Designer Who Define Fashion History

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charles fredrick worth

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worth is largely known as the "father of couture". he revolutionized the practice of dressmaking by dictating trends and new looks to his wealthy clients, most notably empress josephine of france. worth created the fashion show and the concept of in-house models

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paul poiret- 1910's

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poiret popularized dresses that did not require a corset and exemplified the creative spirit of the burgeoning new century, particularly orientalism. poiret expanded his successful couture collections with new marketing ventures such as perfumes, cosmetics, accessories and even interior-design products.

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mariano fortuny- 1910's

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a true renaissance man, fortuny was a prolific artisan who dabbled in textiles, clothing, interior design, decorative arts, sculpture painting and more. his most notable contribution to fashion was the greek-inspired wrinkled silk dresses that were worn by actresses and wealthy women, along with exquisite, hand-painted, silk and velvet cocoon coats.

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jeanne lanvin- 1920's

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lanvin began her career in millinery, then shifted business to childrenswear. she received such a positive response from women that she shifted again to focus on primarily womenswear, while retaining the youthful color palette and exuberance. the house of lanvin is still open under the supervision of designer alber elbaz.

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jean patou

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apart from producing joy, the worlds most expensive perfume, jean patou was primarily known for developing sportswear for women that took advantage of the new importance of independence, physical activity and health. the house of patou has employed karl lagerfeld, jean-paul gaultier, and christian lacroix, among other notable designers.

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madeleine vionnet- 1920's-30's

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vionnet contributed significally to the technicl aspects of dressmaking. known for her work with the bias cut, vionnet created dresses that took advantage of the new focus on health and slimness. she shifted the emphasis of construction away from patter drafting to draping cloth on a figure, which allowed for graceful, fluid innovations.

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esla schiaparelli- 1920's-30's

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without any formal training, schiaparelli broke the rules to create fanciful and daring clothing and accessories. schiaparelli created artistic fashion pieces of humor that appealed to a wide audience and was inspired by her associations with artists salvador dali, christian berard, and jean cocteau. her iconic high heel pump hat and the elegant gown that featured a large lobster painted on the side reflected the surrealist art movement.

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gabrielle chanel

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gabrielle "coco" chanel shifted the prevaling aesthetic of the 1920's from ornate clothing to a sleek unadorned and modern look. after its success in the 1920's and 30's, the house of chanel was closed during WWII. in 1954, at the age of seventy, chanel stged a comeback, reformulating her easy silhouettes for the needs of profesisonal women in the 1950's and 60's

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madame gres

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alix gres first love was sculpture, which became evident in the sculpted gowns that she created. in 1936 she began using silk jersey, which had never been used in eveningwear before. her travels to north africa, egypt and india inspired beautiful gowns for her western audience.

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claire mccardell- 1940's to 50's

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mccardell was essential in the development of american sportswear as we know it today. during WWII, france was cut off from the rest of the world and american fashion designers had their first chance to exert their influence. mccardell developed easy to wear practical clothing that was based on mix and match separates. she is best known for the monastic dress, the popover dress and the leotard.

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norman norell- 1940's to 50's

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norell came into prominence during WWII when france was cut off from the united states. he developed clothing that established the american look with luxury fabrics in easy to wear silhouettes, and is particularly known for his sequin covered mermaid gowns. norell's career spanned decades, making him a staple of the american fashion industry.

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cristobal balenciaga

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balenciaga was a master of cut and precision, creating soft and elegant geometry on the body. he achieved a structured look without heavy boning by developing or using nontraditional fabrics such as silk gazar and silk ottoman. spanish by birth, balenciaga brought a romantic spanish aesthetic to 1950's paris, popularizing lace, the balero, and red and black.

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christian dior-1940's to 50's

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in 1947, dior introduced his groundbreaking corolla collection to a war weary parisian audience. overnight, the focus of fashion was shifted to include wasp waists, slim shoulders, and full skirts that used yards of fabric. dior continually defined feminine elegance season after season, introducing influential new looks during his relatively short career, which was ended by his untimely death in 1957.

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charles jame- 1950's

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james created eveningwear dresses that were feats of engineering and construction. each ball gown perfectly shapes and sculpts the wearer, while remaining comfortable. unfortunately, james' personality truncated his career and often precedes his dressmaking accomplishments.

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hubert de givenchy- 1950's to 60's

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givenchy's association with audrey hepburn often overshadows the talent and importance of this french designer. it just so happens that givenchy created elegant and incredibly chic clothing for his famous muse. givenchy was known for his clean, simple clothing that often featured whimsical trim or details.

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pierre cardin

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cardin is best known for his space age work in the 1960's, and for his prodigious licensing agreements. cardin was the first french couturier who broke with the chambre syndicate to design ready to wear and then a line of mens and childrenwear, which many designers do today.

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emilio pucci- 1950's to 60's

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an italian nobleman by birth, pucci was introduced to fashion by designing his own ski uniform. he introduced capri pants to the world in the 1950's as relaxed daywear for women. pucci is best known for his unique and easily recognizable colorful silk prints featuring geometric and organic shapes.

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anne klein- 1950's o 70's

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a quintessential new york designer, anne klein had a long career creating easy, wearable mix and match clothing that answered young professional womens needs. she was the first designer to develope in store boutiques, in which major department stores sectioned off part of the floor specifically for her merchandise, a standard practice today.

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yves saint laurent- 1950's to 80's

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few designers have been able to define the quixotic nature of the latter half of the twentieth century as well as saint laurent. throughout his career he was able to characterize the changing attitudes of women and their position in society. from legitimizing pant suits for women in the 1960's to adapting utilitarian garments for high fashion and creating interest in the ethnic diversity, saint laurent forged the way for others to follow.

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paco rabanne- 1960's

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rabannes work was heavily influenced by architecture, the space age, and jewelry making techniques. his work with linked metal chins and plastic disks is iconographic; his distinctive technique of using unique and unconventional materials has been influenced for many designers.

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andre courreges- 1960's

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courreges defined the era's fascination with all things space age for a whole generation by constructing clean, geometric, futuristic clothing. both mary quant and courreges claimed to have introduced the mini skirt, but each designers aesthetic was unique. courreges early training as an architect and his work for balenciaga is seen in his strict color palettes and modern proportions.

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mary quant- 1960's

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quant is the designer most associated with the 1960's emphasis on the young known as youthquake. understanding that yound women of the post WWII era did not want to look like their mothers, quant introduced the miniskirt, go-go boots, flat heeled shoes, tights and graphic prints, as well as popularizing the short vidal sassoon bowl haircut.

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rudi gernreich- 1960's

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gernreichs easily training as a modern dancer, and the sexual revelation of the 1960's, had a heavy influence on his design work. his clothing focused on an ease of movement and dramatic shape, but emphasized open sexuality and freedom. gernreich was also interested in communicating political and personal opinions on age, futurism, gender equality, and idealized beauty.

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giorgio de sant'angelo- 1960's to 70's

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sant'angelo was introduced to fashion through diana vreelan after she saw his colorful jewelry. sant'angelo styled for vogue in the early 60's and opened his collection in 66, creating distinctive looks that were influenced by the influence of ethnicity, exoticism, and the sexual revolution, featuring gypsy looks and inspired by native americans.

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bonnie cashin- 1960's to 70's

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cashin was a free spirited but significant designer who created clothing for women with an active lifestyle. primary hallmarks in her collection were layering, roomy but attractive shapes for ease of movement and comfort, and coordinated accessories for a complete look. she is also known for her toggle closures and leather binding on woolen fabrics.