Designer Profiles

Emerging Designers
Ralph and Russo
Ralph and Russo is an haute
even some established designers in
the industry.
couture fashion house that was
started in 2007 by the couple
Tamara Ralph, and Michael Russo. i
Since the start of the fashion house,
their designs have been worn by a
multitude of celebrities and public
figures like Angelina Jolie, Beyonce,
and Gwyneth Paltrow to name a few.
Additionally, the brand has made
fashion history by becoming the
first British fashion house in about
100 years to be invited by the
Chambre Syndicale de Haute
Couture to be a part of the haute
couture fashion show in Paris. ii
Despite their status as emerging
designers, Tamara Ralph and
Michael Russo have definitely
exceeded the accomplishments of
iii
In terms of the designers’
style, they always have a way of
making their clothing dainty and
delicate despite the materials or
purpose of the garment. For
example the opening performance
outfit designed for Beyonce on her
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Ms. Carter world tour was
particularly clean and feminine,
especially in comparison to her
normal edgy stage attire. She was
clad in a white, sequined,
structurally beaded jumpsuit with
an elegant peplum. Typically, Ralph
and Russo utilize flowing, ethereal
fabrics like satin and tulle in
addition to heavy beading and
appliqué. The designs frequently
commonly with masterful draping,
and appliqué. From this, it can be
said that their general aesthetic is
elegant and feminine.
Marchesa
The brand was created in
2004 by the British designers
Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig.
The two met at Chelsea College of
Art and Design and became partners
due to the skilled textile work of
Keren and the masterful drapery of
Georgina. Since its beginning,
Marchesa has launch lines of
couture, wedding dresses, and
handbags in addition to a diffusion
collection which is called Notte. v
iv
allude to or include floral details,
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eading, and even feathers in their
looks either singularly or combined
creating the unfathomable detail
and luxurious look the label is
known for.
vi
The brands aesthetic can be
described as romantic, and
dramatic. This is because of the
immense detail applied to their
pieces. In terms of fabrics, lace is
very common in their pieces in
addition to organza, tulle, and silk
all fabrics that provide maximum
fluidity in their garments, hence
achieving the romantic fantasy-like
effect. The designers also include
heavy embroidery, appliqué,
Alice + Olivia
The label created by
University of Pennsylvania alum
Stacey Bendet officially launched at
Barney’s in 2002 as a line of trousers
which were meant to be “sexy”
according to the designer in her
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discussion with interview magazine.
It is now a contemporary brand
based in New York City which sells
internationally. vii There are only two
boutiques, one in New York and the
other in Los Angeles, however the
brand is sold in 800 stores
nationwide, and two abroad in Hong
Kong and London. Despite its
relatively short existence of the
brand, it has definitely made a
strong presence in the industry. viiiix
The looks designed by Bendet
are extremely wearable, consisting
of somewhat simple silhouettes, but
are far from boring. The designer
seems to be fond of fun prints of
various types in addition to bright
vibrant colours. Some of these prints
include leopard, tribal, stripes,
floral, and even paisley. The
designer is also bold with her choice
of materials, having utilizing
resources such as leather, sequins,
and feathers in fairly dramatic ways.
Due to these reasons, the style of
Alice + Olivia can definitely be
defined as bold and playful, and
seems to be the ideal brand for
daring women with an eye for
fashion.
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Later the designers joined the
Kashiyama group in Japan, where
they opened their first store and
created their first men’s collection.
They also created a perfume,
cosmetics, and diffusion collection
which was later discontinued. Now
Dolce and Gabbana has become one
of the most notable fashion houses
in the industry. x xi
Established
Dolce and Gabbana
The fashion house was
established in 1985 when Domencio
Dolce and Stefano Gabbana when
they created their first line of
women’s clothing in Milan. Their
mission was to accentuate the
female form, mainly as a result of
their visit to Sicily in the late 1980‘s.
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Aesthetically, Dolce and
Gabbana are highly influenced by
both their Italian heritage and the
importance of family to them. This
is often made blatantly clear in their
collections or individual pieces.
They often incorporate Italian art
drawings, in addition to embroidery
of a child’s handwriting. In this way,
the designers don’t simply follow
the trends and desires of the
industry, but are able to innovate by
incorporating their own
personalities in their work.
history on their pieces with heavy
jewels, tiaras, thick fabrics, and even
prints of the art itself. They have
even done matador inspired
ensembles for both their women and
menswear collections. On the other
hand, sometimes this influence can
also be subtle with mere lace and
floral pieces. In terms of colours,
deep, rich tones are often utilized
giving the garments a sense of
opulence and luxuriousness which I
find very fitting. As for their
familial influence, their recent
runway show included ensembles
consisting of prints of children’s
Elie Saab
Elie Saab is a self taught
fashion designer from Lebanon. He
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egan making clothes at the young
age of nine for his sisters as well as
selling his designs to people in his
neighbourhood. At 18 he opened his
first atelier, and soon became
popular amongst the upper class
women. He was later invited to the
Chambre Syndicale de Haute
Couture show in Paris and became a
member in 2006. Ultimately the
brand expanded, now offering haute
couture, ready-to-wear, perfume,
and accessories. xii
Elie Saab’s designs
characteristically appear to belong
in a fairytale. The silhouettes of the
garments are normally fairly modest
and/or exceptionally graceful which
makes you feel as though they
belong on a princess. Also, the
designer normally utilizes billowy,
light fabrics and applies heavy
beading and/or appliqué giving his
garments that magical look he is
known for. The colours further
enhance this effect as they are
normally light, pastel or deep, rich
hues. The end result is almost
always a whimsical, ethereal
masterpiece.
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first fashion show was in 2002, and
after this his brand flourished
adorning various celebrities for red
carpet events.
xiii
Zack Posen
In 2000 Zack Posen had his
breakthrough moment while still in
college by creating a dress for the
xiv
famous model Naomi Campbell,
which was then borrowed by several
high profile people. Later He moved
back home to design full time,
recruiting his mother and sister who
became his business manager and
creative designer respectively. His
Zac Posen’s aesthetic is
structured and sophisticated, and
his silhouettes are unique and
tailored. Material-wise he is very
simple, as he seems to accentuate
fabrics as opposed to tiny details
like beading. As a result of this, he
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is able to use more tricky or
dramatic fabrics like satin and tulle.
However when he does utilize
embellishments or other details,
they are in moderation, therefore
maintaining the clean, tailored style
of his garments. To me it seems as
though he designs his garments for
women who exude confidence, and
strength.
Iconic
Alexander McQueen
McQueen’s success began
after his graduation from Central
Saint Martin’s College of Art and
Design, when he came out with his
new women’s collection. Particularly
sparking attention was his creation
of pants that dropped severely low
on the waistline which according to
bibliography.com were called
“bumbster” pants. Very shortly
after, he became the chief designer
of the fashion house Givenchy which
he did not enjoy due to the fact that
he thought that working for the
brand was stunting his creative
ability. He then ended his position at
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Givenchy to start his Alexander
McQueen label in 2000 which was
partially funded by Gucci who
bought 51% of the company. After
this the company exploded,
expanding to several other countries
and gaining a high reputation in the
fashion industry. Unfortunately, a
few days after the death of his
mother in February of 2010, the late
designer committed suicide. Sarah
Burton, his co-designer for a long
time took over as creative director
of the brand, and still maintains the
position today. Alexander McQueen
was most definitely a great talent in
the industry, which can be
supported the multitude of awards
The style of McQueen and
Sarah Burton seem to be fairly
similar hence, the style of the brand
now seems to be consistent with
what it was years ago. The aesthetic
of the brand seems to be fairly edgy,
and dramatic. Both Burton and
McQueen seem to enjoy intense,
innovative silhouettes. It can
definitely be seen in their work that
their inspiration almost always
comes from outside the realm of
fashion. For instance the Spring
Summer 2010 collection appears to
be inspired by reptiles, due to the
bright greens and yellows, intricate
skin-like fabrics and prints, odd
shapes, and intricate detailing.
achieved for his work throughout
his years as a designer. v
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Chloé
The brand was started by the
Egyptian born designer Gaby Aghion
as a result of the “restrictive styles”
of clothing worn in the 1950’s
according to harpersbazaar.com. She
and her business partner Jacques
Lenoir were the first luxury fashion
house to create an off the rack line
when the brand was established in
1952. They named their brand Chloe
xv
due to the femininity of the sound,
which reflected the French style at
Generally, most of these elements
are included in the all of the
collections of the brand; therefore
there is rarely a sense of simplicity
in a collection as a whole. It is safe
to say that there is never a dull
garment done by this brand.
the time which was post-war. Their
innovative garments were quality
but did not require the use of
corsets like so many others did at
the time. Their self proclaimed
luxury prêt-a-porter line inspired
other couture houses like Givenchy
who soon after came out with their
Givenchy University collection. The
brands signature French aesthetic
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attracted many high profile clients
like Jackie Kennedy, and Grace Kelly
to name a few. Over the years, the
brand obtained several now
immensely famous designers as new
creative directors, specifically Carl
Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney
respectively. After the McCartney
departed the designers Phoebe Philo,
Paolo Melim Andersson, and Hannah
MacGibbon all correspondingly took
on then left the position. Currently
the designer Clare Waight Keller is
billowy tops xvi which seem to be
reminiscent of the attire worn by
French officials especially during the
French Revolution. Additionally,
white dainty lace dresses seem to
recurring throughout the brand,
which seems to be something
someone would wear in the French
countryside. Colour-wise, the
designer seems to prefer neutrals,
especially white. This adds to the
dainty, free spirited vibe the brand
communicates to its consumers.
taking on the creative responsibility
of the iconic French brand.
As previously stated, Chloe’s
aesthetic is very girly and heavily
inspired by France. This is shown
significantly through the silhouette
of the garments. For instance in the
latest collection, despite the usual
feminine style the designer included
heavy pea coats with lapels, and
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art shop, resulting in him working
with the designer Robert Piguet until
he was recruited to serve in the war.
At the end of his service, he went to
work for Lucien Long the couturier
as primary designer with Pierre
Balmain. Later, in 1946 he
established the iconic Dior fashion
house. As the brand gained more
and more fame, it caught the
interest of a multitude of celebrity
and other high profile clients, even
xvii
Dior
The young and creative
Christian Dior began as an art
retailer with his friend, selling pieces
from the famous Pablo Picasso
amongst other artists after his
completion of school. Due to the
great depression and tragedy within
his family, he was forces to close his
the Royal family of Britain who
invited him to have a private
showcase. Later he created a readyto-wear
line, and two perfumes one
of which was titled “Ms. Dior” after
his sister who survived a
concentration camp which she was
placed in for joining the French
resistance. Dior also became the
first fashion house to have licensed
productions of its designs, meaning
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his name was placed on multiple
types of accessories or other
products and manufactured
internationally. In 1955, he recruited
the designer Yves Saint Laurent at
the young age of 19 as his design
assistant, and chose him to be his
successor. Soon after, he died of a
heart attack. Eventually Saint
Laurent left for the army and the
brand assumed many more creative
directors over the years including
Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, and
John Galliano. At present, Raf
Simons is assuming this position.
xviii
It seems as the creative
identity of Dior has changes
throughout the years with their
creative directors, specifically John
Galliano and the designers who took
over for him. Galliano seemed to
prefer more eccentric and dramatic
silhouettes while his successors
seemed to aim for more demure,
graceful ones. For example in
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Galliano’s final collections before he
left the house around 2012, his
collections seemed were heavily
based on a theme, and seem to be
on the border of costume and
couture. For instance, in his
Autumn/Winter 2011-12 couture
collection, it seems as though is
theme is based on the 80’s with
various geometric shapes, and bold
prints, in addition to geometric
headpieces, and eccentric
silhouettes. While the collection is
fairly unique and beautiful, it isn’t
as wearable as his successors’
designs. The more recent designers
however generally have more
transparent themes in their work.
For instance Bill Gaytten’s xix spring/
summer 2012 couture collection was
inspired by 60’s fashion, however
the way in which it was done was
hence making it a bit more wearable.
During Galliano’s time as creative
director, he heavily incorporated
bright colours, bold prints, and
exaggerated silhouettes in his
designs which seemed to be his
trademark. The designers that came
after seemed almost completely
opposite, incorporating more
neutrals, less prints, and simpler
silhouettes. Therefore during the
time of Galliano, Dior could have
been defined as bold and avantgarde
and now it seems to be more
classic. Despite the drastic stylistic
change all of these designers,
through incorporating their own
unique style, not only managed to
efficiently maintain the outstanding
quality and likability of the brand,
but were able to keep its fans on
their feet.
more subtle than Galliano’s work,
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i http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2014/1/22/ralph--
russo-interview---couture-fashion-week-debut
ii http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_ne
ws/People/article1347068.ece
iii http://theluxurychannel.com/magazine/ralphrusso-dressing-beyonce/
iv http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-
2015/couture/ralph-russo
v http://www.marchesa.com/about
vi http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-
2015/ready-to-wear/marchesa
vii http://www.interviewmagazine.com/fashion/intro
ducing-stacey-bendet-alice-and-olivia#_
viii http://www.businessinsider.com/designer-staceybendet-on-alice--olivia-2012-9
ix http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-
2015/ready-to-wear/alice-olivia-pre
x http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographie
s/dolce-gabbana.html
xi http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-
2015/ready-to-wear/dolce-and-gabbana
xii http://www.eliesaab.com/en/elie-saab
xiii http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-
2015/ready-to-wear/elie-saab
xiv http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-
2015/ready-to-wear/zac-posen
xv http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-
2010/ready-to-wear/alexander-mcqueen
xvi http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-
2015/ready-to-wear/chloe
xvii http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-
2015/ready-to-wear/chloe
xviii http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-
2015/ready-to-wear/christian-dior
xix http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-
2012/couture/christian-dior
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