Mi Fashion Mi Style

For all you fashionistas, here's some history about the past or present designers that influenced us the most.

Charles Frederick Worth
Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel
Christian Dior
Pierre Cardin
Yves Saint Laurent
Ralph Lauren
Issey Miyake
Giorgio Armani
Jean-Paul Gaultier


Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895) Born- Lincolnshire, England

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Charles Frederick Worth started his career at the age of 12 where he had worked in a London draper's shop and then commenced a long apprenticeship with a firm doing haberdashers, Swan and Edgard's. After, he moved to Paris to sell fabrics, matles and shawls where he was inspired to design dresses for his wife and than selling them in his store.From there he began his career of designed and tailored made services for his clients.

• Did you know -
  Worth was famous for his evening gowns , ofen created in white, and lavishly trimmed with embroidery and lace.


• Worth was the first person to open a boutique which sold his own designs and the first to sew his name on a label inside the garment.

Evening dress from Charles Frederick Worth

Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel (1883-1971) Born- Saumur, France

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From the age of 12, Chanel lived in a convent due to her father giving her up after her mother passed away. Chanel opened her first small hat store in 1910, which sold her hats and dresses to accompany them. After that, she opened two more shops that specialised in clothing for the casual sea-side life of the French resort towns.

Did you know -

• After the age of 18, she had become a night-club performer. She was nicknamed ' Coco', a name which has stayed with her for the rest of her life and after two of the songs she had sang.
• Chanel is reowned for her suits, 'the little black dress', the use of grey, navy and beige, the twin set, chemise dresses, flat Chanel pumps and sling backs. Like her dresses, the perfume Chanel No 5 which was her lucky number is still considered a classic.

Well known quotes from Coco Chanel

'A girl should be two things....classy and fabulous' - Coco Chanel

'Luxury must becomfortable, otherwiseit is not luxury.'-Coco Chanel

'Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky,in the street, fashionhas to do with ideas, the way we live, what's happening.' - Coco Chanel

'A woman who doesnt wear perfume has no future.' - Coco Chanel

'The little Black Dress' , Coco Chanel

Christian Dior (1905-1957) Born - Normandy, France

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A son of a wealthy manufacturer, Dior enjoyed Parisian artistic life, studied political science, ran an art gallery, undertook military services, sold fashion sketches and worked briefly as a designer for the couturier Robert Piguet.

'House of Dior' opened in 1946, and the first collection in 1947, which was an immediate success. Christian Dior died suddenly of a heart attack in 1957, at the height of his career. In just over 10 years, the 'House of Dior' had grown enormously, with separate divisions for perfumes, hats, jewellery and shoes.

Did you know-

• Dior had recreated the celebration of fashion and dressing that the war had destroyed.
• He is reowned for his sculptured silhouettes of his afternoon dresses, which created a world of fantasy in rich taffetas or velvets, worn with long gloves, hats, high heels and brooches.
• In 1996, John Galliano lefted Givenchy to head the 'House of Dior' where he remains today as a head designer.

Fall/Winter 1949/1950, Pierre Cardin



Pierre Cradin (1922- ) Born - San Biagio Di Callalta, Italy



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Pierre Cradin was born tot French parents and grew up in the French region of Loire. He first worked a tailor in Vichy, Italy and then moved to Paris in 1944, where he worked for Schiaparelli and Paquin before joining Dior in 1946. He opened up a small boutique for men's and women's wear and produced his first collection in 1957, followed by ready-to-wear in 1963.


Did you know -

• In the 1960's, Cardin had a reputation for his forward thinking, space age designs. He popularised the use of everyday materials for fashion items like vinyl, and metal rings for dresses and decorative effects including geometric cut-outs, appliques, large pockets and over sized buttons. Also tiny skirts and plunging necklines.



• Cardin was the first designer to license the production of items ranging from accessories to furniture and food, communications and aeroplanes, under his name.

Fall/Winter 1968, Pierre Cardin


Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008) Born - Oran, Algeria

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At the age of 16, Yves Saint Laurent had won a competition by the Internation Wool Secretariat, for his design in a black draped cocktail dress. After completing his studies in Oran, he moved to Paris where he found a sketching job from Vogue. Through this job, he had found himself hired by Dior as an assistant. When Dior suddenly passed away, Yves Saint laurent was thrust into the position of head designer. During this time, he was called up for military service, but was discharged soon after due to a nervous breakdown. Finding that Marc Bohan had replaced Yves Saint Laurent position in Dior, he opened up his own couture house in 1962.

Did you know-

• Yves Saint Laurent is known for his use of bright colours often with black, his refernece to past couturiers and his skillful use of applique and beading.
• Yves Saint Laurent since his fiirst collection the pea jacket and smocks in his collections continually although in different variations.
• Yves Saint Laurent is credited as being the designer who restored the couture to its position of ready-to-wear and street fashion in the 1960's, to a level of respectability.

1962 The Pea Coat Jacket, YSL

Ralph Lauren (1939 - ) Born - New York, USA

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In New York, Ralph Lauren worked as a salesman at Brook Brothers and Allied Stores while studying business at night. Around 1967, Ralph Lauren designed a range of top quality ties under the name of Polo. He soon expanded into menswear and than in 1971, he launched his womenswear and established the Ralph Lauren label. Followed by boys and girls wear, fragances and cosmetics and home furnishings.


Did you know -

• Lauren's clothes are the often the same from year to year because he designs to suit an ideal which is the elegant lifestyle of the bygone era.
• Lauren's inspirations is a mixture of American and English past. The prarie look and frontier fashions, denim skirts, petticoats, and fringed jackets, also Fair Ise sweaters, pleated skirts, fly-front skirts and tartans are typical. Cotton, linen, denim, tweed, flannel, velvet, lace and cashmere are his choice of fabrics.

Spring/Summer 2009, Ralph Lauren




Issey Miyake( 1938- ) Born - Hiroshima, Japan

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Issey Miyake graduated from the Tama Art University in 1964, then moved to Paris to study fashion at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Prisienne. In 1968, Issey Miyake moved to Givenchy followed by travelling where he joined Geoffery Beene as a ready-to-wear designer.In 1970, He established a Issey Miyake Design Studio in Tokyo where he had shown his first collection in New York in 1971, and his next show was in Paris.



Did you know -

• Miyake is well known for his wire, cane and plastic sculptured bodices, draped skirts, unusually textured fabrics and threatrical spectacles such as bodyworks show held in 1984.
• Miyake inspiartions are from Japanese culture and costumes from origami to samurai armour to pesant dress, with a western influence.

Spring/Summer 2008, Issey Miyake

Giorgio Armani (1934- ) Born- Piacenza, Italy

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In 1961, Armani landed his first job as a design assistant with the menswear manufacturer Nino Cerruti, and after that worked for several other designers, including Emanuel Ungaro. In 1975, Armani established himself as a fashion consultant and quickly became know for his ready-to-wear designs for both men's and women's wear.

Did you know-

• Armani's contributions to the fashion are soft, generous blazers for women, tailored pants and shorts, culottes, and the use of linen and leather.

Spring/Summer 2003, Giorgio Armani

Jean-Paul Gaultier (1952- ) Born - Paris, France

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At 17, Gaultier began his fashion career working with Pierre Cardin as assistant designer, where he had lefted to work with other designers and returned to Cardin. In 1977, Gaultier started his own company, which became popular in the 1980's with his witty ready-to-wear collections in the London street fashions.


Did you know -

• Gaultier work is identified by the clever blending of fabrics and finishings , mixing old with new, and a playful challenging of traditional ideas.
• Some of his contribution to fashion is the sweat -shirting combining with fabrics such as lace and satin, wrap skirts for men, a bold use of tartans, and pointed cone-shaped bra cups.

Famous cone bra top by Jean-Paul Gaultier