francisco Costa, was
appointed creative director of womens. Today, Costa is the labels most visible face,
and his collections have been well received by both critics and the industry. Italo
Zucchelli helms menswear, and Kevin Carrigan oversees the sportswear and retail
line of Calvin Klein and ck Klein as well as the licensing arms.

Sibling labels ck calvin klien

Chanel
Chanel is one of todays best known and most highly sought-after fashion brands,
and has been one practically since it was founded by Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel in 1909.
Her big break hit when she opened a small shop in Paris in 1910 where she sold her
hats. And by 1913, after asserting disdain for resort wear, she launched sportswear:
Her take was simplerflannel blazers, jersey sweaters, and women in trousers, all of
which were decidedly against twentieth-century culture memes. Chanel was
trendsetting before there were trends. Her postWorld War I look gained attention,
as she brought on modernism in fashion through beaded dresses in the twenties, the
infamous little black dress, as well as a two- or thee-piece suit, which is still a
signature Chanel look. By 1921 she introduced Chanel No. 5, and was once quoted as
saying "A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future." No. 5 went on to become
one of the best-selling fragrances of all time. After a period away from Paris, Chanel
returned after the Second World War in the fifties, a time when Christian Dior was
touted as Paris's premiere couturier. However, Chanel rose again with the launch of
her chain-link belt and quilted leather bagstoday with the interlocking C's
reestablishing Chanel as the definition of classy glamour with an edge. Coco passed
in 1971, but the brand continued, even launching their first ready-to-wear collection
in 1978. Yet without a lead designer to be the face of the brand, the house struggled
to maintain its enchanting reputation for luxury. That is, until Karl Lagerfeld joined
in 1983 to revive it to its elite status, which he did with added glamour and sexiness.
Today, Chanel stands out in just about every categorycouture, ready-to-wear,
accessories, jewelry, shoes, and fragrances. What began as a no-nonsense approach

to fashion, designed to let women be comfortable while looking dignified, has been
translated into classic, tailored style, especially in ready-to-wear, where the
traditional tweed Chanel suit with a nipped-at-the-waist cardigan jacket remains one
of the most popularand most copiedfashion staples. Evening gowns tend to have
an understated sex appeal and a bit of whimsy, and appear in luxurious fabrics with
lots of embellishments. Yet, there is always an undeniable element of the house's
founder. "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous," Coco Chanel once said.
Fitting, since that's the absolute embodiment of the label even a century after it was
founded.

Chloe
Gaby Aghion started Chlo in 1952 with a vision she called luxury prt--porter.
Her focus on wearable yet beautiful daywear gave the line currency with chic young
women. In the seventies, its bohemian, feminine details made it a favorite of icons
like Grace Kelly, Brigitte Bardot, and Jackie O. Chlo is known for launching the
careers of young designers, including a 28-year-old Karl Lagerfeld in 1966 and a 26year-old Stella McCartney in 1997. Today, the label is helmed by London native
Hannah MacGibbon, a former assistant to Phoebe Philo, the houses seminal director
from 2001-2006. Bags and shoes continue to rank among Chlos most coveted
wares. The brands romantic Left Bank insouciance burns brightly despiteor
perhaps because ofits rapidly revolving roster of young design talent. In June 2011,
Clare Waight Keller, credited for transforming Pringle of Scotland into a
contemporary fashion brand, replaced Hannah MacGibbon as the creative director of
Chlo.

Christian Dior
The House of Christian Dior started in 1947, when Normandy-born designer
Christian Dior opened his own company after working with Robert Pigue and Lucien
Lelong. And the direction he took his own label changed the direction of mid-century
fashion, in particular, with his post World War II "New Look" which elevated Dior to
the status of one of the most famous French designers in history. The New Look (a
term coined by then Harper's Bazaar Editor-in-Chief Carmel Snow) encompassed
voluptuous silhouettes with boned, bustier bodices and skirts that flared out from the
waist, finished with a hem that flattered any woman's calves. And it set the world on

fire, as the New Look refused to grow old, still finding itself in modern-day fashion.
The house continued success even after Diors death in 1957, as Yves Saint Laurent
took over, and later it changed hands to Marc Bohan to Gianfranco Ferr. John
Galliano took over in 1996, debuting his first collection on the 50th anniversary of
the label, and staying there for an impressive tenure. He established the look of the
"Anything Goes" era with his own extreme makeover of the house. Days before the
label's fall 2011 show, based on allegations of anti-Semitic comments, Galliano was
dismissed from the label. Bill Gaytten, Galliano's right-hand man oversaw the label
after Galliano was dismissed. In April 2012, Raf Simons was named the Creative
Director of Dior. Currently, he designs the womens ready-to-wear and haute couture
collections.

Sibling labels Dior Homme

Christian Louboutin

D&G
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana launched their diffusion line D&G in 1994 and
opened a flagship store in Milan the following year. Though the collection appears less
formal than the Dolce & Gabbana line, it indulges the same penchant for animal print
and sexy silhouettes as the original. However, one thing this line is known for are their
advertisementsaggressively sexy, provocative, and borderline obscene. In 2007, the
Advertising Standards Agency censored a campaign that featured models with gunshot
wounds and knives, and the same year Italian and Spanish publications banned the
spring/summer campaign featuring a female model pinned down by a shirtless man with
other models looking on insinuated gang rape. However, it is the overt sexuality of the

brand attracts its customers, as the designer duo counts young Hollywood starlets
among its fans, and D&G accounts for more than 40 percent of the labels wholesale
sales.

DKNY

Donatella Versace

Donna Karan

Emilio Pucci
Emilio Puccis namesake label started in the forties, on the slopes in Switzerland,
when the designers work was discovered by a Harpers Bazaar photographer. But
what began with ski garb has expanded into an empire that includes ready-to-wear,
swimwear, shoes, and home dcor, with almost everything carrying the iconic,
kaleidoscope-like prints that have become instantly recognizable. The labels
headquarters the Pucci family palace in Florence were as much a part of the
fashion house as the lines graphic aesthetic, where buyers and press could come and
admire both the architecture and the clothes. Pucci fans included some of the sixties
most photographed womenElizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, and Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassisbringing the brand into the public eye and giving it its jet-set
cachet. But in the late seventies and eighties, new houses like Armani and Versace
started to rule the Italian fashion scene, which had relocated from Florence to Milan.
Shortly before Puccis 1992 death, however, the label experienced a major comeback,
with new prints and a consumer interest in vintage pieces. Daughter Laudomia
worked as head designer until 2000, when LVMH acquired 67 percent of the
company. She was followed by a slew of others: Julio Espada until 2003, Christian
Lacroix from 2003 to 2006, and Matthew Williamson until 2008. Next up is former
Ungaro and Revillon designer Peter Dundas.

Ferragamo
Born in 1898 in Bonito, Italy, and the eleventh child in a family of fourteen, Salvatore
Ferragamo emigrated to America in 1914 and became "shoemaker to the stars" in
Hollywood during the twenties. After designing shoes for Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn
Monroe, Sophia Loren, and even crafting Judy Garland's iconic red heels for The Wizard
of Oz, he returned to Italy and founded his own house in 1927. The Palazzo Spini Feroni
in Florence has been home to the company's flagship store and headquarters since 1938,
and its also the location of the Ferragamo Museum, which contains over 13,000 models,
including the legendary cage and wedge heels, as well as the invisible sandal. When
Salvatore died in 1960, his widow took over and employed her six children to assist in
the company's development, launching men's and women's ready-to-wear collections, in
addition to eyewear, perfume, and accessories. Fall 2008 marked the debut of chief
womenswear designer Cristina Ortiz, whose collections have so far garnered mixed
reviews. Also in 2008, the Ferragamos hosted a three-day 80th-anniversary bash in
Shanghai to celebrate the success of the brand, which is still family-owned and -operated
and boasts more than 500 stores worldwide.

Giorgio Armani
Nobody cuts a jacket and trousers like Giorgio Armani. He exploded onto the scene when
Richard Gere wore his suits in 1980s American Gigolo, and today hes Italys most
successful fashion designer. Impeccable tailoring renders his mens and womens suits
among the most sought-after sartorial objects in the world. Muted colors, luxurious
fabrics, and ethnically diverse runway models round out the label's look. Armani excels
at glamorous power-dressing thats more stunning than staid. His red-carpet creations
are luxe and opulent, while retaining the sober understatement that helped build his
name. In short, a balancing act of luxury and restraint that still makes his high-powered
clientele go gaga.

Sibling Labels- Emporio Armani Armani Prive

Givenchy
Hubert James Taffin de Givenchy launched the label in 1952 as a line of simple, light
separates. Two years later, the Balenciaga-mentored Frenchman debuted a full
ready-to-wear collection. A meeting to fit a young Audrey Hepburn (he was expecting
Katharine) marked the start of a legendary designer/muse relationship that spanned
forty years; he used her as the face of his first perfume, LInterdit, and she became
the first actress to sell a scent (today, Liv Tyler mugs for the brands beauty wing).
The house hit a home run with fashion heavies like Lauren Bacall, Jackie O, and
Princess Grace, and Givenchy went on to launch a mens line in 1973. By 1976, the
brand included fabrics, furnishings, shoes, jewelry, and a Ford Lincoln Continental.
Givenchy joined LVMH in 1988, and after Huberts retirement in 1995, it gained
notoriety as an incubator of style stars like Alexander McQueen and John Galliano.
The relatively obscure Riccardo Tisci was named creative director in 2005. After
initial bumps in the road, Tisci scored the approval of Suzy Menkes and Cathy Horyn,
among others, for his whimsical yet hard-edged reinterpretation of the legendary
house. To the delight of editors, taste-makers, and fierce high-fashionistas, Tisci puts
his gothic ballerina-urchin stamp on womenswear, menswear, resort, haute couture,
and accessories.

Gucci
The House of Gucci started when founder Guccio Gucci opened a leather-goods
workshop and store in Florence in 1921. By the sixties and seventies, Gucci was one

of the worlds premier luxury-goods brands, with loyalists like Audrey Hepburn,
Grace Kelly, and Jackie O keeping its cachet elevated. But in the late seventies, family
in-fighting and unsound business decisions set things back considerably, and it
wasn't until American designer Tom Ford came onboard in 1990 that the luxury
brand transformed again into a contemporary power player, solidifying Gucci as a
billion-dollar empire of interlocking Gs. Along with CEO Domenico De Sole, Ford
turned the house around in a relatively short time. His breakout collection was fall
1995, with brightly colored fitted blazers over new-disco satin shirts and hip-huggers
changing the way fashion looked overnight and establishing him as an international
tastemakerand master of the "sex sells" approach to high design. In 1999, the
fashion world was riveted by the battle royale that erupted when French luxury group
LVMH tried to acquire Gucci. However, rival PPR triumphed, created the Gucci
Group, and acquired Yves Saint Laurent (which Ford designed for a few years), Stella
McCartney, Alexander McQueen, and more. But as Fords contract ended, he and De
Sole battled with PPRs executives, and both left in April 2004. Replacing him wasnt
easy; Alessandra Fachinetti quit after two seasons and was replaced by in-house
accessories designer Frida Giannini, who runs both menswear and womenswear.
Shes fared well so far; her collections have enjoyed commercial success, although
she has yet to shake up the sartorial climate on a Ford-esque scale.

Helmut Lang
Relaunched in 2007 after changing hands from Prada to Link Theory Holdings, and
without its legendary namesake at the creative helm, Helmut Lang now exists as a
more affordable label than the luxury brand of yore. Helmut Lang defined luxe
minimalism in the nineties (along with Jil Sander, Prada, and Calvin Klein). Lang
focused on sharply cut suits and trousers, with references to the kinkier side of
fashion via bondage pants or leather harnesses worn over T-shirts. His suits, and
later his phenomenally popular jeans, became a uniform for power brokers in
creative industries like film, art, advertising, and fashion. The new creative directors
of the brand, CFDA runners-up Nicole and Michael Colovos, emphasized denim in
their previous line, Habitual, and were tapped to run the Helmut Lang brand because
of their combination of street edge and femininity, as explained by Andrew Rosen

of Theory. Theyve succeeded at maintaining the brands modern, minimalist roots

while stamping it with their own point of view.

Hermes
The legendary French luxury goods house began as a harness workshop in Paris in
1837. By the twenties, Herms had the patent for the zipper in France, and
introduced the first ladies bags with zip closures, and in 1937, the first Herms silk
scarves were born (today, a scarf is allegedly sold every twenty seconds). The
company expanded into riding gloves, belts, and mens and women's sportswear, and
designed the now-famous travel trunks to meet the needs of the new automobile
drivers. The Kelly bag debuted in 1956 after Grace Kelly used a large crocodile
handbag to hide her pregnancy. In the seventies, the first women's shoe collection
and the first complete men's ready-to-wear collection were introduced. Actress Jane
Birkin replaced her old straw purse with a leather Herms number in 1984, and
started the rage that is the Birkin bag. Today the Birkin continues to have the longest
waiting list of any luxury accessoryabout six years. Herms also has a complete
home line, bed and bath linens, furniture, silverware, crystal and porcelain, office
accessories, and baby gifts. In 2003, following Martin Margiela, Jean-Paul Gaultier
joined the house as women's ready-to-wear designer, putting a high-fashion spin on
the labels equestrian roots. After departing in May 2010, Christophe Lemaire, who is
best known for reviving preppy label Lacoste, took the reigns. In June 2004,
perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena took a post as the in-house perfumer and launched
several scents that have amassed cultish popularity. There are over 240 Herms
boutiques internationally, including a Wall Street location, the North American
flagship on Madison Avenue, and in the fall of 2009, the first menswear-only
boutique right across the street.

Herve Leger
The pioneer of the body-con craze, Lger used properties formally associated with
foundation garments to create dresses that mold the body and make it look tight as a
drum. The figure-sculpting bandage dress was a staple in the late eighties and
nineties, and has resurfaced on the formidable forms of celebs and socials. Founded
in 1985 by Herv Lger, (who changed his name to Herv L. Leroux after he lost the
rights), BCBG Max Azria acquired the French label in 1999. Lger was promised
"unconditional support," but the relationship soured when BCBG cut the budget and
Lger refused to cooperate. He was fired just six months after the takeover. Today,
Azria designs the line. Hes added beads, feathers, cashmere insets and appliqu to
vary the legendary look.

Jil Sander
Noted as one of the major labels who helped popularize the minimalist aesthetic of
the nineties, Jil Sander stands for luxe purity. The German designer launched her
namesake womens ready-to-wear line in 1973 on the Milan runway, after designing
collections for her own boutique in Hamburg for five years. The austere suits and
coats, embellishment-free cashmere knits, and monochrome silk dresses in whites,
browns, and blacks earned a cult following among critics and buyers alike, and led to
a $200 million empire that came to include menswear, accessories, and multiple
perfumes. Buyers from prestigious department stores like Barneys New York have
said its one of the labels that their clients most consistently seek. In 1999, Prada
Group acquired 75 percent of the label, which led to Sanders departure shortly
thereafter. Milan Vukmirovic, who had prior stints at Colette and Gucci, was brought
in but failed to uphold the streamlined cleanliness that Jil Sander executed. In 2003,
Prada asked Sander back. With much anticipation from the public and press, the
designer showcased her signature staple pieces, this time with strokes of color
(sherbet-hued dresses, white jackets painted with blue streaks) and flourish (fringed
separates, sequined numbers), before officially stepping down four seasons later.
Following an interim period, Raf Simons was brought in as the new creative director
in 2005. The Belgian menswear designer has delivered, maintaining the labels
heritage and making it his own with appliqud shorts, electric red, orange, and blue
outerwear, and blousy, one-button coats. His conceptual, sculptural suits for the Jil
Sander menswear line have been embraced as well. In 2008, the label was bought by
Tokyo-based apparel group Onward Holdings Co, keeping Simons at the helm. In
2011, the label launched Jil Sander Navy, a lower-priced diffusion line.

Jimmy Choo

John Galliano
Ever since his Central Saint Martins graduate show, Galliano has generated buzz
both for his wild persona and his fantastical runway shows. In addition to over a
decade at the helm of Christian Dior, he has held fast to his eponymous label, which
includes sunglasses and fragrance. With the renewal of his Dior contract, the John
Galliano label is going under the LVMH umbrella, ensuring an even higher profile for
the designer, whose era-juggling, sensibility-mixing collections keep him at the tiptop of high fashion. In March 2011, Galliano was dismissed from the label following
the release of video footage of his anti-Semitic comments. His successor has yet to be
determined.

Julien MacDonald
Aesthetically speaking, the Julien Macdonald label is akin to a British version of Roberto
Cavalli. The ultraglam, skimpy dresses are usually generously doused in sequins and
often shown topped with a mink coat. The furs are said to be 60 percent of the brands
revenue, and Russian fashionistas make up a large portion of the clientele. But while
Macdonalds namesake line, started in 1998, tends upmarket, the designer is also
reaching the masses with his Star by Julien Macdonald label, carried in the British
department store Debenhams.

Just Cavalli
The youth-oriented offshoot of Roberto Cavalli was launched in 1998. Like the
original, Just Cavalli encompasses menswear, accessories, and fragrance with a bold
aestheticthink color, animal print, and denim.

Sibling labels Roberto Cavalli

Kors Michael Kors

Lanvin
Jeanne Lanvin founded her label in 1889, starting out as a milliner and later dressing
Pariss upper class. The company built a name with ultrafeminine clothing, marked
by elaborate trimmings like embroidery and beading, as well as its popular
fragrances. After a period of decline at the end of the twentieth century, Lanvin found
new financial and critical success with the 2001 arrival of designer Alber Elbaz, who
is frequently lauded for his technical skill and innate sense of what women want to
wear. Today, its the oldest French fashion house in operation. And while it
encompasses menswear, it is best loved among editors and celebs for exquisitely
made womenswear. Duchesse satin, cocktail-length frocks (often with one shoulder),
dressed-up cigarette pants, and volume experimentation are signatures.

Luella

Missoni
The story of Missoni's now-legendary patterned knits of zigzags, waves, and stripes
began in 1948 when founders Rosita and Ottavio (Tai) met at the Olympic games in
London (he was a runner and designed the Italian team's uniforms, while she was
there studying English). They opened a small knitwear workshop in Gallarate, Italy,
after marrying in 1953. By 1965, legendary editor Anna Piaggi (then of Arianna
magazine) took a liking to the designing couple and their bold, geometric patterns,
and helped boost their credibility to international status. Their fame exploded in
1967, when Rosita instructed models to remove their bras under sheer blouses at a
fashion show in Florence and walk nearly nude (they weren't invited back). In 1973,
they won the Neiman Marcus Award, which is typically thought of as the Oscars of
fashion. Today, Missoni is still very much a family affair: Rosita and Ottavios
daughter Angela took over designing in 1996, and sons Luca and Vittorio oversee the
business, while Angela's aspiring-actress daughter, Margherita, is the brand's
ambassador. Missoni has expanded as well. Instead of taking on collaborations like
other labels, they developed over 25 sub-lines including M Missoni (a lower-priced
line owned by the Valentino Fashion Group), Missoni Home, Missoni menswear,
fragrances (first launched in 1980), and at one time, Missoni Sport (now
discontinued). There are also plans for Hotel Missoni, a Rezidor Hotel Group project
set to open in Kuwait in 2009, with others to follow in cities like Dubai, Paris, and
Miami.

Marc By Marc Jacobs

Launched in 2001 and a mainstay in chic, young closets from New York to Tokyo, it
hardly seems fair to call Marc by Marc a diffusion line. More than just a priced-down,
mass version of the primary collection, Marc by Marc has its own sensibility.
Whether its slouchy layers or retro prim, the look translates well for everyday, street,
cocktails, and a stylish workplace. The silhouette is always key and ever-changing,
and the brand boasts mix-and-match cheek thatin less capable handsmight look
jokey. Waitlists for bags and boots are not uncommon.

Marc Jacobs
Jacobs introduced his namesake line in 1986 and quickly became the youngest
designer ever to win the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. Two
decades and several CFDA awards (for womenswear, menswear, and accessories)
later, Marc Jacobs is to America what Miuccia Prada is to Italy: the cant-miss
catwalk, the bellwether label, the mercurial designer who stuns/delights/scares the
fashion world twice a year. Jacobs has a knack for sizing up the zeitgeist and then
one-upping it. A master of the mash-up, his references are wide-ranging, always in
flux, and often unlikely. Hes done multi-layered grunge and tight-as-a-drum
ladylike. Whats next? Its unpredictablebut you can safely assume itll make waves
and move units. The mystique is buoyed by the use of unexpected models (Charlotte
Rampling, Dakota Fanning, Posh Spice), and Juergen Tellers vivid photo campaigns.

Matthew Williamson
Following stints at Marni and Monsoon Accessorize, in 1997, the British designer
launched his own label. After showing his first collectiondubbed Electric Angels
using Jade Jagger, Kate Moss, and Helena Christensen as runway models, the label
has become a favorite among the U.K.s biggest names and jet-setting Yanks who
need vacay-and-soire gear. Editors have also approved of his bright-colored
butterfly-hem gowns and flirty swing dresses with kaleidoscope prints, recognizing
him as Elles Designer of the Year in 2004. The label, which earns approximately
9.5 million annually, was invested in by the Icelandic company Baugur Group in
2006 and TSM Capital in 2007; together they own a little under half of Matthew
Williamson Ltd., while the designer and his business partner, Joseph Velosa, own the
remaining share. The year 2007 also marked the labels tenth anniversary, which was
celebrated with a retrospective at the Design Museum in London. The designers
trippy prints and fearless use of color have also shown up on Samonsite luggage,
Smythson stationery, and a mass-market collection for the British retailer
Debenhams.

Michael Kors
Long Island native Michael Kors began his namesake label in 1981, not long after his
graduation from FIT, and started selling at Bergdorf Goodman and Saks
straightaway. He slowly made a name for himself over the years, selling his creamy
uptown pieces to American women with a yen for luxurious reboots of classics.
Things really took off after his appointment at French fashion house Celine, where he
served as designer and then creative director from 1997 until 2003. In the meantime,
he won the CFDA Award for Womenswear Designer of the Year in 1999 for Michael
Kors Collection. All of this upped his standing in the fashion worldand he

capitalized on this by launching a full-fledged accessories line in 2001, a mens

collection in 2002, and sportswear line Michael Michael Kors in 2004. With flagship
stores in most major cities, popular fragrance and home linesand of course, the
celebrity factor from his role on Project RunwayMichael Kors remains a powerful
brand in the American fashion landscape.

Michael Michael Kors

Miu Miu
The hip kid sister to the refined Prada label, Miuccia Prada launched Miu Miualso
her nicknamein 1993 as the lower-priced offshoot to her signature line. With hints
of metallic lam, sexy silk dresses, wild pseudo-mod prints, on-trend tunics, and
sought-after vertiginous heels, Miu Miu epitomizes quirky chic, earning the line
enough attention to garner its own identity. The label can count stand-alone
boutiques in over a dozen cities, major names for advertising campaignsKirsten
Dunst and Lindsay Lohan, among othersand lucrative sales: a reported $161.25
million in 2005.

Mulberry

Paul and Joe

Paul Smith
London-based designer Paul Smith has been turning proper mens and womens
fashion on its proverbial ear since he abandoned his dreams of being a competitive
cyclist and started his own label in 1976. The brand is known for putting a twist on
classic schoolboy and -girl looks, in the form of superbright stripes, loud prints,
contrasting colors, and extra-sharp tailoring. Best known for the mens collection,

Paul Smith now includes womens and ten other categories, including accessories,
shoes, and furniture.

Philip Treacy

PRADA
After taking over her grandfather Mario Pradas Italian-leather-goods business in
1978, Miuccia Prada began to change the way people viewed fashion. It started with
her nylon bagsunheard of in the realm of luxury goodswhich earned her a
devoted following, and in 1988, a womens ready-to-wear line was born. Today,
Miuccias collectionswhether theyre nerd-chic, feminist-chic, or minimalist-chic
challenge and beguile the global "fasheratti" each season. With encouragement from
husband Patrizio Bertelli, who serves as chief executive and chairman of the labels
parent company Prada S.p.A., Miuccia launched a menswear line in 1993, turning out
tailored suits and adding prints and geometrically cut separates. That same year, she
also launched her coveted offshoot line, Miu Miu. In addition to Pradas forwardthinking clothes, there are the teetering platform shoes, the utilitarian handbags, a
sportswear line, and myriad beauty ventures, all of which play a role in making the
multi-billion-dollar empire one of the most recognized labels in the world. Theres
deep thought behind the ubiquitous brand. Miuccia, who was trained in political
science rather than design, is known as one of fashions most intellectual talents. She
presents fabrics in revolutionary ways, dreams up impossible color schemes, and
often pairs the staid with the sensual. Every aspect of productionfrom the buttons
of a coat to the design of a New York flagship (with the help of architect Rem

Koolhaas)benefits from the careful eye and deliberate study of Mrs. Prada. Who
else could make turbans, backpacks, dirndls, and anoraks look cool?

Ralph Lauren
Since its inception in 1968, Ralph Lauren has become a powerful global empire that has
put its stamp on everything from tuxedos to tennis skirts. Lauren began with a
handmade line of wide, colorful ties and menswear, which paved the way to launch his
own in-store boutique in Bloomingdale's in 1969. The designer expanded to encompass
womenswear (1971), his signature polo shirts (1972), fragrance (1978), home furnishings
(1983), sportswear (1993), paint (1995), denim (1996), and even a restaurant, in Chicago
in 1999. Laurens lavish Madison Avenue flagship was built into the renovated
Rhinelander mansion in 1986, a retail space that doubles as an opulent, high-end
boutique and a tourist attraction. Though the label is perhaps best associated with its
signature preppy polo shirts and tweed blazers, Lauren has shown range and innovation
each season, from the cowboy-inspired looks of the seventies to the Santa Fe prints of the
eighties to the more recent high-fashion twenties safari looks of the 2000s. The apparel
is divided into a dozen lines, including the purple label for mens eveningwear and handtailored suiting, the black label for womens eveningwear, RLX for ski, golf, and tennis
attire, and Rugby for a more youthful buyer. Today, the iconic polo emblem adorns
everything from Pink Pony tees benefiting cancer research to tiny plaid high-tops for
tykes and miniature polos for pets. The Ralph lifestyle has shown staggering staying
power, thanks to loyal fans who ride horses, get chauffeured in Town Cars, and
everything in between.

Red Valentino

See by Chloe

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel

Sonia Rykiel
She's been crowned the Queen of Knits and Coco Rykiel by the American press
for her quirky, deconstructed garb that upended Left Bank chic, but it all began when
Parisian Rykiel starting sewing stylish maternitywear for her pregnant self in the
early sixties. Aside from window-dressing her fathers shops in her teens, Rykiel had
no formal training. But she soon began designing knitwear with resources from her
retailer husbands business, creating the iconic, shrunken poor boy sweater. By
1968, Rykiel opened her own boutique on the Left Bank, from which she hawked her
covetable knits. From there, she proceeded to invert seams, de-line looks, and add
other non-precious, fun effects to her clothes, winning her a following among the
fashion-forwardand the literati (she penned an erotic romance novel about a man,
a woman, and a sweater). In 1996, the French government showed its appreciation
by awarding her the Legion dHonneur. Today, her label encompasses lingerie,
accessories, childrens clothing, menswear, and beauty, and is still a family-owned
businessher daughter Nathalie (who spent more than a decade as creative director)
is president and artistic director. In 2008, Gabrielle GreissSonias longtime chief
assistantwas promoted to creative director of womens ready-to-wear.

Stella McCartney
The daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney, Stella McCartney was already working
with fashion heavyweight Christian Lacroix in her teens. She later went on to study
fashion design in London, garnering plenty of attention at her graduation show for
employing friends Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss as models. After launching her
own line, McCartney signed on as chief designer at Chlo. Her collection of delicate,
feminine clothing was positively received by the fashion world, boosting the brand's
sales and reputation and proving that McCartney wasn't just gliding by on her name.
She left Chlo, however, in 2001 to develop her own label as part of the Gucci group
and opened her New York store in 2002. Eminently wearable and at the same time
directional, McCartney's line blends sweet elements like pastel silks and ribbons with
street-worthy rocker accents, like slasher tees and industrial zippers. All clothes are
animal-free, including the shoes, which are outfitted from a leatherlike plant
derivative.

Temperly London
Alice Temperley launched Temperley London 2000, and it didnt take long for her
ultrafeminine party frocks and separates to be embraced by fashion darlings like
Helena Christensen and Jacquetta Wheeler as well as high-end luxury stores,
including Londons Harvey Nichols and Bergdorf Goodman. Past seasons have
showcased classic draping and a bit of rock-and-roll edge in pieces like detailed
boleros and jumpsuits; however, the label has since veered in a more romantic
direction and has come to include the Temperley London Black Label, a line of
dresses made for the red carpet and a bridal collection. (Her wedding garb has gone
down the aisle at many British socialites weddings, including Emilia Fox and Jodie
Kidd.) Temperley London has since launched an accessories collection, which
includes handbags and sunglasses, and opened up stand-alone boutiques in London,
New York, and Los Angeles. Its runway shows have also become an international
endeavor; the label showed in New York from 2005 until 2008 when it returned to
the U.K. for the spring 2009 season.

Tom Ford

Valentino
The only label to have designed wedding dresses for both Jackie O. and J. Lo,
Valentino is synonymous with opulence, extravagance, and drama. In business since
1960, Valentino Garavani made his mark early with intricately detailed, luxurious
gowns and tastefully body-conscious silhouetteseven perfecting his own shade of
Valentino Red. The year 1968 introduced the groundbreaking White collection as
well as the now-iconic V label. Thanks in part to the entrepreneurial skill of
Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino's longtime business partner and ex-boyfriend, the
brand is still manna among European royalty, American socialites, and celebrities
craving a touch of class. Though his new creations get a great deal of attentionand
requests, especially around red-carpet timehis vintage dresses continue
commanding attention (remember the black gown with white piping Julia Roberts
wore to accept her Oscar in 2001? So do we). To the horror of loyal fans across the
globe, Valentino announced his retirement in 2007. Since he hadnt groomed an heir,
the label is still trying to find its footing: Former Gucci designer Alessandra
Facchinetti took over as head designer until being unceremoniously fired after her
spring 2009 collection. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, who had
previously designed accessories for the label, were then named creative directors.

Vera Vang
With the success of her bridal line bringing in enough revenue for her to finally
pursue her true love, Vera Wang launched a ready-to-wear line in 2004. Decorative,
feminine and artsy-intellectual, Wang favors the long and lean, with a keen interest
in silhouette and a passion for the sheer and textural. A favorite of red-carpet
clientele, the RTW line has garnered a devout following. Allures creative director
(and former co-worker of Wang's) Paul Cavaco notes: Vera loves clothes beyond
loving clothes; she loves everything that has to do with clothes. This is not a makebelieve love here; its the real thing. And speaking of love, Wang is perhaps bestknown for her romanticism. Whimsical and feminine without looking saccharine,
luxurious materials get worked and finessed with a singular flourish. Shes also a
history buff who, in the past, has looked to everything from czarist Russia to ancient
Rome for inspiration.

Versace
Wallflowers and shrinking violets need not apply. The Italian label, branded by the
signature medusa motif and founded by the late Gianni Versace in 1978, has always
epitomized over-the-top sexiness and glamour. The design reins were taken over by
Gianni's sister, Donatella, after he was murdered in Miami Beach in 1997. Donatella
oversees every collection under Gianni Versace SpAs umbrella: ready-to-wear,
menswear, and the lower-priced offshoot lines. The labels aesthetic has remained
relatively consistent, although Donatella has toned down the houses decadent party
image in recent seasons. And though theres a slightly quieter new polish to the looks,
its still a house thats sought after for its strippy-strappy, safety-pinned, cut-downto-there and slit-up-to-here camera-readiness. Santos Gianni and Donatellas
brotherwas originally appointed as sole CEO but has since become chairman of the
board, and the company brought in a co-executive, Gian Giacomo Ferraris, to boost
profits. With an influx of accessory collections and entrepreneurial endeavors,
including hotels in Australia and the construction of locations in Dubai and Macau,
the Versace empire remains a profitable lifestyle brand and a household name.
Ownership will continue to be a family affair, as Donatellas daughter, Allegra,
inherited 50 percent of the company from her uncle Gianni. Donatella and Santos
share the remaining portion.

Sibling label - Versus

Versus

Vivienne Westwood
In 1970, Vivienne Westwood shook up British fashion indelibly. She and thenpartner Malcolm McLaren of the Sex Pistols opened a store on Kings Road, called Let
it Rock, which functioned as an outlet for the two to showcase their respective
interests. For Westwood, it was her penchant for leather and zippers. The store, now
called Worlds End, is still open and continues to carry Westwoods collections: her
main womens ready-to-wear line, which she officially launched in 1981; her Red
Label, which skews to younger tastes; a mass-market line called Anglomania; and her
menswear line. Her designs have grown leaps and bounds in sophistication but
retain the same tropes as always (pirates, tartans, courtesans, Victoriana, bondage).
But although Westwood has remained one of Britains most influential designers
influencing Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano and the likeshe has struggled with
profitability. With assistance from her manager, Carlo D'Amario, the introduction of
her offshoot lines, and a perfume, by 1999 the designer was grossing close to $45
million. The iconoclastic redhead has always used her brand as a medium for
political expression. One collection gently spoofed British royalty (and she reportedly
went knickerless when she received her OBE from Queen Elizabeth), and in 2006,
she showed tank tops with the slogan "I am not a terrorist.

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania

Vivienne Westwood Gold Label

Vivienne Westwood Red Label

In addition to her demi-couture line, Vivienne Westwood launched the Red Label
in 1993 to supplement her income. The lower-priced collection takes on a slightly
younger aesthetic and adheres to current trends while still maintaining the elements
of the iconic Vivienne Westwood look: tartan plaids, body-conscious cuts and
dandified coats with rounded lapels. In 2008, Westwood started showing Red Label
in London, which made for a return home of sorts, considering she shows her
original line in Paris.

Yves Saint Laurent

Algerian-born Yves Saint Laurent and business partner/ex-lover Pierre Berg started
the brand in 1962, after Saint Laurent was laid off from his top rank at Dior following
his stint in the French Army. Going solo, it turned out, galvanized YSLs creative
output and career. The designer is credited with a great many things: the womens
tuxedo (and Le Smoking), the trench coat and peacoat as high fashion, safari-chic,
the shirt dress, the iconic Mondrian dress (and the subsequent graphic print craze),
ethnic-inspired and beatnik gear, and numerous other sartorial coups that have
penetrated our collective style-unconscious. Saint Laurent was also was the first
couturier to market and cultivate his prt-a-porter line Rive Gauche, and he was
among the first to feature black models. In 1993, the house was sold to
pharmaceuticals company Sanofi for over $600 million before the Gucci Group
acquired the brand. Yves stayed aboard, designing the couture collection until his
retirement in 2002, which marked the shuttering of that arm of the business. Rive
Gauche was designed by Lanvins Alber Elbaz for three seasons starting in 1998, and
then by Creative Director Tom Ford, who brought the brand back into the spotlight
with heightened sex appeal and provocative marketing, somewhat to the dismay of
Saint Laurent, who was not particularly fond of Fords aesthetic. After Tom Fords
departure in 2004, Stefano Pilati, whose style was more in line with that of the late
Monsieur Saint Laurent, was named creative director. In February 2012 it was
announced that Hedi Slimane would replace Pilati. After his appoitment Slimane
made the decision to rebrand Yes Saint Laurent, renaming the ready-to-wear line to
Saint Laurent Paris.
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