2025 JANUARY ISSUE
WORLD RENOWNED FASHION DESIGNERS PART 2
Written by Andrew Sia
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From the Desk of the Publisher
This is the part 2 of our report for the next five designers whom we have prepared in this writeup. Here we have featured Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Miuccia Prada, Kark Lagerfeld, and Donatella Versace.
They are all icons in our fashion industry, and they have lived their lives fully. All of them are going strong and continue to lead and influence us.
We are very impressed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for their support of the fashion designers. I would welcome you to watch the two previous shows, such as the one held in 2012 under the “Schiaparelli and Prada Impossible Conversations,” and the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” held on May 10, 2018, showed around 150 Catholic-inspired garments from designers included Versace, Cristobal Balenciaga, Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Dolce & Gabbana, and Chanel.
We attached the two links from the YouTube and hope that you can enjoy them.
As we mentioned before, we will continue to see them in the fashion catwalks to continue to the praises and admirations. We can see that their lives never have any dull moments.
One thing that we are most impressed is their generous participations in philanthropy and we have noticed that Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, and Donatella Vesarge have set very good examples.
The Most Influential Designers of All Time - Part 2
In this issue we are going to feature the five other top designers, and we are going to continue them as the following.
Ralph Lauren
He was born on October 14, 1939, as Ralph Lifshitz in Bronx, New York, and later changed his name to Lauren. After serving the U.S. Army, he worked as a salesman at Brooks Brothers and later began started to design his own neckties.
In 1967, he launched his first line of ties under the brand name “Polo” and the rest was history. The following year he introduced a full menswear line, and this was followed by a women’s line in 1972 and became a symbol of preppy American fashion. Over the years, the Ralph Lauren brand diversified into several lines, including:
- Polo Ralph Lauren: Classic American Sportswear.
- Ralph Lauren Purple Label: Luxury menswear.
- Lauren Ralph Lauren: Women’s wear.
- RRL: Vintage-inspired clothing.
- Ralph Lauren Home: Home furnishing and décor
- Fragrances: A range of perfumes and colognes.
The company went public in 1997 on the New York Stock Exchange. It is a global luxury lifestyle brand.
Ralph Lauren’s contribution to fashion and philanthropy have received a lot of honors, for instance:
- In 1970, received his first Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award for menswear.
- In 1981, opened the first international Polo store in London.
- In 1986, inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame.
- In 1991, received the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Lifetime Achievement Award.
- June 11, 1997, at the initial public offering of Polo Ralph Lauren raised $767 million.
- April 2001 established the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation.
- June 2007 presented the first-ever CFDA American Fashion Legend Award.
- April 2010 received the Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur, France’s highest honor from French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
- October 14, 2010, presented with a key to the City of New York.
- September 7, 2018, a runway show and black-tie gala in New York Central Park commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ralph Lauren’s brand.
- June 19, 2019, knighted by Prince Charles and became the first American designer to receive British knighthood.
January 4, 2024, awarded by President Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
With its headquarters in New York City, there are 344 Ralph Lauren retail stores worldwide. Additionally, it operates a network of over 7,000 “shops-within-shops” in North America. It is part of the distribution strategy within department stores.
For his philanthropy, especially in cancer research, he established the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care in Harlem and launched the Pink Pony Campaign to support cancer screening and treatment programs.
Ralph Lauren’s legacy lies in his ability to blend classic American aesthetics with a sense of luxury, creating a brand that resonates across generations and genders.
Ralph Lauren stepped down as CEO is 2015 but remains as executive chair and chief creative officer.
Giorgio Armani
He was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, Italy. Armani initially pursued a career in medicine before changing to fashion. He began his fashion career working as a window dresser at Le Rinascente, a department store in Milan, and later as a designer for Nino Cerruti. In 1975, with the support of his friend and business Sergio Galeotti, he founded his own label, Giorgio Armani S.p.A.
Giorgio Armani is an iconic Italian designer who has a strong influence of global fashion with his minimalist elegance and timeless tailoring. Armani revolutionized fashion by introducing relaxed yet sophisticated designs that redefined power dressing. His unstructured jackets and neutral color palettes offered a fresh alternative to the rigid styles of the time.
In 1980, the film American Gigolo, featured Richard Gere in Armani’s clothing, catapulted the brand into the American fashion scene. Subsequently, his creations became staples on red carpets and in corporate wardrobes, symbolized understated luxury.
Over the decades, Armani expanded his brand into a global empire encompassing various lines:
- Giorgio Armani: The main line offering high-end fashion.
- Emporio Armani: Aiming at young audiences with contemporary designs.
- Armani Exchange: Casual, accessible fashion targeting a broader market.
- Armani Privé: The haute couture line established in 2005 showcasing exquisite craftsmanship.
- Armani/Casa: A home furnishings line reflecting the brand’s aesthetic.
- Armani Hotels: Luxury hotels in Dubai and Milan, illustrating the brand’s lifestyle concept.
Armani remains the sole shareholder of his company and ensuring the brand’s independence and consistent vision. Armani’s contributions to fashion and society have earned him numerous honors, for instance:
- In 1997, received Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion.
- In 1983, received the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) as best international designer.
- In 1985, named as a Commander of the Republic.
- In 1986, appointed the title of Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the most prestige award granted by the Italian government.
- In 1987, received Lifetime Achievement Award for menswear by Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
- In 1990, received an award from the animal right association, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in Washington, D.C.
- In 1991, received a doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London, along with honorary degrees from Accademia di Brera and Saint Martins School of Art and Design.
- In 1993, received an honorary degree from the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan.
- In 2000, received the David de Donatello award in Rome for contribution to cinema.
- In 2002, named Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR).
- In 2003, honored by the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style in Beverly Hills, California for the plague on the sidewalk of the famous Rodeo Drive, celebrating the contribution to the world’s cinema and Hollywood.
- In 2006, received the Leonard award from the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano as the greatest representative of “Italian quality.”
- In 2007, received from the Design Department of the Politecnico di Milan awards as the designer for an honorary degree in Industrial Design.
- In 2008, received the Legion of Honor, the highest honor granted by the French Republic.
- October 24, 2013, pronounced by the New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, the “Giorgio Armani Day” in occasion of the event “One Night Only New York” for his contribution to global fashion industry and his long-term tie with the city.
- In 2014, received Compasso d’Oro Career Award for lifetime achievement for revolutionizing the world of ready-to-wear, and contributing to the promotion of the “Made in Italy” image around the world.
- In 2015, named Special Ambassador to the World Expo in Milan.
- In 2017, received the recognition for the group’s role in drafting the “Guidelines on Eco-Toxicological Requirements for Clothing, Leather Goods, Footwear and Accessories” as commissioned by the Chamber of Fashion during the Milan Fashion Week in 2017.
- In 2019, received the John B. Fairchild Award in New York and the same year received the Outstanding Achievement Award in London.
- In 2020, awarded the Premio Parete granted by Milan’s Bocconi University. Same year named as a new special ambassador of sustainable tourism by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
- In 2021, received Italy’s highest civilian honor, the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by the President of the Italian Republic.
- In 2022, honored with the Visionary Award as recognition for the sense of responsibility and ethics from Armani’s work on the 2022 Sustainable Fashion Awards by the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, also known as the National Chamber for Italian Fashion.
- May 11, 2023, received an honorary degree in Global Business Management from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore at the municipal theatre of Piacenza, Italy.
- September 1, 2023, Armani received from the Mayor of Venice, the Golden Lion in Murano glass for the recognition of a figure and a brand with an international dimension. It was on the eightieth Film Festival and the One Night Only Venezio.
His philanthropic efforts for supporting HIV/AIDS research, child welfare, and disaster relief have also been recognized.
In 2025, Armani celebrated the 20th anniversary of his haute couture line, Armani Privé, with a retrospective exhibition at Armani/Silos in Milan. The showcase featured approximately 150 looks from nearly 40 collections, highlighted the brand’s evolution and enduring elegance.
At 90, Giorgio Armani continued to lead his brand, embodying a commitment to timeless design and innovation that has left an indelible mark on the fashion industry.
Miuccia Prada
Born on May 10, 1949, in Italy and known with her given name as, Maria Bianchi Prada. She is the youngest granddaughter of Mario Prada, founder of the Prada fashion house established in 1913.
She graduates with the PhD in Political Science from the University in Milan and was once a member of the Italian Communist Party.
She was trained at the Teatro Piccolo to become a mime artist and performed for five years.
She took over the reign of Prada in 1978 and transformed it from a leather goods company into a global fashion luxury brand. Its first successful handbag design was in 1985 which is a line of black, finely woven nylon handbags, and was the first to introduce the black nylon backpack which turned into a fashion icon. The same year she married Lorenzo Bertelli who also became her business partner.
By 1989, Prada launched her first women’s ready-to-wear collection, and in 1995 she launched her first menswear line.
In 1992, she co-founded the brand Miu Miu, an avant-garde line named after her childhood nickname. It was designed as a less expensive womenswear inspired by her own personal taste. The brand, Miu Miu is known for her intellectual, iconic, and subversive approach in fashion. Perhaps you can say that she is a fashion activist.
The company also acquired Jil Sander, Helmut Land and shoemaker Church & Co.
In 1994, Prada showed her collections in both New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week, and earlier on she was already showing in Milan Fashion Week.
Prada’s husband, Bertelli, is responsible for the commercial side of the product and the brand’s retail strategy. The design house has grown into a conglomerate that includes labels such as Helmut Lang, Jil Sanders, and the company continues with its leather goods, shoes, and expanded into fragrances.
Through the Foundazione Prada, a contemporary art and culture space in Milan, she collaborated with artists and architects.
Prada received numerous awards as:
- In 1993 and 2004, received the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) for the International Award.
- In 1995, 1996 and 1998 received the VH1 Fashion Award for womenswear Designer of the year.
- In 2005, named by Time Magazine as the 100 Most Influential People.
- In 2006, awarded by the French Ministry of Culture as the Officier des Arts et Lettres.
- In 2013, awarded by the British Fashion Awards for the International Designer of the Year.
- In 2014, selected by Forbes as the 75th most powerful woman.
- In 2015, awarded by WSJ Magazine for the Fashion Innovator of the Year.
- In 2015, received from the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic the Knight of the Grand Cross.
- In 2016, given by Glamour USA the Woman of the Year Award.
- In 2018, awarded by the British Fashion Council the Outstanding Achievement Award.
- In 2021, received from WWD magazines John B. Fairchild Honor for Lifetime Achievement.
In 2012 Metropolitan Museum of Art, along with designer Elsa Schiaparelli exhibited together under the “Schiaparelli and Prada Impossible Conversations.” The two Italian designers from different eras in the Met’s Spring 2012 Costume Institute exhibition inspired by Miguel Covarrubias’s “Impossible Interview” for Vanity Fair in the 1930s. The exhibition featured orchestrated conversation between the two iconic women through videos of simulated conversations to show their most innovative work. It was directed by Baz Luhrmann focusing on how the two women explored similar themes in their work through very different approaches.
The work on views was arranged into seven themes:
- “Waist Up/Waist Down,”
- “Ugly Chic,”
- “Hard Chic,”
- “Naïf Chic,”
- “The Classical Body,”
- “The Exotic Body,” and
- “The Surreal Body.”
You are invited to watch this video by clicking: https://youtu.be/iteUc2daDX8?si=oSc6wbuCWQN–mUM
Prada continues to lead the company alongside with the Belgian designer Raj Simons, focusing on innovation and sustainability.
Lately, Prada is acquiring Versace from Capri Holdings for a reported $1.36 billion. This move is seen as a strategic step for Prada to expand its portfolio and potential to tap into another customer base.
Prada has been reporting strong financial results with sales up 13% year-on-year particularly driven by its Miu Miu brand.
Karl Lagerfeld
Born on September 10, 1933, in Hamburg, Germany. He passed away on February 19, 2019, at the age of 87. Karl’s father, Christian Lagerfeldt, made his fortune by bringing condensed milk to Germany. Karl, and his old sister, also a half-sister, Martha, grew up in a rich family. At home intellectual activity was encouraged, and her mom was an accomplished violin player.
During 1930s when Aldorf Hitler rose to power, the family moved to a rural area in northern Germany and the knowledge about Nazi was cut off.
From his early age, he expressed an interest in design and fashion. He was already known to be critical for what to wear to school. Then at his teen age the family moved back to Hamburg, and he was like the fish back in the water as he was already enjoying fashion.
He sensed his future while he was only 14 years old and the family sent him to Paris and in his early years, he was already submitting a series of sketches with fabric samples for a design competition. He won the first place in the coat category and at the same time he met another winner, Yves Saint Laurent, and the two became buddy.
Soon, he landed with a full-time job working with French designer, Pierre Balmain, first as a junior assistant and later became an apprentice. He remained in that job for three years and it was a very demanding job.
Then he took up another job as a creative director before moving to have his own design company. The time was 1961. By then he was only 28 years old.
Chloe asked for his design of a full collection and Fendi asked him to oversee the company’s fur line. He began to make his name in the fashion industry for his innovative, and up-to-date fashion. But this didn’t stop his nostalgic feelings for the past old wedding dresses for redesign and reconstruction. He found his inspiration in those days from the flea market.
In the 1980s, Karl was already a celebrity in the fashion world and was a favorite among the press. He kept his friendship with other major celebrities, including his good friend Andy Warhol.
During his career, he was able to jump from one label to the next and put together a successful track record. He revived what was perceived to be a near-dead brand back to life which was Chanel.
It was around 1984; Karl Lagerfeld launched his own brand around the idea of what he described as “intellectual sexiness.” The brand developed a reputation of quality tailoring with bold ready-to-wea pieces like cardigan jackets in bright color. In 2005, Karl sold the label to Tommy Hilfiger.
His work also crossed into film and photography which kept him very busy, in 2011, he designed a line of glassware for the Swedish company known as Orrefor. He also created a new clothing collection for Macy’s.
In 2015, he opened his first Lagerfeld store in Doha, Qatar.
He began to slowdown when advance into his mid-80s and stopped to show at the Chanel show in the Paris Fashion Week in 2019. Day later, on February 19, 2019, it was announced that the legendary designer had passed away in Paris.
We remember Karl Lagerfeld for his dark sunglasses, powdered white hair, high collars, and gloves.
Karl was the creative director of Chanel from 1983 to 2019. He revived the house of Coco Chanel by blending tradition with edgy modernity. He turned tweed suits, pearls, and camellias into high fashion again.
Before he started with Chanel, he was the longest creative director of Fendi from 1965 to 2019 being the longest creative director roles in fashion history.
Karl had his own Karl Lagerfeld brand which he launched in 1984. It is a line of accessible luxury with sharp tailoring.
Karl Lagerfeld received numerous awards as:
- In 1954, he won the International Wool Secretariat prize for a coat in 1954, parking the beginning of his career.
- In 1957, he was the Art Director of Jean Patou in Paris.
- In 1982, received the fashion award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
- In 1983, reached his career highest point, he was working for Chanel, Fendi, and his own label. He was also the creative director of Chanel.
- In 1991, received the Awarded Accessory Design of the Year.
- In 2010, received the Fashion Visionary Award from the Couture Council of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology.
- In 2011, received the Gordon Parks Foundation for his career achievements in design, photography, and film making.
- In 2015, received the Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Fashion Awards.
- In 2017, received the Grand Vermeil Medal, the highest Paris honor.
He was hailed by Vogue as the “unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment.” Karl Lagerfeld is known for a top edged designer who embodied fashion with performance, philosophy, and business altogether.
Before I signed off for this write-up for Karl Lagerfeld, I would like to share a video on
YouTube | The Mat | Karl Lagerfeld : A line of Beauty – Exhibition Tour with Andrew Bolton.
Youtube: The Met | Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty—Exhibition Tour with Andrew Bolton | 16:10
Donatella Versace
Donatella Versace was born on May 2, 1955, in Reggio Calabria, Italy. The Versace clan—Gianni, Donatella and brother Santo—who founded the label, were raised in Reggio Calabria, across the water from Sicily. She is the younger sister of the late designer Giani Versace. When they were young, they learned designing from their mother, who at the time had a dressmaking business.
She attended a university in Florence for a while and later joined her brother to support his clothing business. She was beside her brother when he started his own fashion company in Milan. Another brother, Santo, was also part of the business. Gianni was depending on Donatella for her advice about the designs. Through her friendships she brought in inspirations from rock ‘n’ roll with Madonna and Elizabeth Hurley.
All along the time, Donatella had served as the chief designer for the company’s Versus line. She began to take a bigger role in the mid-1990s while Gianni was battling with cancer. The siblings started to work on a company’s succession plan. Gianni recovered but was soon shot outside his home in Miami in 1997. The succession plan came out useful.
After her brother Gianni Versace’s death, Donatella continued to push the brand forward and maintaining its bold and glamorous aesthetic. Under her direction, Versace remains as a symbol of luxury and high fashion.
This was known as the resurrection of Donatella Versace, who was accompanying her brother, Gianni, for a holiday in 1997 and they went to Ravenna and visited all the Byzantine churches.
The sudden death of Gianni led the fashion world to think where the brand would be heading, knowingly and unknowingly a long series of collections were overseen by Donatella. The flamboyant aesthetic could be replaced with unconvincing alternatives would dim the light of the house.
It was also until 2004, Donatella kicked the cocaine addiction and even after her recovery, the house seemed to be heading towards collapse. Between 1997 to 2007, Versace’s revenue declined from over $1 billion to $400 million. The company’s debts mounted and Gianni’s prized assets, including its Miami mansion had to be sold.
Donatella is known for her “never give up” attitude, and her easy to work and to get along personality, she was able to find the right formula by shaking off the minimalism, also known as the street fashion, and adapt the rococo sexiness of Gianni’s aesthetic in a fresh way.
The successful collaboration with fast-fashion retailer H&M in 2011, and the relying on the Gianni-era trophy of the house—Medusa—motif, with Greek influenced detailing, provided an early sign of revival.
In 2014, Blackstone, the private-equity group, acquired 20% of Versace. Since then, a series of well received collections coincide with retail expansion.
These days we can read about Versace’s Fall-Winter 2024 collection had a rebellious attitude but a kind heart. Versace donated 10% of the purchase price of every item sold from their 2024 Prade collection to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. A London exhibition celebrated Naomi Campbell’s forty years in fashion. And a first Palazzo Versace Hotel in Asia would be in the Grand Lisbon Palace Resort, Macao.
Bain & Co said that Versace is the world’s eighth-most-recognized fashion brand. Its catwalk collection accounted for 70% of the company’s revenue, the 30% are the business that follows, such as homeware products and licensing, for instance, sunglasses and fragrances.
In September 2018, the company was sold to Michael Kors’s Michael Kors Limited. And in January 2019, Gianni Versace S.r.I. became part of the Capri Holdings Limited for $2.12 billion. Capri Holdings appointed Emmanuel Gintzburger as CEO of Versace. Donatella Versace is the creative director for the brand.
Today Versace has 230 boutiques and 638 stores worldwide.
The quote I came across for Donatella Versace was, “My top three beauty secrets are simple: always laugh; always be yourself; always be confidence.” Perhaps we can use it in our daily life.
As of April 2025, Versace is owned by Prada Group. Prior to that it was owned by Capri Holdings Limited in 2018. Capri Holdings Limited also owns Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo.
The latest we read that Donatella Versace stepped down as the chief creative officer of Versace on March 14, 2025. She was the head of her late brother Gianni Versace’s luxury fashion empire for nearly 30 years. She took over that role after her brother tragic murder in 1997. She made the statement as, “It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni’s legacy. He was a true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity,” on March 13, 2025.
Her role was replaced by former Miu Miu design director Dario Vitale on April 1, 2025.
“Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” was an exhibition opened on May 10, 2018, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, showed around 150 Catholic-inspired garments from designers included Versace, Cristobal Balenciaga, Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Dolce & Gabbana, and Chanel.
Last and not the least, I want to mention that Versace took part in the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition explored the influence of Catholicism on fashion and featured pieces from designers like Versace, Lacroix, and Gautier. Versace also cosponsored the exhibition. The Vatican, Versace, and Vogue collaborated on the exhibition.
Donatella Versace can be honored as a philanthropist for all the good works she has done to the community.
You can watch this at the link as: https://youtu.be/sXGN7XfhNmI?si=fZEf1wJIOPL4TtFi