Rick Owens

-American fashion designer
-celebrated for his avant-garde and subversive eye
-shows in New York and Paris
-look has been described as glamour meets grunge
-very monochrome colour palette

http://www.rickowens.eu/

Martin Margiela

-Belgian fashion designer
-some consider him to be the 7th member of the Antwerp Six
-worked for Jean Paul Gaultier
-became the creative director of Hermes women's line
-never makes an appearance after his shows
-redesigns by hand objects such as wigs, canvases and silk scarves

Gareth Pugh

-English fashion designer
-Worked as costume designer for national youth theatre at 14
-studied at St Martins
-interned with Rick Owens in Paris
-many A-List celebs have had clothes designed by Pugh
-hard edged, super structured looks

http://www.garethpugh.net/

Jean Muir

-English fashion design (preferred dress maker)
-designer for Jaeger
-designs were aimed at women with a mature outlook
-focused on modern, restrained elegance
-was a perfectionist about colours

http://www.jeanmuir.info/

Ann Demeulemeester

-Belgian fashion designer

-shows in Paris

-one part of the famous 'Antwerp Six'

-shows always start with a passage in black

-men and women

"I always start from an emotional place"

http://www.anndemeulemeester.be/

John Galliano

-Gibraltarian
-attended St. Martins
-British designer of the year 1987, 1994, 1995 & 97 (shared with McQueen)
-graduate collection inspired by French Revolution.. bought and sold in Browns.
-designed costumes for Kylie Minogue tour
-designed for Givenchy
-designs for Dior
-inspired by the theatre and femininity

http://www.johngalliano.com/

Marc Jacobs

-American fashion designer
-creative director for Louis Vuitton
-a prominent fixture in the NYC celebrity scene (US version of Henry Holland?)
-design student of the year at 'Parsons'
-trend-setting vision

"what I prefer is that even if someone feels hedonistic, they don't look it. Curiosity about sex is much more interesting to me than domination. ... My clothes are not hot. Never. Never."


http://www.marcjacobs.com/

Hussein Chalayan

-went to Central St. Martins.
-graduate collection titled 'The Tangent Flows' contained clothes which he had buried in his back yard and dug up again.
-whole collection was purchased and sold in Browns.
-designed for M&S
-British designer of the year 1999 & 2000
-clothing is more than just a garment
-innovative use of materials
-progressive attitude to new technology

http://www.husseinchalayan.com/

Nicholas Ghesquiere

-French designer
-was an assistant to Jean Paul Gaultier
-creative director for Balenciaga
-completely turned Balenciaga around
-ineffably cool and cutting edge designs
-has the ability to feel and shape fashion
-was called "fashion's most sought after and influential figure" (american vogue)


http://www.balenciaga.com/

Issey Miyake

-Japanese fashion designer
-first asian designer to gain renown worldwide
-technology driven designs
-created a new technique called garment pleating
-mens and womens
-studied haute couture in Paris

"design is not for philosophy, it is for life"

http://www.isseymiyake.com/

Undercover

-Japanese street wear brand
-founded by Jun Takahashi
-been branded the 'essence of Japanese cool'
-finely crafted clothing peices: strange but beautiful
-references to punk
-incredibly influenced by the sex pistols
-feminine cuts and colour printing

Rei Kawakubo & Comme des Garcons

-Japanese fashion designer
-founder of Comme des Garcons
-studied fine arts, was never trained as a fashion designer
-started with womens but added mens soon after
-shows in Paris
-Comme des garcons specialises in anti-fashion, austere and deconstructed garments
-challenged established beauty
guest designed fro H&M

" I am not conscious of any intellectual approach as such. My approach is simple. It is nothing other than what I am thinking at the time I make each piece of clothing, whether I think it is strong and beautiful. The result is something that other people decide"

http://www.comme-des-garcons.com/

Yohji Yamamoto

-born in Tokyo
-Debuted in Paris 1981
-both men and women
-known for avant garde spirit in his clothing
-designs often have nothing to do with current trends
-textures, drapery, over sized black silhouettes
-fabric is always the foundation of his design
-always questions fashion - wants timeless elegance

"I hate fashion"

http://www.yohjiyamamoto.co.jp

Raf Simons

-Belgian designer
-Worked for Margiela & Gaultier
-started with menswear
-influenced by youth culture
-combines strongly cut classic menswear with baggy street wear.
-Shows in Paris
-runway shows with a difference.. models running down street
-collaborated with Fred Perry
-was creative director for Jil Sander (the working woman)
-reluctant to appear on stage at end of shows

"I dont want to show clothes, i want to show my attitude, my past, my present, my future. I use memories and future visions and try to place them in todays world."

Possibly the top menswear designer working today.


http://www.rafsimons.com/