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Top 5 Post-Couture Designers

 
 
 
 
 















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Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Top 5 Post-Couture Designers

My Top 5 Post-Couture Designers

1. Armani -first designer to create something revolutionary in both mens and womens - he is the 80's

2. CDG , Yohji - Proved that true artists can also create a viable business. They are wildcards that always seem timeless and of-the-moment simultaneously

3. Halston - I have never been a huge fan but Halston and YSL define the 70's

4. Prada - this story is still being told but , for me, she defines the 90's

5. Marc Jacobs - I think he will prove to be America's most important designer yet. He can deliver $5 bangles in his Marc by Marc store on Bleecker to the most refined items at LV/MJ with the same level of integrity. I think that is totally modern.

5A Ralph Lauren - Few designers have ever created such a complete world of style so successfully and across so many various categories. His ability to do that is remarkable.

Where does McQueen fit in?
I have often asked my friends in the business what was their all-time favorite fashion show and a McQueen show (there have been too many blockbusters to name just one) has been the most consistent answer.

Does size matter?
How can you fit in Dries Van Noten or Margiela or Westwood. Should there be a Top 5 Independent List? but 4 of my top 5/5a are still independents.

And your Top 5 Post-Couture All-Time Greatest designers?
(I think it would be more interesting if we it based on who had the "biggest impact" on thier time period.)

posted by The Sartorialist at 7:15 AM

Comments on "Top 5 Post-Couture Designers"

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (9:31 AM) : 

"Post-Couture" - that's a perfect way to express it! I do think Lagerfeld needs to be included, because he has really transformed the industry into the business it si today, and he's also of the prior YSL et al generation in terms of his age.

 

Blogger jacqueline | the hourglass files said ... (9:43 AM) : 

I agree with the post above. Lagerfeld really needs to be included in the list. He's a powerhouse name, that even not-so-fashiony people know.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (9:45 AM) : 

Versace is the 80-ss

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (9:47 AM) : 

In no particular order:

Marc Jacobs
Karl Lagerfeld
Miucca Prada
Ralph Lauren
Armani

 

Blogger Sunshine said ... (10:02 AM) : 

halston should be on the post couture list
also evan-picone who brought slacks to regular american women in the late 40s (if we're really talking about impacting how regular women dress)

 

Blogger Marianna said ... (10:16 AM) : 

Ah, there we go. Sorry for blabbering on and on in my earlier comment. I couldn't see a missing 5th designer bc I dont feel you can cluster designers if their time periods vary. It's funny bc Lagerfeld and YSL could fit in the same period, but maybe YSL's impact was felt earlier? Anyway, I think Lagerfeld is maybe a case apart, his impact seems to spread accross a longer time range. I honestly do not know where Lagerfeld would fit in, he shines in a league of his own.
Anyway, back to your PC list: I think the enfant terrible Gaultier has to be somewhere in there. McQueen also, I can still remember his impact very well and even today I can "relive" his impact over and over again.
I want to also state names like Hedi Slimane, D&G or even Tom Ford but those would fit in another list, something like a POST POST-COUTURE one.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:37 AM) : 

my top 5 post couture:
1. nicholas ghesquiere
2. dries van noten
3. miuccia prada
4. CDC-rei kawakubo/ junya watanabe
5. martin margiela

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:09 AM) : 

True, Lagerfeld needs to be on the list. Marc Jacobs, Halston, Dries van Noten and Galliano. I know Yohji has done amazing things for fashion, so he deserves to be on the list, but I personaly do not really like the style. And I'd like to give Oscar de la Renta a place, but that's because of personal taste :)

 

Blogger Cerisier said ... (11:29 AM) : 

My top 5, not in order

Mary Quant
Marc Jacobs
Gianni Versace
Vivienne Westwood
Emporio Armani

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:44 AM) : 

LAGERFELD - I've never been his #1 fan but he's shifted the entire world's perception of "chic". a PR dream.

MARC JACOBS - his high/low grunge perspective has changed the rules of personal style. no longer can you walk into a party with a prestigious "outfit" from one designer and be sure to have hit a home run. He's changed the rules. There will always be those types drawn more to the ostentatious appeal of a Tom Ford or a Dolce & Gabbana, but those in the Marc Jacobs religion have no doubt in their resolve.

GHESQUIRE - of the "fashioney" circles I find myself in, people seem decided on the subject of Balenciaga and Ghesquire. Mad Respect.

GAULTIER - the bread collection? as a child I made a rosette broche for my mother out of bread and nail polish, but would I put it on my runway? He is the theatre, a treasure.

OLIVIER THEYSKENS - He didn't inherit a magnificent legacy, no chanel, vuitton, hermes or balenciaga. His reinvention of Nina Ricci is recognized as the stuff of fairytales among young eyes.
(it was worth lying to SJP, that dress was the showstopper of that entire Sex and the City publicity orgy)

B.S.M.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:49 AM) : 

P.S. I adore these discussions. it's expression, formation and inspiration of the zeitgeist right before our eyes.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:02 PM) : 

1. HEDI SLIMANE
2. Raf Simons
3. Thom Browne
4. Galliano
5. Margiela

 

Blogger TMFA said ... (12:02 PM) : 

I find this so hard to answer, as there are so many designers that are actually being featured in all the important magazines and many of them I dig. I would now mention my top 5 but I am sure I will forget about a few that I really want to mention as well, so it is almost impossible to come with a solid top 5 list for me.

When you talk about Dries van Noten en Westwood then I definitely would like to put Viktor and Rolf in the same line.

 

Blogger The Spicers said ... (12:04 PM) : 

I'd push Dries on to the list, even if you have to add a 5b!

 

Blogger Arethusa said ... (12:33 PM) : 

Another cheer for Dries! I've really fallen in love with his clothes recently.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:40 PM) : 

80's Breakthroughs

1. Armani
2. Gianni Versace
3. Claude Montana
4. Kansai Yamamoto
5a. Bill Kaiserman
5b. Romeo Gigli

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (1:19 PM) : 

high couture time:

vionnet
poiret
lanvin
dior
balenciaga

post couture:
prada
armani
yamamoto
marni
lanvin

 

Blogger Jael Paris said ... (1:31 PM) : 

I think Mcqueen is going to be remembered for a long, long time. He clothing walks a great line of marketable and envelope pushing. But I may be biased since my sartorial aesthetic leans toward girlie macabre.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (1:51 PM) : 

My list - for what it's worth
1. Marc Jacobs
2. Miuccia Prada
3. Alexander McQueen
4. Halston
5. Calvin Klein
5b. Dries Van Noten

I love how this dialogue/debate makes everone with and opinion on fashion soooo passionate!
Thanks!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (2:09 PM) : 

I love Marc Jacobs but in no way does he come before Galliano, McQueen, Westwood, Dries Van Noten, Margiela & perhaps even Heidi Slimane.

It seems some people here equate his more famous name to being a better designer - Certainly not the case. All my American friends would say Marc Jacobs but I doubt any of my European friends would mention his name - Quite interesting.

 

Blogger garrett said ... (2:10 PM) : 

Let me preface by saying I’m not much of a fashion historian, but I have noticed the conspicuous absence of one of the biggest names in American fashion, Calvin Klein. Are his achievements rooted more in the business of fashion and less in the design of fashion, are his designs too plebian? I would put him in my top five if for nothing else than his introduction and popularization of designer jeans.

 

Blogger Travis Trott said ... (2:12 PM) : 

Post-couture, in terms of impact:

1. Ralph Lauren
2. Donna Karan
3. Calvin Klein
4. Tom Ford
5. Marc Jacobs

These five have had enormous global impact and you see their influence everywhere. As much as I love those legendary designers like Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood, they haven't had the same amazing trajectory.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (2:26 PM) : 

Been wearing Dries for at least 10 years now. Great design and craftmanship.

 

Blogger Marianna said ... (2:26 PM) : 

It would be interesting to see how people would rank designers that have continued the legacy of previous designers. I personally for instance have immense admiration for Lagerfeld's continuation of Chanel... but I would not say the same of Galliano on Dior. Elbaz has also been doing some exceptional work for Lanvin. Even Gaultier's recent move to Hermes has been surprisingly delightful. Anyway, these discussions have been very interesting. Thank you for making your blog so rich and consistently adding quality depth to it.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (2:32 PM) : 

If it´s an "all-time" list, then I would say Paul Poiret.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (2:45 PM) : 

I think Theyskens and Ghesquiere show potential to become huge, but in terms of industry, Lagerfeld, Jacobs, Slimane, Prada, Lauren, McQueen, and Gaultier take the cake...

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (2:46 PM) : 

And I can't believe I forgot Galliano...

 

Blogger American in Zurich said ... (2:58 PM) : 

1. YOHJI YAMAMOTO because he's on the Pulse of fashion. I feel that everything he makes is about materiality, great style, comfort& the way we live today.


2. CLAIRE MCCARDELL because she was doing mass production from the 30s to 50s and gave America it's look before Yves and Ralph - when the world's eyes were starting to look towards America as a power. She was an influence before post-couture and didn't have to please shareholders the way we do now.

2a. GIORGIO ARMANI - for breaking down what we wear to work and making it more relaxed and wardrobes classic. His color palette has influenced everyday fashion for a almost 3 decades.

2b. Miuccia Prada because she revised our daily uniform and gives fashion a New Psychology that inspires fashion legions & others to copy.


3. KARL LAGERFELD because he is so prolific, intuitive and more alive and awake than ever. Without fashion, he's still one of the most brilliant, witty and progressive people you'll ever meet. He has been working at the top of his game for 5 decades, counting his first stint as Head Designer at Jean Patou, July 1958. I can imagine that people feel a bit not-stylish in his presence.

4. DRIES VAN NOTEN because he's self-made and Master of Layering & Color. He was doing clothing inspired by ethnic cultures and beautiful details before common Western women had the guts to wear these clothes on the street.

4a. NICOLAS GHESQUIERE because he's very close to his own vision of fashion and that means he's not buckling to trends. He is a champion of new techniques in the craft in making fashion. He also makes clothing that IS Couture, POST-COUTURE.

5a. MARC JACOBS because he loves fashion and his collaborations with Artists (à la Schiaparelli). He understands wearable clothes & YOUTH. We'll see his bags in Vintage Shops for years to come.

5c. JOHN GALLIANO because he earned the right to make fantastical clothes while still rejuvenating and selling one of LVMH's Crown Jewels. His SHOWMANSHIP inspired many a designer to try to put out a better fashion & better shows.

5b. ALEXANDER McQUEEN because he understands Fantasy & Reality and can CUT a suit to a dress like no tomorrow. His clothes can stand ALONE in their Power. I MISS his couture creations at Givenchy.

*Honorable Mention: RALPH LAUREN because he mastered branding the LIFESTYLE long before other design houses decided to do the same.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3:02 PM) : 

In my opinion...:
Marc Jacobs
Yves Saint Laurent (goodbye Sir...)
Albert Elbaz for Lanvin
Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga
Alaïa / John Galliano for Dior

the order doesn't worth...!!!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3:19 PM) : 

I also think Calvin Klein should be showing up more on these lists. He mastered minimalism and reinvented the male silhouette. His contributions to fashion advertising alone is enough to give the man a lot of credit.

 

Blogger BSK said ... (3:43 PM) : 

What does everyone think of Varvatos? He hasn't been around very long, so I don't think he cracks the list. But certainly I think given more time he squeaks in at some point.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:00 PM) : 

Miuccia Prada
Raf Simons
Alexander McQueen
Vivienne Westwood
Nicholas Ghesquiere

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:34 PM) : 

I definitely think Dries is always up to something fabulous, and I think a lot of designers pilfer from Viv Westwood, even Lagerfeld. One total favorite from the 80's who had huge impact on many was Romeo Gigli - no one could touch him for a few years for sheer stunning beauty and great styling. He really should not be forgotten.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:43 PM) : 

I see Galliano on here a lot. Galliano doesn't show restraint, and often gets too caught in the costume aspect of clothing. If Resort 2009 is any evidence, his designs are flashy and sometimes tacky. McQueen has a way of doing a show that is current, edgy, and still miraculously refined. It surprises me that so many people on this blog favor Galliano, when such a substantial amount of this blog is focused on a refined and understated style.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:44 PM) : 

What about TOM FORD!???

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (5:37 PM) : 

Galliano anyone?

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (5:51 PM) : 

You are right, Sart, Armani IS the 1980s. But there is verly little to save form the age of supershoulders and bad tailoring.

Armani got 'the look' right, his style being more photographic than anything else.

In fact, photographer Aldo Fallai IS Armani.

All that is wrong with 'faaashion' we owe to King George.

SO down with the King. Viva Napoli and real tayloring--for man and woman.

By the by, Armani did play a very cheap trick on women by dressing them up in power suits like man.

very clever. Not very sexy. Nor wildly creative.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (6:36 PM) : 

I'm with Garrett. Calvin Klein has had too much of an impact to be overlooked. He's really influenced how real women dress - Halston, not so much.

 

Blogger Robin said ... (6:47 PM) : 

i know its sort of cliche to think so, but i'm surprised that hedi slimane hasn't been mentioned more. Honestly, when I think of the most influential designer post the 1990's, hedi slimane for dior homme is the first name to come to my mind

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (6:56 PM) : 

I'd put Calvin Klein and Gianni Versace along with Prada for the 90's.

Right now--the undeniable stature of MJ aside--it seems like the proliferation of smaller labels and personal eclecticism is sort of how things are going. Less an age of titans, as it is less an age of megawatt supermodels.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (8:04 PM) : 

Jean Paul Gaultier defined the eighties. No direspect to Ralph Lauren because I think he is a genious but I don't believe he should be in this catagory. He's more a master of style and business. He's the Madonna of fashion.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (8:10 PM) : 

I would like to make a point that I do find it really interesting that Americans always nominate Brands and not designers. One cannot ignore the retail powerhouses of Lauren, Klein, Armarni etc but they are not designers.
Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto, Junya Watanabe,Maison Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester
and why is no one mentionaing Issey Miyake who is and was the first truly modern designer.
I believe there is more to fashion than having billboards all over the world. The European and Japanese designers constantly push the boundries and yes even the retail savvy Americans can't deny the influence of these creatives.

Just a thought from little ole Australia.

I must admit that when the fashion shows are on style.com I find the New york collections to be nothing more than attempts to dress anna Wintour!
Does anyone else feel the same Regards Adrian M Linke

 

Blogger the exploits of lucinda and sebastain said ... (8:38 PM) : 

in my opinion, marc jacobs is probably currently the most influential designer. he not only does inventive things with fashion, but is also a huge commercial successl. only time will tell, but as a fashion design student, i know that i, and many of my friends look to the new marc jacobs collections to see what will be coming next in american design.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (8:42 PM) : 

1. Halston
2. Donna Karan-- she redefined power dressing for women, taking us away from those stupid suits and pussycat bow blouses into truly stylish yet wearable clothes. She also understand that stylish women aren't a size 0.
3. Jean-Paul Gaultier
4. Issey Miyake
5. Armani/Ralph Lauren (a tie)

I've not included Lagerfeld because Lagerfeld comes from the couture tradition. Gaultier may do couture, but he didn't "come up" within one of the old houses.

I know too much fashion history to put Marc Jacobs on the list...usually when something good appears on his runway, it was designed by someone else, at least 20 years before.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (8:53 PM) : 

Five? Only five? ... cruel and unusual. :-))

Five and ten - and not necessarily in order.

Chanel
Dior
YSL
Balenciaga
Poiret

Valentino
Donna Karen
John Galliano
Prada/McQueen/Marc Jacobs/Dolce & Gabbana
Hussein Chalayan/Lagerfeld/Stella McCartney

But what about Tom Ford, Givenchy, Armani, Hermes, Anne Klein, Gucci, Versace, Helmut Lang, Halston, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren. I feel like I am forgetting a favourite grandchild...It is like a big family with every single person having a special talent they bring forward... I never really thought about having a favourite. It depends on the day, the event, the fancy.

I love all the old eponymous brands/houses but YSL - thank you for making the pant suit so lovely and acceptable. I adore having the choice.

D. - the fickle one

 

Blogger Jenna said ... (9:29 PM) : 

VERSACE?????
ISSEY MIYAKE???
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG????

But Halston: no kidding.

 

Blogger Jenna said ... (9:30 PM) : 

LET'S NOT FORGET GAULTIER

 

Blogger Daft2 said ... (10:19 PM) : 

Margiela is such an obvious choice. Everybody counts him as a personal "alternative" favorite (as though they are the only ones).
For the 80's I would say Alaia because it defines the decade's silhoutte and energy. It has also remained a highly covetable and relevant label until today.
I also think that Rodarte will be on that list in 10 years time.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:31 PM) : 

This topic could run all month and be interesting and thought-provoking every day. Sart- you've brought me round to Armani as one of the b-list greats - his understanding of fabric and the way he cuts has been and is awe-inspiring. Regarding Independents, i think we have to be brutally frank and consider how the more experimental and risk taking designers 'influence' the bigger houses who have to consider their markets and answer to money men. (think Christopher Kane and Louise Goldin)
Should we consider Stylists too? How individual items of clothing are put together have a huge influence on the evolution of present day fashion design; this blog often shows that better than many high profile magazines. No?

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:48 PM) : 

Yes Jenna!
Diane von Furstenberg so 70s and 00s, always perfect in time and shape!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:49 PM) : 

Biggest impact on their time period?
this is a fun one (after two days of mental exhaustion..)
i'll come clean: i was educated in the UK and France so this will inevitably color my opinion:
Poiret
Dior
Biba
Vivienne Westwood
Sonia Rykiel
Marc Jacobs
Tom Ford
at the risk of being derided i want to say Laura Ashley - every english woman in england was a Jane Austen shepherdess at some point in the 70s...

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:45 PM) : 

Having grown up in the 1990s, I think that the following three designers really defined the decade for me:

1) Miuccia Prada
2) Jil Sander
3) Helmut Lang

The three of them because they really catalysed a shift in the way we thought about and wore clothes in the 1990s. I don't think you can say the 1990s started until the high fashion look of Versace and Lacroix was displaced by grunge and "streetwear" (not that these are the same styles, although grunge is a form of "streetwear"); Prada, Jil and Helmut gave us a true modernist moment in fashion that was both cool and chic, high and low at the same time.

People have been talking a lot about how YSL changed the way people thought about clothes (which I absolutely agree with). I think it was quite similar with the three above: high-fashion nylon knapsacks, superfluous body-bags on the body; industrial fabrics, etc. All this was really quite radical at the time. And the influence on other designers, even the masters - I remember when Versace used plastic and vinyl in his Fall '95 couture show - Helmut Lang had already done that a year ago. So much of what Calvin Klein did in the mid-90s referenced Lang's sensibility as well.

 

Blogger daniel lorenzatto said ... (12:13 AM) : 

yamamoto is among the nicest ever as the color: black!
raf simons is woooow, in his own nd the latest jilsander´s collections are so good
dries van noten is soooo cool! nd easy! nd goes.... id say that u can easily mix his clothes from the latest 10 collections
slimane said that all men in the world should dress skinny trousers nd rock feelings, nd everybody understood.
alexandre herchcovitch, becoz of im brazilian nd he is the best brazilian designer for me, after all, brazilian design too young.

 

Blogger mwade said ... (2:15 AM) : 

1. tom ford
2. lauren
3. slimane
4. jacobs
5. lang

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (2:21 AM) : 

i agree that yohji and cdg is represented but jpg also made a big impact during the 80's to the present especially now that he's w/ hermes. speaking of the 80's, don't forget claude montana, basile, sonia rykiel, and alia.

i do luv yohji's designs since he's carried his consistant designs to today! black will always be the new black!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3:21 AM) : 

if we are talking strictly about menswear, I think it is rediculous that Slimane hasn't been given more credit on here. He is one of the few people in the past 10 years who have really changed the direction of menswear

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:31 AM) : 

where is hedi slimane!? although i guess his 'time period' is still very much now. it flaws me how genuine his designs are. theres no gap between who he is and what he creates.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (6:19 AM) : 

Harry Potter and the Davinci Code had quite a lot of impact but that hardly qualifies them as literature. So I think just impact or size of business is not the only factor that determines the quality of a designer.

 

Blogger Jilly Pfifferling said ... (6:52 AM) : 

I really think Gianni Versace deserves a mention!!

Along with (no particular order)

Galliano
Gaultier
Donna Karan
Largerfeld

There are so many others but these are the ones that spring to mind.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (7:07 AM) : 

I would say:
- the french - ysl, dior, chanel
- italians for rtw - armani 80' prada 90' but also now she is the only italian influent one
- comme and yohji but don't forget the great Kenzo, whoo is better to be inscribed as independent
-Belgians + Westwood, as you suggested
- great independent genius, like Mc Queen
ciao

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (7:11 AM) : 

ahhhh i also forgot the americani:
DK CK Ralph Marcjacobs and other independent genius: HELMUT LANG and JILSANDER the minimalisti!!!!!! there are too many...mamma mia!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (9:14 AM) : 

1a. Rei Kawakubo/Junya Watanabe
1b. Hussein Chalayan
1c. John Paul Gaultier
2. Alexander McQueen
3. Prada
4a. John Galliano
4b. Vivienne Westwood
I wonder if this makes me a late 80's/early 90s girl?

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:58 AM) : 

I'm curious why some believe Tom Ford belongs on this list. Did he really do anything original (sexing up and reinterpreting Halston..) as compared to the other designers? I mean Tom Ford over Lagerfeld or Gaultier? Really? Convince me.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (1:48 PM) : 

i'm having a difficult time with this list of limited designers. i feel the belgiums made an impact as well as the minimal designers i.e. helmut lang and calvin klein, jil sanders. the french designers are predictable and they really don't move and shake in concept except gaultier. we all enjoy the french for their flair and quality but it is euro conservative and they're is more than chanel and armani. today there's a vast of good designers out there i.e. oliver theykens when he was with rochas really made french design fresh and feminine. each designer has a trademark in design and we all gravitate to what we feel as who we are as individuals.

 

Blogger lily said ... (1:57 PM) : 

Very interesting topic, that could occupy all my evening debates forever!

Post-Couture, in terms of success, impact, influence, creativity:

1. Marc Jacobs
2. Karl Lagerfeld
3. Hedi Slimane
4. Miuccia Prada
5. Mary Quant

For 'anonymous', I am French, and have no hesitation to put Marc Jacobs in the 1st place because he is so modern, innovative and adventurous.

Alos 'tjt', are you sure your list is not AMERICAN post-couture???!!!!

I would also mention Nicolas Guesquière, Calvin Klein, Mc Queen, Westwood and Lanvin but for a TOP 10!

I have a personal crush on Giambattista Valli & Zac Posen as well.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3:01 PM) : 

Valentino? Micheal Kors? Mr.Burberry? Phoebe for Chloé?

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:33 PM) : 

Armani above Comme des Garçons ?????
Is it a joke or what ?

 

Blogger American in Zurich said ... (5:14 PM) : 

Top 10 - HIGH COUTURE:

1. CHARLES JAMES because I'd take any of his masterpieces above all other couture outfits created.

2. CHARLES FREDERICK WORTH because it's where couture started the term in the 19th C.

3. POIRET, CHANEL & YSL for liberating women *with special note: Chanel's dresses from the 20s & 30s & Signature Suit.

4. VIONNET because of what she did for BIAS, well & all her gowns & capes. MADAME GRES for all her grecian inspired gowns.


5. BALENCIAGA because gone are the days when women would buy ENTIRE COLLECTIONS.

6. Film Designers: ADRIAN, EDITH HEAD, IRENE SHARAFF & company because they weren't couturiers and were giving the world a vision of couture when people didn't know the term.

7. CHRISTIAN DIOR for his decade of work under his own name and decades of influence.

8. SCHIAPARELLI for her Italian wit and support of Artists. MAINBOCHER for his Minimal Elegance. JEANNE LANVIN for her Robe de Style.

9. VALENTINO & KARL for CHANEL for making wearable couture & outselling all others at a time when couture houses were closing shop.

10. CHRISTIAN LACROIX, JOHN GALLIANO, JOHN PAUL GAULTIER, ALEXANDER McQUEEN (Givenchy) for dreaming, having respect for their Ateliers & keeping Couture alive.

 

Blogger Jon said ... (6:13 PM) : 

No mention of Paul Smith .. how about Paul Smith ? There's a vision at work and some wit.

“I think human beings should be able to show their own characters: I don’t want clothes to dominate. Lots of designer clothes are created to draw attention: ’Look at me. I’m fashionable, I’m rich, I’m part of the club.’ .. But I want my clothes to say : ’Look at me, I am me’”

 

Blogger pearlaceous said ... (9:29 PM) : 

1. Gianfranco Ferre
2. Giorgio Armani
3. Miuccia Prada
4. Karl Lagerfeld
5. John Galliano

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:14 AM) : 

Post (I didnt follow the rules)
1. Tom Ford
2. Jean Paul Gaultier
3. Ann Demeulemeester
4. Alexander McQueen
5. Christian Lacroix

Pre
1. Coco Chanel
2. Madame Gres
3. Yves Saint Laurent
4. Christian Dior
5. Hurbert Givenchy

 

Blogger rena said ... (12:37 AM) : 

1. miuccia prada
2. rei kawakubo/yohji
3. stephano pilate
4. karl lagerfeld/tom ford
5. martin margiela/hedi slimane

artstylefile.blogspot.com

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:01 AM) : 

I understood the purpose of the exercise to nominate designers that have had the BIGGEST IMPACT on a whole TIME PERIOD.
As crazily as one may adore, i.e., Ralf Simons, it is hardly arguable that he is a designer with the biggest impact in the way people dress and view fashion...
Also, to see Poiret nominated as a "post-couture" designer is nothing short of strange...

 

Blogger Unknown said ... (4:39 AM) : 

1. raf simons
2. nicolas ghesquiere (sp?)
3. prada
4. ann demeulemeester
5. dries van noten

 

Blogger Unknown said ... (4:43 AM) : 

AH! i know the list is only 5 but i forgot to add alber elbaz for lanvin. the menswear collections of late have been complete collections. many of the collections coming down the runway lately will have an idea explored through a few looks and then a new idea will come out. but with lanvin (and raf simons and ann demeluemeester as well), i feel like the collection is actually a COLLECTION.

 

Blogger Unknown said ... (6:47 AM) : 

Hands down Halston tops the list...clean timeless elegance with exquisite quality. I had the honor of being a part of that fabulous team...no one comes close!

 

Blogger Mary said ... (1:29 PM) : 

1. Tom Ford - he totally defines the 90's for me.
2. Isaac Mizrahi - so inovative in his use of materials.
3. Nicholas Ghesquiere - AMAZING.
4. Mary Quant (I can't believe no one mentioned her! or Pierre Cardin)
5. Valentino - he and YSL tie for me.
Additional # 6. I think Alaia is also a good candidate

I also want to put Olivier Theyskens and Hedi Slimane on the post-post couture list.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:02 AM) : 

marc jacobs is the jaques derrida of fashion.

The center is not the center...as it is with marc jacobs. Making a top 5 list in a post-couture world? In a post couture world, there is no top five...however, I beleve faulkner said something like: the past isn't dead, its not even the past...

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (9:51 AM) : 

Helmut Lang!
Don't forget Helmut Lang!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (5:06 AM) : 

How could you label any designer owned by a larger conglomerate an independent designer?

Margiela is owned by the same company that owns Diesel.

There are very very few designers on the market that can call themselves independent nowadays.

 

Blogger Cherry Tree Wood said ... (12:11 PM) : 

1/Prada, what she does, we follow

2/Marc Jacobs, what he does always make people react, he is original and iventive, all the time.

3/Jean-Paul Gaultier, he is the revolutionnary kid of Sonia Rykiel, an icon, an artist.

4/John Galliano, to take over such an immense brand as Dior, put his mark on it and get along with it. Huge work, creativity melted with the highest taylor knowlege.

5/Gianni Versace, he is "people", red carpet and hollywood dreaming

5A/Dolce&Gabanna: Big business, sex liberation, high quality and pefect detail!

 

Blogger LIFE IN FASHION said ... (3:12 PM) : 

I cant believe Galliano is not on this list...he's genius! and Ghesquiere too some of my wow fashion moments have been via these 2.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (5:41 PM) : 

i think if counting the most important designers you fail to mention Issey Miyake then you have made a grave omission

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:39 AM) : 

1. ghesquiere
2. yamamoto
3. slimane
4. helmut lang
5. mulleavy sisters

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (7:31 PM) : 

Seems to me that although Ralph Lauren is a "big name" in clothing, home dec, etc., he's not so much a designer as a genius at marketing...and a funny sort of nostalgia.

 

Blogger Unknown said ... (10:16 AM) : 

... and then there were designers who made a mark and faded way too quickly - in my opinion.
1. Perry Ellis
2. Alexander Julian (the real stuff, not Colours)
3. Romeo Gigli

 

Blogger recycleyourlife said ... (5:24 PM) : 

i would have had tom ford as 'the' designer of the 90s. miuccia was great, but ford was visionary.

 

Blogger Stratos Bacalis said ... (7:29 AM) : 

McQueen & Galliano by far... then Versace and Ferre and my top-5 ends with Montana.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3:58 AM) : 

I'm not so sure about Edith Head but Adrian Gilbert certainly had a huge influence on fashion in the 30s and early 40s. But it wasnt couture...

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:02 AM) : 

what about Viktor & Rolf?!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:59 AM) : 

Hedi Slimane definetely defined the 00s

 

Blogger SocialKeys said ... (3:37 PM) : 

I love your insight and reasoning as to why Marc Jacobs is a modern designer. Just as CoCo Chanel could pull off costume jewelry with her tweed suits, I think modern today is the ability to wear fun/costume jewelry with a structured dress. The high and low still reigns!

Top 5 70's on:
1.) Donna Karan (forever changed the style of the business woman)
2.) Ralph Lauren (defines all that is: "American style")
3.) Tom Ford (GUCCI, at the height of it's sexiness, Ford remains a brand in his own entity)
4.) Miuccia Prada (the essence of "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" - da vinci)a natural modern elegance
5.) Marc Jacobs (unprecedented- while making old new again)

 

Blogger Primitive said ... (12:35 PM) : 

1. Yohji Yamamoto
2. Helmut Lang
3. Ann Demuelemeester (please excuse any spelling mistakes)
4. Raf Simons by far
5. Dries Van Noten or Martin Margelia or RICK OWENS, I am at a loss

I chose these designers essentially because I beleive they chalanged traditional fashion Taboo's and redefined/recreated the idea of "luxury". I think the up and coming designers are, for the most part, going to be those that fall into void seperating "street fashion" from "high fashion". The former members of Carpe Diem, for example, Label Under Construction, or Christian Carol Poell are going to define the style of my generation. Also, many regional designers, such as those from Scandinavia(Carin Wester or Laitinen) and Japan (Yamamoto or MIHARAYASUHIRO or Number (nine)) are also stiring up the fashion world.
Just my two cents

 

Blogger Primitive said ... (12:37 PM) : 

OH AND COMME DES GARCONS
How did I forget them?

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:30 PM) : 

what about tomas maier?
his designs for bottega are simple but his use of texture and silhouettes make his designs simply stunning

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:13 PM) : 

Mine are:

1. Gianni Versace

2. "CoCo" Chanel/ Karl Lagerfeld
They both have to do w/ Chanel Inc.

3. Christian Dior

4. Valentino

5. John Galliano

6. Miuccia Prada

7. Marc Jacobs

8. Ralph Lauren

9. Gucci

10. Diane Von Furstenberg

I would also like to credit Zac Posen, Dolce & Gabanna, and, of course, Donna Karan.

 

Blogger Emily said ... (10:29 AM) : 

1. Vivienne Westwood
2. Tom Ford
3.Lanvin
4.Hedi Slimane
5. Alexander Mcqueen

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:41 PM) : 

In no order:
Marc Jacobs
Alexander Mcqueen
Vivienne Westwood
Valentino
John Galliano
*Lagerfeld* I'm not the biggest fan of his but I do recognize his talent and influence.

These are the designers I've found have the greatest influence post 70's culture. However there have been many great designers who i've (obviously) forgot to mention.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:39 PM) : 

Ralph Ricci?

 

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