5 STYLE LEGENDS WHO HELPED SHAPE THE CULTURE OF FASHION

The multi-billion dollar empire we call the “fashion industry,” wasn’t built in a day. There were an elite group of couturiers who revolutionized the industry and played a part in its many successful years of existence, including these style legends.

Coco Chanel
Famous Quote: “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”
Fun Fact: She began her career by selling hats.

Coco Chanel is famous for many things, including her tweed suits, 2.55 handbags, and Chanel No. 5 perfume. Beyond that, she’s been credited with making the “little black dress” a household name, as well as revolutionizing the women’s fashion industry by “putting women in pants.”

Christian Dior
Famous Quote: “It is not money that makes you well dressed: it is understanding.”
Fun Fact: He was the first couturier to license his designs.

Dior faced many hardships during the beginning of his career, from his parents not wanting him to become a designer, to being forced to take a hiatus during World War II (to serve in the Army). However, that didn’t stop the inventor of “The New Look” from living out his dreams, and becoming the fashion phenomenon he’s known as today.

Yves Saint Laurent
Famous Quote: “Fashions fade, style is eternal.”
Fun Fact: He was the first living designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Saint Laurent didn’t waste any time during his teenage years, as his journey in fashion began at an early age. At the tender age of 19, he became Christian Dior’s design assistant, quickly working his way up to the chief designer of Dior in 1957. Saint Laurent eventually went on to launch his self-titled designer label, and has since been recognized as the creator of the modern woman’s wardrobe.

Pierre Cardin
Famous Quote: “The dress is a vase which the body follows. My clothes are like modules in which bodies move.”
Fun Fact: He studied architecture before becoming a designer.

The “Space Age” fashion era was Cardin’s claim to fame, and his notorious “bubble dress” was birthed during that period.

Alexander McQueen
Famous Quote: “Fashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment.”
Fun Fact: He invented the low-rise “bumster” trousers.

Although Alexander McQueen is the youngest designer featured on this list, he earned his legend status while on this earth. Before launching his own label, he worked as the head designer of Givenchy. Formerly known for his dramatic runway shows, the late designer won the “British Designer of the Year” award four times. He was a very talented couturier, who is tremendously missed by the fashion community.

Source: blog.kadenze.com