5 world-class fashion designers and their inspiring stories (2024)

New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 19, 2018 15:47 IST

"Fashion fades, only style remains the same."- Coco Chanel

Fashion designing is all about making the best use of one's creativity and skills. It is something people of all ages and generations enjoy. So, if you love being creative and you are passionate about fashion then, a career in fashion designing will suit you the best.

Here we have a list of five famous fashion designers who will inspire you with their success stories.

1. Coco Chanel

Famous for timeless designs, trademark suits and little black dresses, the famous fashion designer, Coco Chanel is a true epitome of creativity. She is a self-made woman.

Chanel was raised in an orphanage and taught to sew. She had a diminutive career as a singer before opening her first clothes shop in 1910.

In the year 1920s, she launched her first perfume made of natural extracts and artificial essence named Chanel No. 5 worldwide and in the year 1926, she designed and introduced the "Little Black Dress" which was later named as "Chanel's Ford" by French Vogue.

Coco Chanel is majorly known for introducing the concept of using jersey fabric to create and embellish clothing for women' undergarments.

Chanel is the only fashion designer who features on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Today, Chanel stands among one of the world's top brands in fashion.

2. Georgio Armani

Georgio Armani, the Italian fashion designer, is popularly known for the uniqueness, elegance and style in the fashion line. Apart from clothing, he has expanded the company's horizons into perfumes with unique fragrances, hotels, restaurants, and cafes worldwide.

He started his career from a garments shop, La Rinascente, where he assisted a photographer in arranging the window.

Thereafter, in 1970s, after mastering the craft, Giorgio started freelancing in designing new fashion and sending them to other garment manufacturers. With due course of time, he established his own brand in the year 1975.

Later, in 1979, Georgio established Giorgio Armani Corporation. Starting with clothing, underwear, swimwear and accessories for men and women, the company expanded into introducing Armani Junior, Armani Jeans, and Emporio Armani that consisted of more stylish products at affordable prices.

Armani also made a great impact on Hollywood by designing costumes for actors like Penelope Cruz, Anne Hathaway, and Megan Fox etc. in more than 100 films.

3. Calvin Klein

The youngest fashion designer to be listed on the International best-dressed list, Calvin Klein is known worldwide for his extravagancy in the fashion industry.

He owes it all to his mother who instilled in him a love of art and fashion. Calvin started his career as a loner who taught himself how to sketch and sew.

Calvin always knew that he wanted to be a fashion designer. He always dreamt of starting his own fashion company. For that, he even worked at his father's grocery store to make extra money.

In the year 1968, Klein founded his own company, Calvin Klein Ltd., with his friend as his business partner. In the year 1973, Klein diversified his company's line of manufacturing and got engrossed in other sections like sportswear etc. and giving birth to American leisurewear.

He is also known for his line of menswear and women's swear. He also designs home collections, fragrances and cosmetics.

Calvin Klein has received a couple of recognitions and:

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• Was awarded the Coty award by the fashion press in 1973, 1974, and 1975
• Struck a hat-trick with the prestigious Coty Awards from 1973 to 1975, becoming the youngest designer ever to achieve the feat
• Received three awards from the Councils of Fashion Designs of America in 1981, 1983 and 1993
• In 1983, Klein was listed on the International Best Dressed List
• In 1996, he made it to the list of 25 most influential Americans, published by Times Magazine

4. Donatella Versace

The renowned fashion designer Donatella Versace inherited the Versace Empire from her brother and later gave her own label -- Versus. In February 2001, Donatella launched her own fragrance called Versace Woman.

Under her arena, Versace moved beyond clothing to include accessories, home furnishings, and hotels, morphing Versace into a complete lifestyle brand.

In the year 2008, she was made the honorary chairman for London's Fashion Fringe, judging upcoming designer talent. In November 2012, she appointed flourishing Irish designer JW Anderson to create a capsule collection for the Versus label.

Versace has achieved a lot in the fashion industry. Some of her achievements are listed below:

• In the year 2007, Versace was inducted into the 'Rodeo Drive Walk of Style'. In October that year, pop star Prince presented her with the 'Fashion Group International Superstar Award'
• In 2010, 'Versace' was nominated for the 'VH1 Do Something With Style Award' for providing art supplies to children

5. Rohit Bal

The famous fashion designer Rohit Bal, started his career with his brother Rajiv Bal in New Delhi in 1986 and later started his own first independent collection in the year 1990.'

Bal's clientele list includes Uma Thurman, Cindy Crawford, Pamela Anderson, Naomi Campbell and Anna Kournikova. The Swatch Group sponsors most of Bal's fashion shows in India, New York, Paris and Singapore.

He has also been the brand ambassador for Omega SA since 2001. He is best known for his use of Lotus and Peaco*ck motifs.

Rohit Bal has won numerous awards for his eminence in the fashion industry. He won the 'Designer of the Year' award at the Indian Fashion Awards in the year 2006 and also 'Designer of the Year' at the Kingfisher Fashion Achievement Awards in the year 2001.

He was also announced as the Lakme Grand Finale Designer for the year 2012. Bal has designed for the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati as well.

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