The Designers

Hubert de Givenchy a French aristocrat and fashion designer founded the house of Givenchy in 1952 Best known for his clean cuts high quality material and elegant expression of the female silhouette Givenchy created a youthful look that influenced generations His fateful meeting with one of Hollywoods greatest stars Audrey Hepburn catapulted him to the forefront of couture fashion

Described as a bourgeois rebel Yves Saint Laurent became famous for his juxtaposition of traditional French ideas with cuttingedge fashion After succeeding Christian Dior as head of Dior he founded Yves Saint Laurent SAS a French luxury fashion house with his partner Pierre Berge

Dior defined femininity not by how sexy you were but by how elegant His vision of the female silhouette often leaned toward the delicate and gentle an intrinsic motif of traditional womens fashion Dior revitalized the idyllic feminine style of long glamorous dresses meant to portray the decorative role they used to hold

Coco Chanel challenged the notions of luxury never losing sight of the working woman She often included fake jewelry and affordable fabrics in her designs Her goals was to transform and elevate these nontraditional items into couture She focused on creating styles that would be functional for the modern working woman yet still portray glamour

Tom Ford revived the Gucci fashion house with his creation of cuttingedge styles that showcased men and womens sophisticated sex appeal He proved that his finger is always on the pulse of contemporary fashion

Known For His Intricately Detailed Gowns And Sensational Couture Creations Valentino And His Brand Became Representative Of European Culture He Was A Master At Adapting Existing Fashions And Creating A Seductive Alternative

Italian designer Giorgio Armani entered the world of fashion as a department store window dresser in Milan His enduring legacy is associated with the suit which he revolutionized to be for both men and women His designs changed the way clothes were made

Gianni Versace Realized The Power That Celebrities Hold Over Pop Culture And Sought To Incorporate Their Influence In His Designs He Is Credited With The Creation Of The Supermodel Having Hosted Many Famous Names On His Runway

Calvin Klein created an identity for American fashion with his iconic looks He was the first to manufacture designer underwear and it created an avenue for the everyday person to access high fashion

Best Known For His Creative Direction At The Helm Of Chanel Karl Lagerfeld Curated Unique And Creative Runways In Contemporary Fashion He Was The First Designer To Collaborate With Hm And Never Shied Away From Designing Affordable Clothes

American designer Ralph Lauren built one of the worlds most successful fashion empires by developing his brand around the image of an elite American lifestyle He was the pioneer of merging classic American style with the refinement tailoring and sensibility of European fashion

British Designer Vivienne Westwood Brought Modern Punk And New Wave Fashions Into The Mainstream Often Overlooked As An Eccentric Her Designs Were Deliberately Rebellious And Challenged Contemporary Styles And They Were Painstakingly Made To Challenge The Notion Of Disposable Culture

One of the industrys leading female designers Stella McCartney has turned her British take on modern femininity and tailoring into a global brand She played off of her existing fame and celebrity connections to make a sustainable clothing franchise by women for women

Fashion Experts Examine The Farreaching Influence Of British Fashion Designer Mary Quant The Muchheralded Originator Of The Miniskirt Quant Was One Of The Main Players That Created The 60s Style Her Designs Emancipated Women From Traditional Modesty And Freed Them To Express Their Style