Fashion Entrepreneurs

Kate Spade was an American entrepreneur and fashion designer. Spade is credited with founding Kate Spade New York, a popular luxury fashion design house, which competes with the likes of Michael Kors. Kate Spade is also credited with creating stylish and affordable handbags that caused quite a revolution in the fashion world.

Tom Ford is an American fashion designer. During his time as the creative director at Gucci, Ford saved the fashion house from near bankruptcy and turned it into a powerhouse. In 2006, he established his eponymous luxury brand and has since been referred to as a style icon and fashion icon; he was named in All-TIME 100 Fashion Icons list.

Fashion designer and businessman Ralph Lauren is the founder of the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar fashion enterprise. Beginning his career as a salesman for a tie company, he went on to launch his own fashion lines and established himself as a popular name in the fashion industry within years. He is known to be a generous philanthropist.

Daymond John is an American investor, businessman, author, TV personality, and motivational speaker. He is credited with founding FUBU, a hip hop apparel company, for which he also serves as the president and CEO. He is also credited with founding a consulting and brand management firm called The Shark Group, where he serves as the CEO.

Thomas Jacob Hilfiger, better known as Tommy Hilfiger, is a legendary fashion designer who has gained worldwide fame with his eponymous fashion line. He had begun his career with the fashion chain People's Place. His brand is now owned by Phillips-Van Heusen, though he remains its chief designer.

Yves Saint Laurent was a French fashion designer who founded his eponymous fashion label in 1961. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most popular and influential fashion designers, Saint Laurent is credited with helping women all over the world find confidence by looking both elegant and comfortable at the same time. His life and career inspired many films.

Known for her “valley girl’ accent, Kristin Cavallari gained fame with the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. Apart from gracing the cover of Seventeen, she has also been featured in Rolling Stone. She is now a fashion designer with her own brands Uncommon James and Little James.

Maurizio Gucci was an Italian businessman. The grandson of Guccio Gucci, Maurizio served as the chairman of the Gucci group in the early-1990s. At the age of 46, Maurizio was shot dead by a hitman hired by his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani. The murder inspired Sara Forden's book The House of Gucci, which has been adapted into a biographical crime film.

Designer Halston began his career designing hats for American milliner Lilly Daché. He is primarily remembered for pioneering cashmere, or Ultrasued, in the mid-1970s. Known for his party-loving personality, he popularized the halter dress for women. He was also known for his homosexual relationship with Victor Hugo.

Known for designing tight-fitting signature jeans, the award-winning American designer is the co-founder of the New York-headquartered fashion brand 'Calvin Klein Inc'. Calvin Klein featured in The International Best-Dressed Hall of Fame. Father of noted television producer, Marci Klein, Calvin has funded Democratic Party candidates and made financial contributions to the Political Action Committee.

Hugo Boss was a German businessman and fashion designer. He is credited with founding one of the most popular fashion houses in the world, Hugo Boss AG. Apart from maintaining his business endeavors, Hugo Boss was also a member of the Nazi Party and remained loyal to the ideology of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany.

Tina Knowles is an American fashion designer and businesswoman. In 2004, she launched House of Deréon, a now-defunct ready-to-wear fashion line. While her fashion brands, such as Miss Tina and House of Deréon, have been generally regarded as one of her most important contributions, her biggest contribution to the society is letting her daughters, Beyoncé and Solange ,follow their passion.

French designer Thierry Mugler was initially known for his skills in ballet and drawing. He began his fashion career working for a boutique in Paris and later launched his brand. He is known for his peculiar clothes, inspired by birds and insects, and made of metal and crystals.

Valentino is an Italian fashion designer. He is credited with founding the popular luxury fashion house Valentino S.p.A. A prominent and influential fashion designer, Valentino has received several prestigious awards throughout his career. He is the recipient of the Couture Council Award and the Golden Plate Award. 

German designer Philipp Plein is best known for his namesake brand of luxury clothing and accessories. While he initially studied law, he later drifted to interior ahd fashion designing. Over the years, he has designed everything from dog leashes to Swarovski-studded military jackets. He has also won multiple GQ awards.

Known as the enfant terrible of the fashion world, Jean Paul Gaultier wasn’t formally trained in fashion but managed to redefine fashion with his peculiar range of clothes and perfume. He designed Madonna’s cone bra in the 1990s and used material such as corsets and tin cans in his collections.

Stefano Gabbana is an Italian fashion designer. He is credited with co-founding the popular luxury fashion house, Dolce & Gabbana, along with another important fashion designer Domenico Dolce. Over the years, Dolce and Gabbana have been honored with several awards for their contributions to fashion. In 1991, they were honored with the prestigious International Woolmark Prize.

Miuccia Prada is an Italian businesswoman and fashion designer. The granddaughter of Mario Prada, Miuccia is the head designer of the popular luxury fashion house Prada, which was founded by Mario Prada. Miuccia Prada is credited with founding Prada's subsidiary, Miu Miu. In 2014, Miuccia Prada was ranked 75th in Forbes magazine's most powerful woman in the world list.

Emilio Pucci was an Italian fashion designer turned politician. He is best remembered for his style of creating geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of colors. He served as a pilot during World War II and became a fashion designer after the war. He also ventured into politics but didn’t enjoy much success in his political career. 

Best remembered for her agency Wilhelmina Models, Dutch model Wilhelmina Cooper was the daughter of a German butcher and took to modeling after moving to the US. Known for her curvy figure and high cheekbones, she graced the cover of Vogue 28 times.

Max Azria was a Tunisia-born fashion designer. He was the founder of the contemporary women's clothing brand BCBGMAXAZRIA and the chairman and CEO of the global fashion house the BCBG Max Azria Group. The brand was eventually sold to Marquee Brands and Global Brands Group. Azria was twice married and had six children. He died of lung cancer in 2019.