Index
A stunning, well-tailored costume will do more to improve your image than a pair of old frayed jeans. Consumers want to wear good-looking clothes and attractive jewelry to enhance or maintain their standing in society. We proudly wear designer shoes, carry around Gucci handbags, and wear D&G sunglasses. The fashion industry is a big part of our economy. This web page provides information on fashion, style, haute couture, clothes, apparel, accessories, shoes, fashion shows, and designers. Who are the people behind the brand names that are so familiar? Here is a short list:
Chanel
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883-1971) created feminine fashion that provided the feeling of luxury
and combined traditional
women's clothing with styles, fabrics, and articles of clothing used by men. She felt comfortable
wearing sports jackets and men's ties in casual settings. Her fashion revolution
liberated women to express their femininity with elegance and grace. Chanel's logo
is frequently seen in perfumes, purses, shoes, and jewelry.
products
;w1.focus())
Prada
Prada was founded by Mario Prada and his brother in 1913 when they opened a luxurious boutique in Milan.
The shop included imported silver, Austrian crystal, and exquisite leather handbags
and luggage. The tradition of high-quality distinctive goods is continued today.
The Hollywood film "The Devil Wears Prada", starring Meryl Streep, has brought a lot of attention to the world of fashion. The film is a testament to the amazing transformations that can be achieved by wearing elegant clothing.
products
;w1.focus())
Naeem Khan
Naeem Khan was born in 1958 in Mumbai, India. He is the designer and CEO of a company
that he launched in 2003. His designs have become very popular in the American fashion industry
and are frequently worn by Hollywood celebrities.
His work employs colorful handmade fabrics in ornate and intricately detailed arrangements.
Dresses with his label are sold in high end stores, including Neiman Marcus and
Saks Fifth Avenue.
Stacy Keibler wore a black sleeveless gown by Naeem Khan at the 2013 Oscars ceremony.
The dress featured V-shaped designs of silver studs from the neckline to the waist and
from the waist to the knees, while the hips were accentuated by circular designs.
products
;w1.focus())
Versace
Gianni Versace (1946-1997) became interested in fashion working in his mother's small dress shop.
His first commercial success was the design of a line of clothes for Florentine Flowers in 1972.
Versace continued a successful clothing design career in Milan. By 1978 he had become a design
leader of women's and men's fashions. After Gianni's death,
his brother Santo Versace became the CEO of the Versace firm
and his sister Donatella Versace became the head of design.
Jennifer Lopez wore a sensational green dress by Versace to the Grammys in 2000.
products
;w1.focus() "Marion Cotillard")
;w1.focus() "Teri Hatcher")
Jean-Paul Gaultier (1952- ) is a French fashion designer who never received formal design training. He started sending sketches to famous couture stylists, and Pierre Cardin hired him as an assistant in 1970. His first individual collection was released in 1976. By 1981 he was known for irreverent, provocative designs, and for using unconventional models in his exhibitions, such as old and fat women, or tattooed and pierced models. Gaultier's sheer lace design worn by Teri Hatcher at the 2006 Grammy Awards drew international attention. Gaultier was again in the spotlight with his design of the scalloped gown worn by Marion Cotillard, the Best Actress winner at the 2008 Oscars ceremony.
products
Ralph Lauren
Born in New York as Ralph Lifshitz in 1939,
Ralph Lauren is a designer of affordable casual dress.
In 1967 he purchased the Polo label and launched a world-wide fashion empire that
includes clothing lines for men and women. His business ventures have also diversified to include
home decor.
The Polo label features an image of a rider on a horse swinging a polo club. The design is bold and sometimes very large, which makes you question whether it is something that you should flaunt or whether you should feel self-conscious for being a walking advertisement.
products
Armani
Giorgio Armani (1934- ) abandoned the study of medicine to become a photographer.
He initially worked as
a window dresser for the Italian department store La Rinascente, and later became a designer
under Nino Cerruti. He established his own company in 1974, and gained fame and success
with his streamlined tailoring, imaginative designs, and sophisticated choice of materials
for many Hollywood personalities. Some of his alluring couture creations use
animal prints, satin, velvet, and sparkling Swarovski crystals which shimmer with every
movement of the body.
Giorgio Armani has also applied his artistic skills to coordinate the interior and exterior of the Mercedes-Benz CLK automobile using classic brown leather for the trim and the center console, and subtle greenish tints for the exterior paint.
products
Gucci
Guccio Gucci (1881-1953) was the son of an Italian leather craftsman.
He learned to appreciate international culture through his travels
to Paris and London.
When he returned to Italy in 1920, he opened his first Gucci shop in Florence where he
featured finely crafted equestrian accessories. Guccio's sons expanded the firm
by opening new shops in Rome, Milan, and New York. The Gucci brand may be found in luggage, handbags,
sunglasses, as well as in perfumes.
Today, there are over 180 Gucci boutiques in the world, and Gucci articles are sold in many
stores serving clients who have a taste for luxury.
products
Cartier
Louis-François Cartier established a jewelry company in 1847 that catered to multi-national royalty and celebrities.
The company maintains its headquarters in Paris for the design, manufacture, and distribution of jewelry and watches.
Pierre Cartier, a son of Louis-François, established a branch of the company in New York City in 1909.
The company is known for the high quality of its products.
products
Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger (1951- ) struggled when he first started in business. His store
"The People's Place", in upstate New York went bankrupt when he was 25.
Tommy Hilfiger incorporated a company bearing his own name and became its president
from 1982 until 1989. Starting from men's jeans and sportswear, the Hilfiger brand now
is licensed for an extensive collection of men's and women's wear, children's wear,
footwear, eyeglasses, fragrances, and home furnishings.
products
Fendi
In 1925, Edoardo Fendi and Adele Casagrande established a leather and fur shop in Rome that was
enormously successful. In 1965, the inverted FF logo was introduced and became an international
status symbol. Today, the Fendi company has a large store on New York's Fifth Avenue, as well as numerous
Fendi boutiques around the world. The high prices commanded by the fashionable Fendi purses
have created a large market for fake goods from Asia bearing logos that are eerily similar to
the inverted FF.
products
Dolce & Gabbana
Domenico Dolce (1958- ) and Stefano Gabbana (1962- ) met while working as assistants in a studio in Milan.
In 1985, they took part in a fashion show featuring "New Talent", and the following year, they presented
their first independent women's ready-to-wear show. Dolce and Gabbana have expanded their line to include
menswear and fragrances in shops across the world. D&G designs feature richly colored fabrics,
outrageous Mediterranean style,
extravagantly embroidered coats, gangster boss pinstripe suits, and underwear-as-outerwear.
Their line of underwear is promoted with alluring ads featuring models with beautiful bodies
in provocative poses.
products
Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008)
Yves Saint Laurent was born in Algeria. He became Christian Dior's principal assistant in Paris,
and at the age of 21 he took over as the head of the House of Dior.
Yves St. Laurent became notable for introducing trousers as business and formal attire for women.
He opened his own Paris fashion house in 1961, featuring knitted turtlenecks, thigh-length boots,
and women's broad-shouldered trouser suits.
The Yves St. Laurent logo is synonymous with high fashion and it is featured on eyeglasses, purses,
perfumes, shoes, and cosmetics.
Top Fashion Designers and Famous Brands
AF Vandevorst, Agent Provocateur, Alexander McQueen, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Anna Molinari, Anna Sui, Ann Demeulemeester,
Cristobal Balenciaga, Betsey Johnson, Bottega Veneta, Christopher Bailey , Burberry, Calvin Klein, Celine, Michael Kors,
Roberto Menichetti, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, Chloe, Gaby Aghion, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Costume National,
Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana (Dolce & Gabbana), Donna Karan, Dean Caten (Catenacci), Dan Caten (Catenacci),
Dries Van Noten, Adele Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Hubert de Givenchy, Guccio Gucci, Guess, Thierry Hermes, Hugo Boss,
Jean Paul Gaultier, Jil Sander, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Kate Spade, Lacoste, Christophe Lemaire, Christian Lacroix,
Jeanne Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Rosita and Ottavio Missoni, Moschino, Paul Smith, Miuccia Prada, Ralph Lauren,
Roberto Cavalli, Marcel Rochas, Sonia-Rykiel, Stella McCartney, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino Garavani, Gianni Versace,
Donatella Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Yohji Yamamoto, Yves Saint Laurent, Zac Posen
