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WWW Virtual Library --- Fashion

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Fashion designers

Azzedine Alaia: The "King of Cling" worked for Dior, Guy Laroche and Thierry Mugler before starting his own ready-to-wear line then joining Prada. See also this funny interview.
Giorgio Armani: He pioneered a way of dressing that emphasised comfort, at a time when clothes were still being made in an old-fashioned and rigid way.
Pierre Cardin: Known for geometric shapes and motifs and space age designs, he has had a complex relationship with the French Haute Couture syndicate for doing haute couture and ready-to-wear collections at the same time.
Roberto Cavalli: Roberto Cavalli showed his first collection in the early seventies, and today he is recognized like the man who's done it all-from menswear, to womenswear, to children's clothing, to designs for the home.
Coco Chanel: Apart from Chanel No. 5, Ms. Chanel designed the Chanel suit (a knee-length skirt and a trim, boxy jacket) and popularized the little black dress.
Alessandro Dell'Acqua: Alesandro Dell'Acqua has been the only designer of the collection since its inception in 1996.
Christian Dior: Mr. Dior's style after World War II was coined the "New Look" for its voluptuous shapes.
Dolce & Gabbana: Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana first met in Milan in 1980. Dolce studied fashion design and worked for his family's small clothing factory; Gabbana was a trained graphic designer.They had an immediate creative connection and went into business together two years later. Now D & G has become a true fashion empire.
Tom Ford: After a famous stay at Gucci, Mr. Ford is launching his own brand in Spring 2007.
Diane Von Furstenberg: Diane von Furstenberg landed on the fashion scene in 1972. Her credo was simple and radical: "Feel like a woman. Wear a dress." The iconic wrap dress became the symbol for a new generation of women.
John Galliano: The designer of Givenchy, then of Christian Dior, he also produces now under his own label. His web site displays (if you have the latest Flash plug-in) a sort of detective story.
Jean-Paul Gaultier: The "enfant terrible" of French fashion designed the wardrobe of many motion picture like The Fifth Element and Kika, promoted the use of skirts on men's wardrobe and used pierced and heavily tattoed models in his shows, and has designed many of Madonna's wardrobes.
Marc Jacobs: Marc Jacobs launched his namesake label in the late eighties after receiving highest honors from Parsons School of Design. He debuted the grunge-inspired look that became his signature while he was Vice President of Women's Design at Perry Ellis. Luxury French house Louis Vuitton hired him to design their first ready-to-wear line in 1997.
Tommy Hilfiger: Creator of the eponymous "Tommy Hilfiger" and "Tommy" brands. He sold his company in 2005.
Calvin Klein: Mostly known for his underwear and sportswear collections and his fragrance lines, he sold his company in 2002.
Karl Lagerfeld: "Kaiser Karl" is known for very structural and dramatic women's wear, mostly in black and white.
Derek Lam: After 12 years designing for Michael Kors, Lam started his own namesake label in 2002. His signature work includes sheath dresses and wide-leg trousers.
Ralph Lauren: His most well-known label is Polo.
Stella McCartney: The daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney was born in 1972 and was already working with Christian Lacroix at the young age of fifteen. McCartney left Chloe in 2001,where she occupied the place of chief designer, to concentrate on her own label as part of the Gucci group, and opened her New York store in 2002.
Alexander McQueen: The "enfant terrible" of English fashion was head designer at Givenchy and Gucci and also designed sneakers for Puma.
Zac Posen: After a try in attended the St. Ann's School for the Arts and Parsons School of Design in New York, Zac Posen abandoned school to pursue his career. In 2004, his first major runway show had an extraordinary success, and Posen was awarded the CFDA Swarovski-Perry Ellis Award for Ready-to-Wear.
Emilio Pucci: Laudomia Pucci took the reigns after the death of her father Emilio in 1992. She passed them along to a string of young designers, in 2000, such as Julio Espada. Christian LaCroix became the Artistic Direcor in 2003. As for Laudomia Pucci, she continues to serve as Image Director.
Paco Rabanne: Famous for using metal, paper and plastic for his outlandish and flamboyant designs.
Oscar De La Renta: Oscar De la Renta started his career in the late sixties with a ready-to-wear collection, followed by swimwear, lingerie, and jewelry.
Sonia Rykiel: Sonia Rykiel was born in 1930 and never had a design training. In 1985 she received the Legion d'Honneur from the French government, showing they appreciation for her work. Today, her daughter Nathalie brings her refreshing and modern touch to her mother's label, such as a line of sex toys.
Yves Saint-Laurent: The "King of Fashion" created Le Smoking tuxedo jacket for women (1966), see-through blouses (1968), peasant blouses, bolero jackets, pantsuits, and smocks. He closed his couture house YSL in 2002 but his brand survives through its parent company, Gucci.
Anna Sui: Anna Sui was born in Detroit in the fifties. She studied at Parsons School of Design. During the eighties, Sui ran her label out of her New York apartment. It's only after her debut on the runway in 199 that her business boomed. The following year she opened a flagship on Greene Street and then launched a successful beauty line.
Paul Smith: Mr. Smith is famous for his signature multi-coloured pinstripes and created waves with his hidden "naked lady" designs. His menswear collections cater largely to men of tall, slim builds.
Jill Stuart: Her parents owned a well-known ladies boutique in the sixties and introduced Stuart to fashion at a young age. At only fifteen years old, she sold her first collection of accessories to Bloomingdale's. It's in the early eighties that her career took off when she made a line of accessories which lead her into womenswear.
Trina Turk: Trina Turk is inspired by the optimistic lifestyle of sunny California where she lives. She uses dynamic colors and signature prints, including bright floral, bold graphics and vintage inspired jacquards.
Gianni Versace: Considering himself a tailor, rather than a designer, he was known for striking colours, materials, cuts, and sexy clothes.

Fashion designers blogs

Fashion Illustrations: Igor Lukyanov describes the various stages of fashion design, from finding new faces to using the right hardware and software tools.