If
it was in the 1980s that designer fashion sensed the potential of its power, it
was not until the mid-1990s that its full might was realized. Today, a handful
of immensely wealthy luxury goods conglomerates own many of the biggest names,
while the individually owned designer brands boast sales figures of millions,
and even billions, of pounds. This is not something the British, in particular,
feel comfortable with. Here is my top 20 most influential designers, you need
to know them;
20) THIERRY
MUGLER: The Fantasist
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19) PRADA MILANO: The innovator
It is
only very rarely that a brand as well-known and powerful as Prada retains the
cachet of a fashion insider's label. Prada is a household name – if ever anyone
was in any doubt about that, the title of the Hollywood blockbuster The Devil
Wears Prada proves it. More than that, though, the fashion fraternity worships
at the altar of Miuccia Prada, who changes her aesthetic – and, indeed, her
mind – as often as most of us have breakfast and has the rest of the fashion
world running to keep up with her as a result. As well, then, as informing the
high street, many of Prada's ideas appear on other people's catwalks, seasons
and even years down the line.
The ubiquity of strange and elaborate shoes, even stranger colours, the A-line and dirndl skirt and, this season in particular, lace (as worn most beautifully in the current Prada ad campaign by Linda Evangelista), are all thanks to this designer. Because her viewpoint is difficult to pin down she is labeled "intellectual" but while her intelligence is clearly a force to be reckoned with, she has the instincts of a wildcat when it comes to predicting what people might like to wear six months down the line. Prada is known to have generated trends that were soon emulated by other fashion designers.
The ubiquity of strange and elaborate shoes, even stranger colours, the A-line and dirndl skirt and, this season in particular, lace (as worn most beautifully in the current Prada ad campaign by Linda Evangelista), are all thanks to this designer. Because her viewpoint is difficult to pin down she is labeled "intellectual" but while her intelligence is clearly a force to be reckoned with, she has the instincts of a wildcat when it comes to predicting what people might like to wear six months down the line. Prada is known to have generated trends that were soon emulated by other fashion designers.
18)DOLCE
AND GABANA (D&G): The Glamour Gurus
"Molto
sexy" indeed are the Italian design pairing of Dolce & Gabbana, who
continue to expand, ensuring their joyfully feminine aesthetic influences
everything from the red carpet to any young stylish man or woman on the street
who knows their designer labels. The irreverent – and more reasonably priced –
D&G label carries more clout than most second lines put together.
The quintessentially Italian Dolce & Gabbana aesthetic – think curvaceous tailoring and corseted dresses loaded with floral and animal prints, then scattered with rhinestone for good measure – is unsurprisingly loved by celebrities. Dolce and Gabbana have dressed Kylie Minogue and, of course, Madonna. Significantly, the duo are in possession of that rare thing, a sense of humour, a fact borne out this season by the D&G collection, which taps into the wardrobe of the Queen. That's Her Majesty as played by Helen Mirren in the 2006 film version, the real thing being not quite glamorous enough. Dice and Gabana in introduced Italian glamour and freedom of sexuality in fashion. Dolce and Gabbana are now fundamentally known for wanting to make women look “fantastically sexy”. Many of their designs are adapted from the feminist-era, before being glamorised and modernised.
The quintessentially Italian Dolce & Gabbana aesthetic – think curvaceous tailoring and corseted dresses loaded with floral and animal prints, then scattered with rhinestone for good measure – is unsurprisingly loved by celebrities. Dolce and Gabbana have dressed Kylie Minogue and, of course, Madonna. Significantly, the duo are in possession of that rare thing, a sense of humour, a fact borne out this season by the D&G collection, which taps into the wardrobe of the Queen. That's Her Majesty as played by Helen Mirren in the 2006 film version, the real thing being not quite glamorous enough. Dice and Gabana in introduced Italian glamour and freedom of sexuality in fashion. Dolce and Gabbana are now fundamentally known for wanting to make women look “fantastically sexy”. Many of their designs are adapted from the feminist-era, before being glamorised and modernised.
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D&G began achieving long awaited awards in the
1990s and, in 1991, they were awarded the ‘Wollmark Award’ and ‘Best Fragrance
of the Year’ in 1993. By the end of the 1990s, it was reported that their sales
were around $500 million per year. They have now become one of the world’s most
successful ready-to-wear companies and are considered Hollywood’s number one
choice of designer.
She capitalized on the electric punk look. The
queen of punk, the grande dame of British fashion, Vivienne Westwood is a
national institution. And rightly so, as if any name embodies the iconoclastic
and make-do-and-mend spirit of young British fashion, it must surely be hers.
Westwood is as proudly political and brilliantly outspoken as she is
innovative, taking little notice of what other designers are up to in favour of
following her own interests, which are tied up with the British tailoring
tradition, youth culture and French 18th-century painting in equal measures.
For years, Westwood's idiosyncratic persona detracted from her impact as a serious fashion force, but that is no longer the case. Like Comme des Garçons, Westwood has changed the face of contemporary fashion. It's small wonder, with this in mind, that her archive is referenced by so many of her contemporaries. Original and outrageous, British designer Vivienne Westwood is one of the most recognised and influential designers of the late twentieth century.
For years, Westwood's idiosyncratic persona detracted from her impact as a serious fashion force, but that is no longer the case. Like Comme des Garçons, Westwood has changed the face of contemporary fashion. It's small wonder, with this in mind, that her archive is referenced by so many of her contemporaries. Original and outrageous, British designer Vivienne Westwood is one of the most recognised and influential designers of the late twentieth century.
By her mid twenties, Vivienne Westwood’s life
seemed to be passing in a distinctly unremarkable way. At 25, she was married
to an air steward, she lived in Willesden, went to church and taught in a local
primary school.
Then something remarkable happened, she met Malcolm
Mclaren, future manager of the Sex Pistols, and he led her into the underground
of the late 1960’s street. He lectured her on the political power of art and
liberated her creative desires from their bondage in working class conformity.
Westwood became a subversive seamstress of pop.
Her first designs hung in Let it Rock on the King’s
Road in 1971. Five years later the boutique, now named Sex, sold ripped
T-shirts, chains and assorted bondage gear and Westwood was dressing Johnny
Rotten and the Sex Pistols.
The punk storm drove Westwood before it, putting
her at the forefront of street culture but, as the drugs wore off and the
hangover kicked in, Westwood was left thinking "what next?"
Pirates were the answer. The early 1980s was the
time of the New Romantics, an urban arts scene that eschewed gender distinctive
dress to delight in the theatre of courtier costume and whirls of eyeliner.
Catching their mood, Westwood looked back to the 19th Century for her first
collection, which she called Pirates.
16) RALPH LAUREN:
The elder
statesman
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The "lifestyle" concept was pretty much invented by this designer – not bad, considering he started out selling ties. His company, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, recently boasted annual worldwide sales of a massive $12bn, unprecedented even by the designer-fashion industry's highly lucrative standards.
15) OSCAR DE LARENTA: The King of
Evening Wear
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14) CHRISTIAN
LACROIX: The Absent Friend
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13) JOHN PAUL GAULTER: The rebel
He created a new world of fashion by blurring the lines of gender, race and sexually. Conical bras, men in skirts, couture crafted in everyday fabrics from camouflage to distressed denim... Now that other designers have assimilated Jean Paul Gaultier's gender-bending, frisky and witty take on fashion, it is all too easy to forget it has its roots here.
Not only is Gaultier's persona larger than life – there was a time when he was probably the most famous fashion designer in the world – he is also the last traditionally trained French-born couturier. When he was overlooked for the top job at Dior in the mid-1990s (John Galliano landed the role instead), he set up his own haute-couture house, which is today a refreshingly contemporary counterpoint to the still mainly frilly and bourgeois designs that otherwise dominate.
12)
LAVIN PARIS: Forever Young
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11) VALENTINO: King of Classy Beauty
He is known to the world as the king of classics beauty. Known simply by his first name, Valentino Garavani is one of Italy's finest exports. Universally admired for his exquisite couture creations and romantic red carpet gowns throughout his career, he is now in his eighties and retired from his eponymous label, but remains a significant figure in the fashion world. Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani was born on May 11, 1932 in Lombardy, northern Italy.In 1949, at the tender age of 17, he moved to Paris to pursue his interest in fashion and study at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts and at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. When he finished studying he became an apprentice at Jean Dessès where he sketched every moment he could - these early illustrations carved out his signature elaborate aesthetic. At the end of 2011 The Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum was launched at www.valentino-garavani-archives.org serving as an authoritative resource for the life and works of Valentino. The designer currently resides in Rome, surrounded by friends and family, many of whom he is frequently seen travelling the world with in large entourages, often including his beloved pet pugs.He is in love with red.
10) GIVENCHY: The Iconoclast
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9) VERSACE: The Glamor Puss
A champion of the super model, infusing fashion with the media. Nobody knew, following Gianni Versace's murder in 1997, whether his little sister, Donatella, would be able to step into his shoes. This, after all, was Italy's king of glamour, a highly cultured fashion giant whose baroque aesthetic was beloved by every celebrity from Madonna to – but of course! – Elizabeth Hurley. Versace, it is said, invented the supermodel phenomenon, paying exorbitant fees to have not just one famously beautiful face model in his shows, but them all. His high-camp and even more decadent ad campaigns shot by, among others, Richard Avedon and Bruce Weber, equally set the standard for every other designer.
Donatella's approach, while still based on statement dressing, is relatively restrained and more likely to be inspired by music and film. And after a few wobbly years, she is back on track (as are the figures at this family-run business), dressing the beautiful people.
08) JOHN GALLIANO: The Artist
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07) GIORGIO ARMANI: The king of lifestyle
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His name is also the one behind today's symbiotic relationship between film and fashion. Armani famously dressed Richard Gere in American Gigolo, and has long seen the virtue of placing the world's superstars in his front row. In return, no red carpet is complete without his designs. The current Armani poster girl is none other than Cate Blanchett – quite a coup, as every designer wants her.
06)
KARL LAGERFELD: The Icon
A true fashion icon, head of
Chanel, Fendi and his own label. Karl Lagerfeld is not only our greatest living
couturier, he also has an appetite for youth culture that is insatiable and,
indeed, admirable – we all know about his iPod collection and that he slimmed
down to a shadow of his former monumental self to fit into jeans designed by
his fashionable young friend, Hedi Slimane. As designer of the Chanel label for
over a quarter of a century, Lagerfeld could so easily bask in the sunlight of
former glories but ' he's too restlessly energized a character for that. He's
involved in book publishing, promotes young musicians, shoots his own ad
campaigns and his persona is as iconic as the French fashion institution he
presides over. This is, then, the original multitasking renaissance designer
setting the standard for generations to come.
05) ALBER ELBAZ: The Craftsman
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The Lanvin womenswear collection is now a favourite with any well-dressed fashion editor or model one might care to mention – think quite the finest little black cocktail dresses and a mean line in trench coats. His menswear is gathering momentum too, also boasting a slightly frayed around the edges but discreet luxury that is both commercially viable and fresh. Elbaz himself, a self-deprecating soul never knowingly spotted without a bow tie, is one of the most popular figures in contemporary fashion. The fact that, in a shark-infested world, he appears quite as loveable as his designs only adds to the charm of this increasingly influential label.
04) ALEXANDER
MACQUEEN: The Visionary
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Since the early 1990s, when the Savile Row-trained designer graduated and the late Isabella Blow famously bought his entire degree collection, McQueen has been the subject of controversy, but that belies both the clarity of his vision and the beauty of his work.
On a street level, the scandalous "bumster" trouser that he pioneered 15 years ago led to the revival of the low-slung hipsters that have been worn ever since. Meanwhile, a spell as creative director at Givenchy gave him access to the French haute-couture ateliers, which gave his work a refinement that continues to develop and now, owned by the Gucci Group (it has a 51 per cent share of his company) McQueen heads up his own brand, which announced profitability for the first time earlier this year.
03) CHRISTIAN DIOR: The maverick
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02) YVES SAINT LAURENT: The Renaissance Man
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Saint Laurent was released from Dior and started his own label, YSL, financed by his companion, Pierre BergĂ©. The Rive Gauche boutiques for women were established in 1966, and men's wear followed in the 1970s. He was the first designer to use ethnic minorities as models on the runway. He was also known during this period as one of 'Paris' jet-set' due to always being seen in French and US night clubs. He was a heavy drinker and frequent user of cocaine during the 1960s and 1970s. 'YSL' is perhaps most famous for "Le Smoking" tuxedo jacket, see-through blouses, peasant blouses, bolero jackets, pantsuits and smocks. By feminising the basic shapes of the male wardrobe, YSL set new standards for world fashion. He not only adapted the male tuxedo for women, but also safari jackets, pea jackets and flying suits. His 1971 radical '40s' collection shocked critics, as did the advertising campaign for the first YSL men’s fragrance, 'Pour Homme' which featured Yves himself posing nude. In 1977, YSL launched the very popular 'Opium' perfume. In 1983, he became the first living fashion designer to be given a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1993, the Saint Laurent fashion house was sold to the pharmaceuticals company, Sanofi, for approximately $600,000,000. YSL held a 300-model fashion extravaganza at the final match of the 1998 World Cup football tournament in the Stade de France, and the following year he was awarded a 'Lifetime Achievement’ award from The Council of Fashion Designers of America. On his retirement, Saint Laurent became increasingly reclusive and spent much of his time at his house in Marrakech, Morocco. In 2007, he was made a Grand Officer de la Legion d'honneur by French President Nicholas Sarkozy. Aged 71, he died from brain cancer in June 2008 on a rare trip back to his native Paris. President Sarkozy said in tribute, "Yves Saint Laurent was convinced that beauty was a necessary luxury for all men and all women." A few days before his death he married his long-term partner Berge in a civil ceremony. His body was cremated and his ashes scattered in the Majorelle Garden in Morocco, which he regularly visited and found to be inspiring. A number of the designer's belongings were sold at auction the year after his death, including Egyptian sculptures and paintings by Picasso. He had collected these works with Berg who decided to sell them as 'it has lost the greatest part of its significance'. Some of the proceeds were donated towards creating a new foundation devoted to Aids research.
01)
COCO CHANEL: The Queen of Fashion
Chanel democratized fashion by bringing comfort and practicality to haute couture dress. Designer Coco Chanel was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel in 1883, although she would later claim that her real date of birth was 1893, making her ten years younger. Her place of birth was also something that she sought to disguise. Coco was born in the workhouse in the Loire Valley where her unmarried mother worked, although she asserted that she was born in Auvergne. Her mother died when she was six years old, leaving her father with five children, whom he quickly farmed out to various relatives. The young Chanel was sent to the orphanage of the Catholic monastery of Aubazine, where she learned the trade of a seamstress. School vacations were spent with relatives in the provincial capital of Moulins where Gabrielle learnt to sew with more flourish than the nuns at the monastery had been able to teach her. When she turned 18, she left the orphanage, and took up work for a local tailor. Later, when questioned, Chanel would claim that when her mother died, her father sailed for America and she was sent to live with two cold-hearted spinster aunts. She even claimed to have been born in 1893 as opposed to 1883, and that her mother had died when Coco was six instead of 12. All this was done to diminish the stigma that poverty, orphanhood, and illegitimacy bestowed upon unfortunates in 19th-century France. It was during a brief stint as a singer in cafes and concert halls that Gabrielle adopted the name Coco, a nickname given to her by local soldiers who went to watch her.
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World War I led her to move to the resort town of Deauvile, where Chanel became the mistress of a rich ex-military officer and textile heir Etienne Balsan in 1908. At the age of 23, she became his mistress and moved into his chateau, where she lived for three years. It was here that she started designing and creating hats as a diversion, which then turned into a commercial venture. She then started a relationship with a wealthy English Industrialist called Arthur Edward 'Boy' Capel who was a friend of Balsan. He installed her into a Parisian apartment and financed her first shops. The relationship lasted nine years, even after Capel married in 1918. Through the patronage and connections that these men provided she was able to open her own millinery shop in Paris in 1910 and she soon had boutiques in both Deauville and Biarritz.
In 1919, the single most devastating event of her life occurred when Capel was killed in a car accident. She commissioned a roadside memorial at the site of the accident. Twenty-five years after the event, she told a friend: "His death was a terrible blow to me. In losing Capel, I lost everything. What followed was not a life of happiness I have to say." During the 1920s, Coco Chanel became the first designer to create loose women's jersey, traditionally used for men's underwear, creating a relaxed style for women ignoring the stiff corseted look of the time. They soon became very popular with clients, a post-war generation of women for whom the corseted restricted clothing seemed old-fashioned and impractical. By the 1920s, Maison Chanel was established at 31, rue Cambon in Paris (which remains its headquarters to this day) and become a fashion force to be reckoned with. Chanel became a style icon herself with her striking bob haircut and tan placing her at the cutting edge of modern style. In 1922, she launched the fragrance Chanel No. 5, which remains popular to this day. Two years later, Pierre Wertheimer became her business partner (taking on 70% of the fragrance business), and reputedly her lover. The Wertheimers continue to control the perfume company today. In 1925, Chanel launched her signature cardigan jacket, and the following year matched its success with her little black dress. Both items continue to be a staple part of every Chanel collection. During World War II, Chanel was a nurse, although her post-war popularity was greatly diminished by her affair with a Nazi officer during the conflict and she moved to Switzerland to escape the controversy. However, she ended this self-imposed exile in 1954, returning to Paris when she took on Christian Dior's overtly feminine New Look.
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She expanded the signature style with the introduction of pea jackets and bell-bottoms for women. Her new collection, panned by the press in Europe, was a hit in the United States. Hollywood stars including Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly fell in love with her effortlessly stylish boxy cardigan suits. During her life, Coco Chanel also designed costumes for the stage, including Cocteau's 'Antigone' (1923) and 'Oedipus Rex' (1937) and cinematic works such as 'La Regle de Jeu'. A Broadway musical of her life opened in 1969, with Katharine Hepburn taking the role of Chanel. Coco Chanel worked until her death in 1971 at the age of 88, spending her last moments in the style she had become accustomed to at her opulent private apartment in The Ritz. Karl Lagerfeld has been chief designer of Chanel's fashion house since 1982. His ability to continuously mine the Chanel archive for inspiration testifies to the importance of Coco Chanel's contribution to the world of fashion. The first film about Chanel was 'Chanel Solitaire' in 1981, with Marie-France Pisier playing the designer. This was followed by the American TV movie 'Coco Chanel' in 2008, which rewrote her history by overlooking her connections to the Nazis.In 2009, French actress Audrey Tatou played the designer as a young woman in 'Coco Before Chanel'.
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