Need a crash course in Fashion 101? Here are the need-to-know facts about the biggest names in fashion.
1. Versace
The Italian label, branded by the signature medusa motif and founded by the late Gianni Versace in 1978, has always epitomized over-the-top sexiness and glamour. The design reins were taken over by Gianni’s sister, Donatella, after he was murdered in Miami Beach in 1997. In October 2013, Lady Gaga was named the face of the Italian fashion house.
2. Michael Kors
Long Island native Michael Kors began his namesake label in 1981, not long after his graduation from FIT, and he started selling at Bergdorf Goodman and Saks straightaway. He made a name for himself selling uptown pieces that serve as luxurious reboots of classics. You can spot a Michael Kors bag anywhere with its iconic MK label.
3. Diesel Black Gold
This brand could be described as a love affair between refined quality and rock & roll. With lots of leather, denim, and studs, this Diesel line is a label everyone should learn to think of first when in the market for a biker jacket.
4. Gucci
The House of Gucci started when founder Guccio Gucci opened a leather-goods workshop and store in Florence in 1921. The double GG logo was designed to honor the founder. By the sixties and seventies, Gucci was one of the world’s premier luxury-goods brands, with loyalists like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Jackie O. Gucci stores worldwide also donate a percentage of the sales for special collections made specifically for UNICEF to go toward the United Nations Children’s Fund.
5. Kate Spade
Back in 1993, Kate Brosnahan Spade, a former accessories editor at Mademoiselle magazine, set out to design the perfect handbag, debuting just six simple styles in her first collection which featured utilitarian shapes and colorful palettes. Now, her boxy nylon bags with their little rectangular logo have become an iconic lifestyle brand.
6. Rachel Zoe
Created by America’s most famous stylist-cum-designer, this brand corners the market on vintage glamour.
7. Prabal Gurung
The Nepalese designer’s collection, which premiered in 2009, is sported by many prominent figures such as Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton. The designer recently released an 80-piece Target collection that he hopes will help him reach a wider audience.
8. Givenchy
Hubert James Taffin de Givenchy launched the label in 1952 as a line of simple, light separates. The designer is known for his legendary relationship with Audrey Hepburn as his muse, and he used her as the face of his first perfume, L’Interdit.
9. Mulberry
Known as THE English lifestyle brand, they are known for producing classic, high-quality leather goods. The brand has just confirmed a “creative project” with Cara Delevingne, with whispers of a Cara bag in production.
10. Luca Luca
Milan native Luca Orlandi started Luca Luca in 1991, and by 1997 began showing feminine, brightly colored dresses at New York Fashion Week. The unique color combinations and tight silhouettes have become the line’s signature look.