With an unswerving loyalty to the colour black, Yohji Yamamoto is one of the most influential designers working today.

Hussein Chalayan pushes clothing into sculpture, furniture, performance, art and beyond. Since his graduate collection a

Judy Blame is a stylist, jeweller, designer and art director. His aesthetic helped define i-D’s visual style througho

KARL LAGERFELD is arguably, the ultimate fashion designer.

Alber Elbaz is a modern romantic who found his perfect match in Lanvin, the Parisian house where he has been artistic di

Now in his fifth decade of working in fashion, Giorgio Armani is more than just a designer – he’s an institution, an

Emma Hill is the Creative Director of Mulberry and the woman responsible for introducing cool clothing and covetable IT

When Calvin Klein stepped down in 2003, Italo Zucchelli assumed the role of Design Director of the brand’s menswear co

Sarah Burton grew up and was educated in Manchester before moving to London to study fashion at Central Saint Martins Co

Donatella Versace is a goddess of fashion. The female figurehead of one of the few remaining family-run fashion houses,

In November 2006, Beatrice Trussardi appointed super stylist turned photographer and magazine editor Milan Vukmirovic as

Junya Watanabe is the much-fêted protégé of Rei Kawakubo. Graduating from Bunka Fashion College in 1984, he immediate

Azzedine Alaïa’s place in the design hall of fame is guaranteed – his signature being the second skin that he creat

Rei Kawakubo may be better known to many under the name of the label she established in Tokyo in 1973, and for which she

In 1971 Miuccia Prada entered the family business. Twenty years later, the highly traditional leather goods company had

Richard Nicoll needs little introduction.

Vivienne Westwood is a legend in her own lifetime, a designer who inspires many other designers and who makes clothes th

Van Noten was born into a family of garment makers and traders: his father owned a menswear shop and his grandfather was

Margaret Howell creates beautiful understated clothes for everyday life. Taught to sew and knit by their mother, the How

In September 2004, Riccardo Tisci presented a show unconventional for high-gloss Milan Fashion Week: supermodels wearing

When the great Christobel Balenciaga closed the doors of his couture house in 1968, he lamented, “There is no one left

One of the most provocative designers working this century, Stefano Pilati forged an identifiable design signature as Cr

Although he is now one of the indisputable kings of fashion, Raf Simons never took a single fashion course. Instead, he

Sophia Kokosalaki has never gone about things the usual way. Instead, she relies on single-minded individualism. Born in

Season after season, Marc Jacobs manages to predict exactly what women all over the world want to wear. Born in New York

Rick Owens stands alone in the international fashion industry. He is that rare thing: an LA designer.

In March 2005 Frida Giannini was charged with pushing Gucci, one of the most recognisable status labels of the late 20th

Tom Ford has redefined the role of fashion designer. Tom was born in Austin, Texas, in 1961. He spent his teenage years

One of Antwerp’s brightest young stars, Haider Ackermann has seen many more ports than the one fronting the town in wh

A serious accident while riding his bike put paid to Paul Smith’s dream of becoming a professional racing cyclist. How

Phoebe Philo is the brilliant British designer at Céline, the French fashion house on everybody’s lips. In just one s

Yorkshire-born Christopher Bailey has become something of a household name, thanks to his sterling work as chief creativ