The 15 best fashion designers in history

Behind the big fashion brands are the names of the best designers. They are the geniuses behind the success of their own fashion houses, or have been at the forefront of brands to inject them with large doses of their talent.

Many of the best fashion designers on this list no longer live. However, her name has been engraved in fashion history and, in some cases, her presence has influenced other areas such as business or women’s empowerment.

These are the best designers in fashion history.

Behind every haute couture garment is the creativity and renown of these great designers. They changed the course of fashion from something merely superficial to a form of expression and representation of epochs of history.

This is how some garments or fashions are identified with specific episodes of world history. Bringing the ideologies and messages that you want to convey to the fabrics and seams, no doubt is something that only the best fashion designers have been able to achieve.

Many of these designers have gone beyond fashion to become true celebrities and icons of good taste and design. Today we are going to know which were the most outstanding and which obtained a protagonism. and more widespread admiration.

1. Coconut Chanel

• Place of birthSaumur, France
• Birth and death: 1883 – 1971

Coco Chanel (her real name was Gabrielle Chanel) was a woman ahead of her time.. Her name appears on the list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, becoming the only fashion designer to appear on that list.

Chanel managed, through fashion and its capacity for innovation, to empower women and completely revolutionize this sector, giving it a practical sense but without ever losing elegance or distinction.

2. Karl Lagerfeld

• Place of birthSource: Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
• Birth and death: 1933 – 2019

Karl Otto Lagerfeld became one of the most influential men in the industry.. Throughout his life he was a true star, with his personality somewhat eccentric and always surrounded by models and celebrities.

Thanks to his outstanding work at Chanel, he managed to bring the brand back to life a decade after Coco’s death. From then on, he worked for the most important brands, among them Fendi, for which he contributed all his knowledge until the day of his death, at the beginning of 2019.

3. Carolina Herrera

• Place of birthCaracas, Venezuela
• Birth: 1939

Carolina Herrera, of Venezuelan origin, is one of the best fashion designers who has set foot on this planet.. She is the only woman of Latin American origin recognized among the best designers.

In 1981 she founded her own fashion house after having worked with personalities from the world of show business and politics and becoming known as an excellent designer. Today he continues to run his own firm, without ever losing his own style.

4. Giorgio Armani

• Place of birthPiacenza, Italy
• Birth: 1934

Giorgio Armani is one of the living designers with more history and recognition. In 1974 he founded his own brand after working for other firms. He immediately highlighted his own style with straight lines and sober designs for men.

Years later it included a line of clothes for women, without losing the characteristic style that already distinguished Armani from other brands. Currently also sells under the brand umbrella various accessories and perfumes.

5. Gianni Versace

• Place of birth: Regio of Calabria, Italy
• Birth and death: 1946 – 1997

Gianni Versace was one of the world’s most popular fashion designers.. His personality and creativity led him to become a media figure all over the planet.

Versace combined the fashion industry with the musical one, as it was related to multiple figures of the medium and designed for them. His style is unique and unrepeatable, and even after his death his personal seal is still present under the signature of his house.

6. Ralph Lauren.

• Place of birthNew York, United States
• Birth: 1939

Ralph Lauren owns one of the most prestigious and profitable brands in the industry.. From a very early age he entered the fashion world when designing his first ties.

Shortly thereafter he launched his own clothing line, all dedicated to the men’s sector. His style was very well received, maintaining a sober style but with a touch of distinction and eccentricity. In 2018 he appeared on the list of the 100 richest men in the world, ranking 71st.

7. Donna Karan

• Place of birthLong Island, United States
• Birth: 1948

Donna Karan is one of the most recognized names in fashion accessories and clothing.. After having worked for the Ana Klein brand and positioning herself as a key piece for the company, she decides to form her own company and achieves it with great success.

The idea of launching a series of 7 products that every woman should have was very well accepted and resulted in a list of more than 200 accessories under the brand Donna Karan.

8. Pierre Cardin

• Place of birthSource: San Biagio di Callalta, Italy
• Birth: 1922

Pierre Cardin had a modern and futuristic style in his designs.. For many years he worked for the Christian Dior brand, until 1950 when he decided to found his own brand under his name.

It was quickly accepted in the market, because its proposal was avant-garde and out of the ordinary. His designs were somewhat unisex until he proposed an alternative to the miniskirt with the skirt at the ankles and thighs, which had a huge acceptance.

9. Jean-Paul Gaultier

• Place of birthArcueil, France
• Birth: 1952

Jean-Paul Gaultier was creative director of Hermés. He began working for Pierre Cardin thanks to his extraordinary talent, as he never studied anything related to fashion or design.

He’s been known as “The Rebellious Fashion Boy” because he doesn’t usually follow traditional guidelines. He worked closely with Madonna, and for many years was inclined to urban and street designs in his clothing line.

10. Christian Dior

• Place of birthGranville, France
• Birth and death: 1905 – 1957

Christian Dior became an emblematic name for the world of fashion. Today, the firm he founded under his name is one of the most important in the world.

The brand began as the signature of a fashion designer that gradually spread to around 15 countries and incorporating accessories and even perfumes among its range of production. After the death of Christian Dior, the brand has managed to survive and remain a benchmark in the industry.

11. Oscar de la Renta

• Place of birthSource: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• Birth and death: 1932 – 2014

Oscar de la Renta was born in 1932 in the Dominican Republic.. In 1960 she became known worldwide for having dressed several first ladies from the United States.

This gave him great renown and support, which led him, years later, to launch his own brand. In 2001, Oscar de la Renta launched an entire line of accessories, including perfumes, and in 2002 also included a special line for home decoration.

12. Miuccia Prada

• Place of birthMilan, Italy
• Birth: 1949

Miuccia Prada (whose real name was Maria Bianchi) is Mario Prada’s granddaughter.founder of his own brand. Prada is currently among the world’s most prestigious fashion brands.

And in this, Miuccia Prada has a lot to do with it. Her undeniable talent led her to take the reins of the firm in 1978, after the death of her grandfather, and catapulted the brand to become one of the most influential fashion brands today.

13. Hubert de Givenchy

• Place of birthBeauvais, France
• Birth and death: 1927 – 2018

Hubert de Givenchy gave his surname to one of the most recognized fashion brands today.. His fame as a designer spread all over the world and is still a reference today, thanks to the fact that for a long time he was the designer of the renowned actress Audrey Hepburn.

She also dressed Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy and Grace Kelly, among other divas. Although he owned his own firm, he sold it in 1988, although he managed it for many more years.

14. John Galliano

• Place of birthGibraltar, United Kingdom
• Birth: 1960

John Galliano is a talented designer who has collaborated on several famous brands. Although he has his own firm under his name, John Galliano has worked for Givenchy and Christian Dior.

His personality has kept him in the polemic on several occasions, for example on an occasion when he uttered an antisemitic remark that cost him not a few reviews. It is distinguished by its captivating and somewhat irreverent personality. In spite of everything, his talent for fashion is simply undeniable.

15. Tom Ford

• Place of birthAustin, United States
• Birth: 1961

Tom Ford has been creative director of two of the most important fashion brands. He worked for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, nothing more and nothing less. Besides, he’s a film director.

Although he graduated from architecture, his talent, which he discovered during one of his jobs, is really focused on fashion design. Because of this, the brands Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent attracted him to take the course of the design line of these brands. His firm Estée Lauder announced that it would reach an impressive $1 billion in turnover by 2020.