The most iconic fashion designers of the last 100 years

In the early 1900s, Chanel's designs were considered sportier and more freeing than other fashions of the time, as they didn't require a corset. Chanel is also known for iconic fragrances such as Chanel No. 5.

In the 1950s, Ferragamo drastically expanded his business and began producing around 350 pairs of handmade shoes each day with a crew of 700 artisans.

On his deathbed in 1960, Ferragamo asked his family to continue the business and continue creating "perfect" footwear. Today, his eponymous brand specializes in luxury footwear, leather goods, apparel, and more.

The style came to define 1950s fashion. Dior is still recognized as one of the most influential names in women's couture and evening wear.

Balenciaga specialized in evening wear and exquisite tailoring. Today, the brand leans much more into "streetwear" trends and out-of-the-box ideas such as the popular "shoes that look like socks" that rose to prominence in the last few years.

The actress, known at the time as Givenchy's most influential muse, wore the French designer's creations in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Funny Face," and "Charade," among others. Givenchy's aesthetic was clean, classic, and unapologetically feminine.

After a partnership with Christian Dior fell through, the designer struggled to gain the same recognition as designers like Chanel, Dior, or Balenciaga. However, he is nevertheless remembered as one of the great French fashion designers in history.

She has dressed everyone from Grace Kelly and Cary Grant to Elizabeth Taylor and Marlene Dietrich.

Her own personal style — namely her eccentric glasses and a short haircut — have made her a recognizable pop culture icon, and some believe she inspired the Edna Mode character in "The Incredibles."

After starting his own fashion house, the designer created never-seen-before silhouettes and garments such as his legendary smoking suit in 1966, the reefer jacket in 1962, the sheer blouse in 1966, and the jumpsuit in 1968.

Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Gina Lollobrigida, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis were all photographed wearing Pucci's signature eccentric fashions, according to The New York Times.

His metal "link dress" made him famous, and Jane Fonda even modeled the designer's futuristic-inspired costumes in her film, "Barbarella."

"It is important to remain impertinent, radical," Rabanne once told Vogue. "Creation must shock."

Taylor wore the white gown to the premiere of "Spartacus," and from there Valentino's star was born. Though Valentino was known for using his signature red color, his 1967 "no color" collection comprised of only white, beige, and ivory clothing made him even more famous.

In contrast with the more colorful, psychedelic fashions of the time, Valentino's collection stood out as refreshing and new.

Westwood opened her first boutique at 430 Kings Road in London in 1971 and began filling the store with her eccentric, punk-inspired designs.

Westwood notably dressed the members of British punk rock band the Sex Pistols after partnering with the band's manager, Malcolm McLaren. Westwood remained a prominent designer throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

The duo's suit and coat lines were successful, and soon Klein's sportswear became popular as well. Klein then ventured into denim, undergarments, and logo apparel that the brand is now famous for — as well as some provocative ads.

Quintessentially American, Ralph Lauren's brand focused on an upper-class lifestyle and came to be synonymous with "preppy" fashion throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

Johnson's designs featured bright colors, fun patterns and textures, and a punk-glam aesthetic.

Armani's "power suits" have been worn by Richard Gere, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jodie Foster, and John Travolta. The designer also provided most of the wardrobe for "Miami Vice." Armani has since expanded his fashion house to include eveningwear, ready-to-wear, and more.

In 2004, Karan received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Manolo Blahnik has been beloved by fashion icons throughout history, from Twiggy to Sarah Jessica Parker's "Sex and the City" character Carrie Bradshaw. In 1977, Bianca Jagger famously wore a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes when she entered dance club Studio 54 on a white horse.

Ford overhauled Gucci's minimalist image, making the brand more vibrant, retro-inspired, and sexy. During his tenure at the fashion house, sales shot from $230 million to $3 billion.

Ford created a buzz for his own brand when he posed in Tom Ford underwear between a nude Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley on a 2006 Vanity Fair cover.

Kors was interested in fashion from an early age, even recalling that he "hyperventilated" when the latest edition of Vogue arrived each month. Kors has received high praise for his high-end men's and women's fashion lines, as well as his accessories.

Kors also notably designed the dress worn by Michelle Obama in her first official portrait.

Despite a series of personal obstacles throughout his life, including estrangement from much of his family and a period of heavy drug and alcohol use that resulted in his checking into a rehab facility, Marc Jacobs is nevertheless known as an extremely talented "boy wonder" of the fashion world.

"For some reason, Marc's show is always the most important place to be seen, the one place where you know all the people who matter will be," Deena Abdulaziz, a member of the Saudi royal family, told the New York Times.

The designer was known for his designs oozing with sex appeal, and his sister, Donatella, has since channeled the same vision through her leadership at her late brother's fashion house.

Versace brought the fashion industry into the pop culture sphere through his loyal collection of superstars and models who both worked for him and wore his designs. Versace has been credited with elevating Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell to "supermodel" status.

In the late '90s and early 2000s, McQueen was the designer to watch. Known for not only pushing but completely breaking the boundaries of what was expected in fashion at the time, McQueen created a name for himself at Givenchy and then later with his own fashion house.

McQueen wasn't shy about his lower-class background and proved to be a different kind of high-fashion designer. One of his fashion shows notably featured a model who was an amputee. She walked the runway on carved wooden legs.

"You've got to know the rules to break them. That's what I am here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition," designer Alexander McQueen famously said of his subversive designs. McQueen died by suicide at the age of 40 after both his longtime friend Isabella Blow and his mother passed away.

After working as an apprentice for the Thierry Mugler, Christian Dior, and Guy Laroche, Alaia started his own fashion line in the early 1980s. His designs were notably figure-hugging, accentuating the bust, and cinching the waist. The New York Times called him a "sculptor of the female form."

Alaia was known for being outspoken. He criticized fashion legends such as Vogue's Anna Wintour for her style and designer Karl Lagerfeld, who he said had "never touched a pair of scissors."

On November 18, 2017, it was announced Alaia had passed away.

Lagerfeld is recognized as one of the most influential fashion designers in history. Throughout his life, Lagerfeld created smart, sexy, and in-the-moment designs for Chanel, Fendi, Chloe, and more.

On February 19, 2019, it was announced that the iconic designer had passed away in Paris.

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."

Diane von Furstenberg is known for being an ambitious designer who started a phenomenon, once reportedly crafting more than 15,000 wrap dresses a week.

"I had a very down-to-earth product, my wrap dress, which was really a uniform. It was just a simple little cotton-jersey dress that everybody loved and everybody wore," von Furstenberg told New York Magazine in 1988. "That one dress sold about three or four million. I would see 20, 30 dresses walking down one block. All sorts of different women. It felt very good. Young and old, and fat and thin, and poor and rich."

After winning the show, Siriano started his own line in 2008. By 2010, the label had earned $1.2 million in revenue. By 2015, that figure had raised to $5 million.

Known for his creative eveningwear frequently featured on the red carpet, Siriano has designed for Billy Porter, Whoopi Goldberg, Janelle Monae, and more.

In 1997, McCartney was hired to revitalize the Chloé brand. The British designer created feminine, subtly sexy designs with a romantic spin that attracted a number of celebrity clients, including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kate Moss. After achieving success at Chloé, McCartney received funding from Gucci to start her own line.

McCartney shot to prominence in the bridal fashion sphere and designed Meghan Markle's stunning white halter-neck reception dress for her wedding to Prince Harry. A vegetarian, McCartney's label is committed to sustainability, is cruelty-free, and uses only faux fur and faux leather.

Before bringing luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton into a more modern, streetwear-inspired space, Abloh started his own fashion brand, Off-White.

A friend and collaborator of Kanye West, Abloh famously told W Magazine, "We were a generation that was interested in fashion and weren't supposed to be there. We saw this as our chance to participate and make current culture. In a lot of ways, it felt like we were bringing more excitement than the industry was."

The line was praised for being body positive and boundary-pushing. After achieving success with the lingerie line, it was announced that Rihanna would be partnering with fashion powerhouse LVMH, one of the largest fashion companies in the world, on a new venture.

In May 2019, it was announced that Rihanna's new Fenty fashion line would feature luxury ready-to-wear pieces.

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