Fashion for Dummies
There are so many fashion labels hitting the catwalk these days that it's hard to keep track of who's who so Female First have come up with some simple conversation key notes to make sure you know what you're talking about in even the fashionable of crowds.
Cacharel- Jean Cacharel was one of the pioneers of ready-to-wear fashion and made his name in the 1950s after becoming one of the first designers to recognise a woman's need for comfort and ease of wear. In the 1960s a Cacharel shirt was a must-have. The label is stil going strong with the same ethos of comfort and style.
Calvin Klein- is one of the most iconic names in fashion. The label is almost as famous for it's advertising campaigns featuring the likes of Brooke Shields and the young Kate Moss and Marky Mark. Klein himself has now retired from designing leaving Italo Zucchelli in charge of the menswear line while Francisco Costa is creative head of womenswear.
Carolina Herrera- started off as a wealthy socialite and a fashion icon before becoming a designer. She launched her first collection in 1981 and has been a huge success all over the world. Herrera is known for her feminine, elegant designs which are popular with wealthy business women and Hollywood icons.
Chanel- was founded by the infamous Coco Chanel who set up the label way back in 1909. Famous for quilted bags, Little Black dresses and that iconic double C logo, the French fashion house is one of the most well known and instantly recognisable brands in the world. A film about the life of Coco Chanel starring Audrey Tatou is due for release later in the year.
Chloe- is famous for adapting it's style depending on who is the creative head at the time. Over the years Karl Lagerfeld(1965-1983 and in 1992), Martine Sitbon (1987-1991) and Stella McCartney (1995 to 2001) have helped the house thrive but it can struggle under less enigmatic leadership. Curent head is Hannah MacGibbon. Chloe is famous for it's must-have handbags including the Paddington with it's instantly recognisible padlock and key design.
Chritian Dior- launched the House of Dior just after the war and gave women back their glamour after years of turmoil. Although the man himself was actually only a top designer for 10 years his fashion house has thrived after his death in 1957. Yves Saint Laurent was the creative head until he left to start his own label. These days it's the flamboyant John Galliano who is on control. Dior is famous for it's fabulously elaborate couture creations.
Christian Lacroix- founded his fashion house in 1987. Lacroix is best known for bringing fun and colour to couture. He took the traditional period look of couture and gave it a Hollywood twits by drawing inspirations from screen icons. He was also one of the first people to design the short puff ball skirt.
Christian Louboutin- shoes are instantly recognisible by their red soles. Rumour has it that Louboutin first decided to design shoes in 1957 after he noticed a billboard that instructed women tourists not to scratch the wooden floor in front of a museum in Paris. He started making shoes with solid soles and compressed buckles. Louboutin worked hard to earn his place in fashion, first selling his shoes in dancehalls before opening a boutique in Paris. His shoes are now loved by celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Christina Aguilera and Madonna.
Diane Von Furstenberg- was founded in the 1960s when the wife of Prince Egon Von Furstenberg- Princess Diane Von Furstenberg was fed up of never being able to find anything to wear in the shops after emigrating to the US from Belgium. The label is most famous for it's flattering wrap dresses.
DKNY- or Donna Karan New York was founded by Donna Karan who was born into a fashionable wealthy New York family. While she was still at college she was offered a job with legendary NY design Anne Klein and when Anne died in 1974 Donna succeeded her as creative head. In 1985 Donna formed her own label along with husband Stephen Weis. DKNY is one of America's biggest fashion houses and is most famous for it's sporty street style.