History & culture

English-born designer working in Paris, widely regarded as the father of haute couture; he founded the House of Worth in 1858 and was the first designer to label garments and show seasonal collections.

French designer who founded his fashion house in 1946 and launched the New Look in 1947, reviving fitted bodices and full skirts after wartime fabric rationing.

American designer credited with founding modern American sportswear in the 1930s-40s, pioneering practical, mass-producible separates such as the wrap dress and using humble fabrics like denim and cotton jersey.

French designer who founded her fashion house around 1910 and popularized relaxed, jersey-based women's wear, the little black dress, and the collarless tweed Chanel suit from the 1920s onward.

Spanish couturier who opened his Paris house in 1937, renowned for sculptural, architectural silhouettes such as the sack dress and balloon skirt built through precise draping and construction.