Top Famous Fashion Designers Worldwide

Outstanding Contributions to the Fashion Industry by Some of the Century's Most Original and Prominent Designers (Male & Female)

Famous for their unwavering dedication and ground-breaking designs, these 20 fashion designers spanned the last century.

 

These Fashion designers pushed the envelope of what was possible in terms of both form and function, and their creations continue to influence their peers and captivate the public.

 

In this post, we'll take a look at the careers of twenty of the most influential fashion designers in history.

 

The origin, age, biography, memorable sayings, and canonical works of the fashion designer will all be discussed.

Coco Channel:

The best fashion designers will forever be remembered as pioneers of design, from Coco Chanel and her little black dress to Alexander McQueen with his avant-garde creations to Ralph Lauren and his sporty-preppy looks.

Coco Chanel, or Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, was a renowned French fashion designer and entrepreneur. She was born on August 19, 1883, in Saumur.

 

After her mother passed away when Chanel was just 12 years old, her father placed her in an orphanage, where she was raised by nuns and trained to sew.

 

An article in The Atlantic claims that Chanel performed in clubs in Vichy and Moulins under the stage name "Coco," an abbreviation of the French word cocotte, meaning "kept lady."

 

Instead of cumbersome and often painful corsets and petticoats, ladies in the early 20th century could move more freely thanks to Chanel's stylish but uncomplicated clothing designs.

 

A quote from Coco Chanel would go something like this:

 

When it comes to comfort, "luxury must be comfortable; otherwise, it's not luxury."

 

Chanel was a significant figure in 20th-century fashion because of her innovative, utilitarian designs and minimalist aesthetic.

Dior

Christian Dior, the subject of numerous fashion tomes, was born on January 21, 1905, in Granville, a northern French coastal resort town.

 

Growing up in Paris through the Great Depression, World Wars 1 and 2, and the deportation of his sister to a detention camp shaped the young French fashion designer.

 

In 1925, Dior enrolled in the École des Sciences Politiques to become a diplomat, but his interest in architecture, art, and fashion ultimately won him.

 

As France rebuilt after the war, Dior's ability to influence the fashion industry became even more apparent.

 

Dior's "New Look" of the '40s and '50s, characterized by full, A-line skirts that hit just above the knee and waists that were cinched in, was a stark contrast to the wartime cruelty and a reminder of softer, gentler times.

Karl Lagerfeld, who was born on September 10, 1933, in Hamburg, Germany, was a renowned fashion designer. Vogue called him "an unequaled interpreter of the mood of the moment."

 

Before becoming the artistic director of Jean Patou at the age of 21, Lagerfeld spent four years working as a model and assistant at Balmain.

Fendi Chloe

Famous for his work with Fendi, Chloe, Tommy Hilfiger, and his namesake label, Karl Lagerfeld is widely considered one of the most important designers in the history of fashion.

A British fashion designer, Lee Alexander McQueen was born to working-class parents on March 17, 1969, in Lewis ham, London.

 

Alexander McQueen was openly gay and the target of bullying from a young age.

 

Savile Row is a thoroughfare in London's Mayfair neighborhood that is well-known for its tailor-made men's clothing boutiques. He left school at 16 to begin working there for companies including Anderson & Shephard, Barman & Nathans, and Grieves & Hawkes.

Versace

Donatella Versace, the younger sister of the late fashion designer Gianni Versace, was born on May 2, 1955, in Reggio Calabria, Italy, and has been working in the fashion industry ever since.

 

Donatella and Gianni's mother was a dressmaker; thus, they got an early education in the fashion industry from her.

 

After the murder of her brother Gianni Versace, the company's namesake and creative director, Donatella took over as artistic director of the Versace Group in 1997.

Ralph Lauren, an American clothes designer, was born Ralph Lifshitz on October 14, 1939, in the Bronx of New York City. His sportswear label, Polo Ralph Lauren, is the flagship of his fashion empire.

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren attended Baruch College in New York City for two years after changing his last name at the age of sixteen.

 

The idea for the Polo brand and its first product, a line of neckties, began to take shape during Lauren's time as a salesman at Brooks Brothers after he had served a brief tour in the Army.

Legendary fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent was born Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent on August 1, 1936, in Oran, French Algeria.

 

Yves Saint Laurent moved to Paris and started working for Christian Dior when he was just a teenager.

 

Yves Saint Laurent, couturier. Experience at Dior and Yves Saint Laurent Working for Dior (thevou.com)

The French designer's genuine yet alluring aesthetic has made him one of the most revered names in the history of European fashion.

Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent's innovative designs are credited with revitalizing the haute couture industry in the 1970s and elevating the status of ready-to-wear in the 1960s. His clothes made women feel strong, beautiful, and confident.

 

When the designer reworked the macho style of his "Le Smoking" tuxedo suit into a gorgeous collection for ladies, it was quickly hailed as "women's power dressing."

On February 21, 1927, Hubert James Marcel Tiffin de Givenchy was born into an aristocratic family in the northern French city of Beauvais.

 

Givenchy

Hubert de Givenchy apprenticed under fashion designer Jacques Fath after graduating from the École National Supérieure des Beaux-Arts at age 17.

 

Givenchy gained valuable experience in illustrious French fashion houses like Lucien Lalong, Robert Piquet, and Elsa Schiaparelli after his time at Faith.

 

After receiving numerous accolades for his work, the French fashion designer finally founded his couture firm in 1952.

Prada

Miuccia Prada, born Maria Bianchi Prada on May 10, 1949, in Milan, Italy, is the creative director and chief designer for the Prada fashion house.

 

Miuccia Prada, a Ph.D. holder in political science from the University of Milan and a member of the Italian Communist Party, took over the family luggage business in 1978 despite having no prior business expertise.

 

In 1985, however, the Italian designer began focusing on the fashion industry with a line of sleek black nylon totes and backpacks that bore minimal branding.