20 Famous Fashion Designers Who Changed the Game 2023

For over 100 years clothing designers have been pushing the boundaries of the fashion industry. These famous fashion designers have influenced how we dress over the decades while becoming cultural icons. The likes of Coco Chanel, Ralph Lauren, and Marc Jacobs have changed the fashion game with their innovative and stylish creations. These incredible individuals have challenged fashion norms and turned events such as New York Fashion Week into must-attend events populated by celebrities and other famous fashion designers. 

With Paris Fashion Week recently ending, we thought there was no better time than now to celebrate fashion and its best designers. This article looks at those in the business who have had a major impact on the fashion industry and the way we dress. So read on and discover the most iconic fashion designers in the world who have left their mark. 

20 Famous Fashion Designers Who Changed the Game

1. Coco Chanel 

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Born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, the extraordinary “Coco” Chanel turned fashion on its head with her dynamic brand Chanel. After her mother passed, Chanel’s father sent her to an orphanage run by nuns. It was while here that she learned to sew and her passion for fashion began. 

Chanel’s post-World War I designs were considered much more laidback for females as they didn’t require a corset. Soon the Chanel brand became quite popular and expanded into other areas of fashion, including perfume, creating the iconic Chael No. 5 fragrance that is still popular today. Chanel is also responsible for the “little black dress” and is the only fashion designer to land on the Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century. 

2. Ralph Lauren 

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Ralph Lauren is responsible for making the ordinary polo shirt a must-have wardrobe item for every man. New York-born Lauren got his start with Brooks Brothers before branching out with his own line of ties. This soon transferred to men’s fashion, where the preppy Polo Ralph Lauren became a big hit with young men looking for a casual yet respectful collared t-shirt they could wear in the boardroom and on the golf course. 

Since the 80s, Lauren’s company has been a driving force in menswear, with the iconic polo horse logo one of the most recognized in the world. While he is no longer the CEO of the company, Lauren is still present as the executive chairman and chief creative officer, although he spends most of his free time driving his extravagant collection of cars and being involved in philanthropic pursuits. 

3. Donna Karan

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American fashion designer Donna Karan is the woman behind the global brand DKNY. Karen got her early start working for fellow fashion designer Anne Klein before branching out on her own with DKNY in 1984, wanting to design modern clothes for modern people. 

She succeded, with DKNY becoming a high-end brand for women looking to update their look. Nicknamed The Queen Of Seventh Avenue, Karen launched a men’s line in 1991, with DKNY continuing to have a big presence in the fashion industry today. 

4. Giorgio Armani

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When people talk about Italian fashion designers, Giorgio Armani is one of the first names that comes to mind. Originally wanting to have a career in medicine, Armani found himself working as a window dresser at La Rinascente, in Milan, kick-starting his fashion journey. He established his eponymous brand, Armani in 1975, helping popularize the power suits of the 80s while being credited with pioneering red-carpet fashion. 

Throughout the past three decades, Armani has collaborated with many different brands and companies, opening Armani-themed hotels, releasing compilation albums of cafe music, and getting involved with sports teams. Worth an estimated $9.5 billion, Armani has managed to stay relevant by evolving his range and connecting with like-minded brands.

“Giorgio Armani is truly a living legend and has been able to reinvent himself and the company many times over the years, maintaining his status as one of the most iconic designers in the industry,” Ana Roberts, style editor of Top Trends Guide, told Love Happens Mag.  

5. Donatella Versace

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Donatella Versace is another Italian designer, who, along with her deceased brother Gianni Versace, helped turn Versace into one of high-fashions biggest brands. Often cited with helping popularize the supermodel craze of the 90s, Donatella took over the company when her brother was murdered in 1997. 

While already a monster in the fashion game, Donatella helped keep Versace relevant, designing garments for the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Madonna. She merged pop culture with fashion, opening several Versace resorts around the globe and connecting with hip-hop culture to keep the Versace name in the spotlight. 

6. Alexander McQueen 

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Learning his trade as a tailor in the 80s, British design maestro Alexander McQueen launched his own label in 1992 and never looked back. Known for his finely tailored clothing, willingness to push boundaries, and extravagant fashion shows, McQueen was also chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001.

“You’ve got to know the rules to break them,” McQueen said of his controversial designs. “That’s what I am here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition.”

Shockingly Alexander McQueen took his own life at age 40 in 2010, but his legacy lives on in the clothes produced by his label. 

7. Yves Saint Laurent

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Yves Saint Laurent is another French fashion designer whose brand has been ever-present in the fashion world since being founded in 1962. Laurent got his start working for another big fashion house, Dior, before starting his own company. His brand helped keep haute couture fashion popular and combined stylish designs with comfort, appealing to the everyday person who wants to not only look good but feel good. 

One of YSL’s most successful creations was the Le Smoking, a tuxedo suit for women that dropped in 1966. Over the years Yves Saint Laurent also developed fragrances and cosmetic lines and is respected for the diversity of its models during early runway shows. Francesca Bellettini is the current CEO and Italian fashion designer Anthony Vaccarello is the brand’s creative director. 

8. Calvin Klein

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Most men have owned a pair of Calvin Klein underwear at some point in their life. Klein founded the brand in 1968 with business partner Barry Schwartz after apprenticing as a coat and suit designer. Clavin Klein transformed everyday wear with its designer jeans in the 80s and famous white underwear modeled by the one and only Mark Wahlberg.  

The company, now owned by the Phillips Van Heusen Corp, sells both male and female garments along with accessories such as watches, fragrances, and jewelry. While he no longer has a major say in the company he helped create, Klein’s impact on the fashion world is second to none. 

9. Stella McCartney 

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The daughter of Beatle Paul McCartney has carved out her own career path in the world of high-end fashion. Stella McCartney became interested in design at a young age and studied at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication and Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins. She was the creative director of Chloé between 1997 and 2001 before launching her own label. 

As a vegetarian, McCartney’s label is committed to sustainability and cruelty-free clothing. There are no animal products used in the garments the brand sells. Over the past 20 years, her label has gone from strength to strength and grown in to one of the biggest in the world.

10. Karl Lagerfeld

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Recognizable by his distinct look – white hair, black sunglasses, fingerless gloves, and high collars –  Karl Lagerfeld is renowned for his impact on the world of fashion. As well as operating his own label, Karl Lagerfeld, the German fashion designer was also the creative director for Chanel (who he helped elevate to a new level) and Fendi and was involved with many other big labels over the years. 

Lagerfeld passed away in 2019 at the age of 85 with many tributes flowing from all corners of the world. In a memorial tribute, British Fashion Council Chief Executive Caroline Rush said, “His unrivaled contribution to the fashion industry changed the way women dress and perceive fashion. He inspired generations of young designers and will continue to do so.” 

11. Tommy Hilfiger 

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Tommy Hilfiger got his start by opening his own clothing store People’s Place in 1971. Unfulfilled with the work, he began designing his own garments. After the store went bankrupt in 1977, Hilfiger enrolled in business classes to learn more about that side of the fashion industry. It seemed to do the trick, with Hilfiger founding several companies before hitting pay dirt with Tommy Hilfiger, a brand he started in conjunction with Indian businessman Mohan Murjan.

Launched in 1985, the brand has become synonymous with the red, white, and blue of the American flag. Patriotic and preppy, the label had a massive impact on hip-hop culture in the 90s. While its popularity has waned over time, Tommy Hilfiger is now having a resurgence, with many young fashionistas loving the company’s latest collections that reference the past while looking to the future. 

12. Elsa Schiaparelli

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The biggest rival of Coco Chanel between the two World Wars, Elsa Schiaparelli merged surrealism with fashion to create some truly remarkable items of clothing that were a hit with women between the 1930s – 1950s. Her garments were much more relaxed than those popular at the time, allowing more flexibility and comfort. 

Schiaparelli established the House of Schiaparelli in 1927 to sell her eye-catching designs. These days the brand is catered to the luxury ready-to-wear crowd thanks to creative director Daniel Roseberry, who has been in charge since 2019. 

13. Marc Jacobs

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Marc Jacobs hails from New York City and is another American fashion designer doing incredible things. As well as his own labels, Marc Jacobs, and the now-defunct Marc by March Jacobs, the influential fashion figure was also the French design house Louis Vuitton’s creative director from 1997 to 2014.

Often using bold colors and abstract shapes, Jacobs’s stylish creations have been worn by the likes of Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Dakota Fanning, Deena Abdulaziz, and Kate Moss.

14. Tom Ford

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Before launching his own brand in 2005, Tom Ford worked as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Having honed his design skills, his own brand, Tom Ford, is now one of the leading luxury fashion labels in the world.

He caused a stir when modeling the brand’s underwear collection in 2016 in a shoot that saw him sitting between Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley on the cover of Vanity Fair, but these stunts are part and parcel of Ford’s marketing campaigns. 

As well as fashion, Ford has a keen interest in cinema, launching his film company Fade to Black at the same time as his label. So far Ford has directed two movies, A Single Man and Nocturnal Animals. Both have been well received and feature Ford’s keen eye for visual details. 

15. Virgil Abloh

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Nobody has done as much for the fashion industry over the past ten years as Virgil Abloh. An innovator of the highest order, Abloh looked at fashion in a way people had never done so. He got an internship at Fendi where he met Kanye West who he would go on to work with. West made him creative director at Donda in 2010. Abloh launched his own label Off-White in 2013 before becoming the artistic director of Louis Vuitton in 2018, totally revolutionizing the brand and making it a force once again. 

Abloh was the first African-American artistic director at a French luxury fashion house, merging high fashion with streetwear. His connections in the entertainment world meant his fashion shows, be it London Fashion Week or Milan Fashion Week, were also populated by famous models and rappers.

Abloh left an important mark on the fashion world in a very short time, which is why his sudden death from cancer in 2021 at the age of 41 was a major shock for those in the industry. 

16. Vivienne Westwood

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Vivienne Westwood’s success stems from her ability to make punk rock fashion appear high-end. She opened her first boutique store in 1971 and helped shape the punk look of that decade. She dressed the Sex Pistols and as her popularity soared, opened more boutiques stores around the globe selling everything from clothing to accessories to political paraphilia. 

She remained a key fashion post throughout the 80s and 90s and while her popularity isn’t at the heights it once was, Westwood is still revered by the fashion world for what she has accomplished. 

17. Manish Arora

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Few Indian fashion designers have been as successful as Manish Arora. Based in New Delhi, Arora launched his label Manish Arora in 1997 and quickly gained traction around the world. He was briefly a creative director at the famed French fashion house Paco Rabanne in 2011 but lasted less than a year on the job. 

His creations are identifiable by the bright colors he uses and Arora’s passion for combining traditional Indian designs with modern looks. 

18. Christian Louboutin

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Christian Louboutin has seen and done a lot during his time in the fashion world. Starting life as a freelancer, he traveled the globe working for famous brands designing shoes. He did a one-eighty turn in the 80s and ditched fashion for landscape gardening before returning in 1991 with his own company. 

You can tell a Louboutin shoe by the bright red soles that have become a signature of the brand. His eye-catching heels have become famous and worn by many big Hollywood entertainers, such as Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Joan Collins, and Sarah Jessica Parker, who wore a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes at her wedding. 

19. Christian Dior

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Christian Dior SE, or just Dior as it is commonly known, was established by designer Christina Dior in 1946. For over 75 years the company has delivered top-of-the-range clothing, shoes, and accessories to millions of customers around the world. Having been run by men for the majority of the company’s life, many were shocked when Maria Grazia Chiuri was named creative director in 2016. 

It has proved to be a masterstroke, with Dior reaching heights never thought of before in the luxury clothing market. 

20. Jean-Paul Gaultier

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If there is one thing the French have mastered, it’s fashion. Jean-Paul Gaultier is another remarkable character who has taken the world of fashion by storm. Straying from the norm with his abstract and androgynous designs, Gaultier worked at several fashion houses before launching his own label in 1982.

It proved to be the correct decision, with his label so successful it expanded to a line of perfumes in 1993. As well as running Jean-Paul Gaultier, the Frenchman was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. Officially retiring in 2020, Gaultier has left a mark on the fashion industry like no other. 

Categories: Entertainment
Source: Tekmonk Famous Biography