christian dior

Fashion Designer Christian Dior (1905-1957) was born in Normandy, France. At his parents' insistence, he studied political science. After military service and several years of indecision, he returned to Paris in 1935 and began his design career by selling sketches. His hat designs were initially more successful than his dress designs. But he concentrated on his dress designs and was hired by Robert Piguet in 1938.
Dior was the pioneer for license agreements in the fashion business. Already in 1948, he decided to arrange licensed production of furs, socks, ties, perfumes, and clothing in regionally seperate production centers. Thus spreading the brand name quickly around the globe.
http://www.infomat.com/whoswho/christiandior.html

vera wang

Fashion designer. Born June 27, 1949, in New York City. The daughter of affluent Chinese immigrants, Wang enjoyed a pampered childhood growing up on Manhattan's Upper East Side. She attended the elite Chapin School and the School of American Ballet, before enrolling at Sarah Lawrence College. During her sophomore year, Wang briefly studied abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris, but returned to the United States to complete her degree in art history.

A talented figure skater, Wang competed professionally throughout her teens. In the 1968 and 1969 U.S. National Championships she and her partner, James Stuart, placed fifth in the junior pairs competition. Upon her graduation from college, in 1971, Wang shelved her skating career and began working for Vogue magazine. Within a year, at the age of 23, Wang was promoted to senior fashion editor. She held that title for the next 15 years. In 1987, she left Vogue to take a job as design director for accessories at Ralph Lauren.

Wang first received international attention during the 1994 Olympics when she designed a hand-beaded ensemble for figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. Wang has since introduced an equally popular line of elegant evening wear, as well as Vera Wang Made to Order — a collection of couture designs that are available exclusively at the Manhattan boutique.

By balancing modern designs with traditional elegance, Wang has acquired a large following, particularly in Hollywood. Her fashions are frequently worn to film premieres and award ceremonies by a number of high-profile actresses, including Halle Berry, Goldie Hawn, Charlize Theron, Anjelica Huston, and Meg Ryan.

marc jacobs

bio:
• Born in New York City in 1963
• His grandmother, who he credits with being "the biggest influence in life", taught him how to knit.
• At 15, Jacobs worked as a stock boy in New York's trendy Charivari boutique and it was there that he was introduced to Perry Ellis who "embodied cool to me. He had long hair; he didn't wear a suit and tie, and he made funky clothes that were a big success. He gave me a lot of hope"
• Jacobs studied at the Parsons School of Art and Design in New York where he won the Perry Ellis Golden Thimble award in 1984
• He designed a radical grunge collection for Perry Ellis but they laid him off in 1992 - the year he won the Women's Designer of the Year award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America
• Two years later he launched his eponymous label, supported by models Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista, who worked for free. They were clothes for "a woman who brings home the bacon, but also fries it up in the pan"
• In 1997, Jacobs was appointed creative director of Louis Vuitton where he developed the company's first ready-to-wear line

At Louis Vuitton, he has been triumphant in revamping the famous accessory line and has collaborated with the likes of Steven Sprouse, Julie Verhoeven, Takashi Murakami and Richard Prince.

Marc Jacobs spends most of his time in Paris, where he lives with his vast contemporary art collection and bull terrier Alfred - who he has tattooed on his arm.