How it All Began for 3 of the Most Iconic Fashion Designers of All Time
1. Coco Chanel
Surely you've heard of the world famous brand Chanel. But did you know it was named after Coco Chanel, the women who started it all. Chanel was raised in an orphanage where she was taught to sew at a young age. She opened her first clothing shop in 1910. Chanel then launched her first perfume made of natural extracts and artificial essence named Chanel No. 5 worldwide only 10 years later. After continuously impressing the world with her new designs Chanel became the only fashion designer who was featured on Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential individuals of the 20th century. Today, Chanel stands among one the world’s top designer fashion brands.
2. Donatella Versace
Coming in at one of the top women world-class fashion designers is Donatella Versace. Although she did not completely start from scratch. She inherited the Versace Empire from her brother. But, she made sure to give it her own label. She decided to move beyond clothing. She introduced her own fragrances, home furnishings, accessories, and even hotels. In 2007, Versace was inducted into the ‘Rodeo Drive Walk of Style’. The same year, pop star Prince presented her with the ‘Fashion Group International Superstar Award’. Versace has her own fashion shows modeling her unique designs. Not to mention, she’s the first ever fashion designer to use A-list celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Madonna to show off her designs on the catwalk. Versace is recognized as one of the most famous fashion empires of all time.
3. Calvin Klein
Even though Calvin Klein was nearly broke and still working at his fathers grocery store at one point nothing would come between him and his big dreams. After graduating from New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology in 1962 Klein worked as an apprentice sketching designs from the European runways for someone to use. Klein couldn't stand copying others even though it was typical in fashion. No designs came out of America. So Klein wanted to change that. In 1968, at the age of 26, with $2,000 of his own money and a $10,000 loan from his bestfriend Barry Schwartz, Klein founded his own company, Calvin Klein, with Schwartz as his partner. The boys first order came by accident, when a coat-buyer from department store titan Bonwit Teller got off on the wrong floor and wandered into Klein’s workroom. The coat buyer placed a $50,000 order after being impressed with Klein’s line of trench coats. He then told Klein, “Tomorrow you will have been discovered.” And indeed he was, it was that order from Bonwit, along with a glowing editorial he received in Vogue, that put the Calvin Klein name on the map. Calvin took the opportunity and expanded from coats to all types of different clothing wear. Klein’s business took off and only went up from there. Calvin Klein is one of the most famous clothing empires of all time.
written and published — Taylor Gregg
