Articles

I have researched on two challenging articles to help me understand more about how people became fashion designers. I've researched on two top iconic fashion brands. Namely, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent.

Chanel

http://www.top-fashion-designers.info/chanel.html

CHANEL

A legendary name in fashion, Chanel is today synonymous both with its founder, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel and its artistic director since 1983, Karl Lagerfeld. Chanel herself - who was born in an orphanage, was self-taught and who first established her house in 1913 - is perhaps the most important fashion designer of the 20th century. Her pioneering use of sportswear for high fashion in the '20s, her little black dresses, her costume jewellery, taste for suntanning and appropriation of male dress are the stuff of fashion legend. Her Chanel No. 5 perfume (invented in 1921), is a confirmed 'classic', as are her softly-structured tweed suit and quilted leather handbags (both developed in the '50s).

When Chanel died in 1971 she left a rich legacy of house codes which are today boldly reinvented by Karl Lagerfeld. Mademoiselle's favourite pearls turn up, outsized, as little evening bags; tweed is transformed into fluffy leggings and matching berets; a love of the sporty, outdoors life is expressed via Chanel-branded snowboards and surfboards. At Chanel, Lagerfeld heads up one of Paris' few remaining haute couture salons; in July 2002 the company, which is owned by the Wertheimer family, secured the future of its couture business by acquiring five specialist workshops, including Lesage, the prestigious embroidery com¬pany.

Chanel is today nothing if not a commercial powerhouse and in December 2004 the company opened a multi-floored new store in the Ginza shopping district of Tokyo that includes a restaurant, Beige Tokyo, and a glassy facade fitted with twinkling lights that resemble the brand's famous tweed. In May 2005 the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York opened an exhibition devoted toChanel's historic innovations, featuring designs by both the house founder and its present incumbent. Despite this grand heritage, what Coco and Lagerfeld have in common above all is relish for the present times and for the future. As Chanel herself once said, "I am neither in the past nor avant-garde. My style follows life."

Edited: 
Today, Chanel is an internationally iconic fashion brand and probably the most important fashion designer in the 20th century. Chanel was founded in 1983 by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel and it's artistic director, Karl Lagerfeld. Chanel was an orphan, was self-taught and established her house in the 1913. In the early 20s, she started by using sportswear as high fashion, classy black dress, costumed jewellery, taste for suntanning and appropriation of male wear.  Not only did she design apparels, in the 50s she developed her range of perfumes and collection of handbags. Chanel was a trendsetter.
However, Chanel died in 1971. Leaving Karl Lagerfeld a huge sum of inheritance. Lagerfeld took over Chanel and reinvented her previous designs. In December 2004, Chanel opened a multi-floored new store in Tokyo that includes a restaurant. If not for the commercial powerhouse, Chanel will not be what it is today. Coco and Lagerfeld has something in common which is designing likings for the present and the future. Chanel's words of wisdom "I am neither in the past nor avant-garde. My style follows life"


YSL:
http://www.top-fashion-designers.info/yves-saint-laurent.html

YVES SAINT LAURENT RIVE GAUCHE

In October 2004, Milanese designer Stefano Pilati presented his First collection for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. Featuring cute polka dot mini dresses with tulip hemlines and waists cinched with wide patent belts, Pilati's debut was both a clean break from the sexed-up vision Tom Ford had developed for Yves Saint Laurent, and something of a tribute to the '80s collections by Saint Laurenthimself, who retired from fashion in 2003.

Saint Laurent, who was born in Algeria in 1936, is one of the most important designers of the 30th century and takes the credit for numerous innovations in fashion, such as sheer clothing, le smoking, peasant-inspired designs, safari suits and pussy-bow blouses. He was also one of the first couturiers to embrace ready-to-wear fashion, launching his Rive Gaucheshops in 1966.

In 1998 Saint Laurent and his longtime business partner Pierre Berge chose Alber Elbaz as the designer of Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, but he was replaced by Ford a few years later following the Gucci Group's purchase of the YSL ready-to-wear business in 1999. When Ford exited the Gucci Group in 2004, Pilati succeeded him at YSL.

Pilati grew up in Milan sketching outfits and stealing his sister's copies of Vogue magazine. In the early '80s, he abandoned a course in environmental design and landed an internship at Nino Cerruti. Over the following years, he immersed himself in the business of fashion until in 1993 he was hired as a menswear assistant at Giorgio Armani. Two years later, he joined Prada and began to work on research and development of textiles; by 1998 Pilati was assistant designer of Miu Miu menswear and womenswear, reporting directly to Miuccia Prada. In 2000 Tom Ford appointed Pilati as design director of Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, where he quickly rose to a position overseeing all product categories. He now helms one of the most iconic brands in French fashion. "When I first fell in love with fashion, it was obvious that Mr. Saint Laurent was the master," Pilati has said.

Edited: 
Born in Algeria in 1936, Yves Saint Laurent is the most important designer of the 30th century. Taking credit for most fashion statements such as sheer clothing, le smoking, peasant-inspired designs, safari suits and pussy-bow blouses. Being also one of the first designers to design ready-to-wear fashion. Saint Laurent lauched his River Gaucheshops in 1966. Designers of the years changed. At first, it was Alber Elbaz then Tom Ford and lastly, Stefano Pilati. Saint Laurent retired from fashion in 2003. However in october 2004, Pilati launched his first collection. Representing  Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche show-casing cute polka dot mini dresses with tulip hemlines and waists cinched with wide patent belts. Pilati recreated Ford's designs, a clean break from all the sexed-up apparel and not forgetting a tribute to the 80s collection by Saint Laurent himself. Growing up in Milan, he stoled his sister's copied of Vogue magazine and sketched outfits. Pilati dropped his course in environmental design and had himself an internship at Nino Cerruti. He worked himself up the fashion ladder. He started out small, hired as a menswear assistant in Giorgio Armani.Two years later, Pilati joined Prada to research and development of textiles. Following, he became the assistant designer of Miu Miu mens and womenwear. And finally, in 2000 Ford appointed Pilati as a designer director in Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. Pilati added that, it was because Mr. Saint Laurent was his master, it was the reason he fell in love with fashion.