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10 world famous women fashion designers with a stunning destiny

Vivienne westwoodThe list of genius ladies fashion designers is much shorter than the same list of male designers: there are not so many really fearless and talented women who turned the world of fashion, broke stereotypes and ruthlessly walked on prejudices. And their names – passionate, intelligent, creative women who challenged themselves and the world – have long been inscribed in the pages of history in the most beautiful handwriting.


Jeanne Paken (years of life – 1869-1936)

Her story is a great example of a creative union with her husband. It was with him that Jeanne founded the Paken fashion house, which became popular for many years.

The popularity of this fashion house grew thanks to the ideas of Jeanne, who tirelessly created models and styles, shifting all organizational matters onto the shoulders of a caring husband. Paquin’s dresses, mostly created in the Art Nouveau style, were wildly successful.

Jeanne Paken

It is Jeanne who owns such discoveries as women’s sportswear, an extremely necessary kimono cape and slender dresses with a high waist, a chic “tango” dress with erotic slits on the sides, etc.

Dresses by the Paris fashion house Paquin

Jeanne’s outfits, comfortable and sophisticated, were worn by almost all aristocrats. The woman’s name remained in the shadows for a long time, given the strict customs of those times and the special modesty of this stylish woman.

It is important to note that Pierre Cardin began his amazing career in Jeanne’s fashion house. And one cannot but say that it was Zhanna who began to combine “incompatible” textures of fabrics (for example, fur and silk) – and show her collections to music.

Jeanne Lanvin (years 1867-1946)

Love for her child pushed the talented Jeanne Lanvin to creativity, as a result of which she became one of the first designers of real children’s clothing (and not mini-versions of an adult).

Zhanna studied sewing in her youth and in different cities of Europe, and by the age of 23 she was able to open a hat shop.

Jeanne Lanvin

Jeanne became famous for her amazing collections of children’s clothing, which she created for her daughter. A little later, there were also women’s dresses from Lanvin.

Jeanne brought embroidery on fabrics and comfortable dress-shirts, silk suits with wide trousers, etc. to the world of fashion. Men’s clothing from Lanvin appeared a little later – and immediately became synonymous with style, high fashion and elegance.

Jeanne Lanvin

Modern youth brand Lanvin knows more about perfumery and the logo on which a woman holds her little daughter by the hand.

Elsa Schiaparelli (years of life: 1890 – 1973)

Few people today know the name of this extravagant lady, but there were times when she admired the whole world with her work, and Salvador Dali was her assistant in creating fashionable masterpieces.

Italian Elsa accidentally got into the world of fashion. She did not know how to sew at all, was not spoiled by fate, and problems with a child after an unsuccessful marriage did not at all contribute to a successful career. But Elsa loved to draw, and the models she painted delighted everyone with their originality. Even Coco Chanel did not like Elsa, feeling in her a rival, she called her nothing else but “this Italian”, and in revenge, once at a reception, she even sat Elsa on a barely painted chair.

Elsa Schiaparelli

Despite the anger of rivals and rivals, Elsa moved forward, quickly climbing the fashionable Olympus and continued to create truly inimitable things, as if they had descended from Dali’s paintings. For example, a telescope hat or a coat with a lot of pockets.

Elsa Schiaparelli and Dali

The world’s first branded boutique was created by Elsa. And the scarf was first thrown over the back in combination with a white jacket and an exquisite black long dress by Elsa.

She also introduced the fashion for zippers and coin-buttons, as well as jewelry, separate swimsuits and overhead hangers, knitted sweaters, skirts, shorts, and even ankle boots.

Madeleine Vionne (years of life: 1876-1975)

In the fashion history of the 20th century, Madeleine is far from the last place. And, although her name is no longer remembered by many, the ideas of the couturier still live today.

At the beginning of her career, Madeleine managed to work with Jacques Doucet and the Calot sisters. The girl’s ideas were innovative and very daring, they excited the heart of France, and gradually entered the life of ordinary people.

Madeleine Vionne

With the light hand of Madeleine, corsets are a thing of the past, giving way to the beauty of the female figure. Among the inventions of Madeleine, who, in the absence of an artist’s talent, simply “pricked” her models on a mannequin – a slanting cut, tops with spaghetti straps that tie around the neck, light kimono dresses and unique collars with hoods, as well as cowl collars and curly undercuts.

Madeleine Vionne

Madeleine minimized the number of seams, used flowing fabrics and geometric shapes in the cut.

Among the designer’s creative secrets are unique draperies that no couturier could replicate.

Madame Gre (years of life: 1903-1993)

One of the names that occupy key places in the history of fashion. Madame Gre (approx. – Germaine Emily Krebs) was brought into the world of fashion by a dream.

Madame Gre

The girl who jumped out to marry the Russian artist Serge Gre (approx. – Sergei Cherevkov) was a fantastic cutter who used the original technique of pricking the fabric with tiny folds for her elegant antique dresses – until she got a chic drapery right on the models.

Madame Gre's DressesDrapery of Madame Gre's dresses

It was Madame Gre who brought the antique style of dress into fashion and invented the silk jersey.

Among the clients of the fashion designer were such personalities as Isadora Duncan and Jacqueline Kennedy, as well as Grace Kelly and Marlene Dietrich.

Carmen de Tommaso (years of life: 1909-2015)

Carmen is included in the TOP-100 of the greatest fashion designers in the world. Her first collection came out after the war – for fragile women, the same as Carmen herself, whose height did not exceed 1.55 m.

Carmen de Tommaso

While other fashion designers dressed “medium-sized” women, Carmen settled down in an unoccupied niche, where little fragile ladies were still dancing in post-war France without beautiful outfits.

The first white and green dresses (the symbol of the brand) appeared in 1945, and by the end of the forties even the Egyptian princess and Edith Piaf ordered dresses from Madame.

Carmen de Tommaso

Among Karven’s innovations is the neckline style.

The 100th anniversary of the founder of the fashion house Carven was celebrated by the whole world of fashion on a special scale.

Coco Chanel (1883 – 1971)

One of the biggest names in the fashion world. Even people who are completely far from fashion know about Coco Chanel. Coco in itself personifies fashion to this day.

Coco Chanel

A woman with a complex and amazing destiny (her first collection, alas, suffered a complete fiasco) practically turned the world of fashion, creating many truly iconic things.

Coco Chanel

Coco is remembered, she is quoted, she is remembered, her ideas have become timeless classics, and fashion tips are relevant for all time.

Coco’s innovations include a little black dress, an elegant tweed suit made from a jacket and a skirt, a chain handbag and shoes with dark socks.

Vivienne Westwood (born 1941)

This genius woman is 77 years old today. The scandal woman, as she was dubbed in the fashion world.

Vivienne’s “vicious and provocative” collections have shocked the public more than once. But the contribution to the world of fashion was so solid that Vivienne’s anti-fashion, directly connected with the punk culture that developed in England in the 70s, rolled through all taboos.

Vivienne westwood

Thanks to Vivienne, things with spikes and buckles, chains, black leather clothes, etc. came into fashion. Outrageous Westwood has become one of the UK’s business cards.

Vivienne westwood

It was Vivienne who brought printed stilettos, huge platforms, mini crinoline and underwear worn over clothes to the fashion world.

Nina Ricci (lived: 1883-1970)

The couturier, which at all times is inscribed in golden letters among the ten most famous fashion designers.

Nina RicciNina Ricci

She did not shock the audience with styles like Westwood, and did not put forward revolutionary ideas, but her feminine and romantic collections immediately attracted attention.

Nina Ricci Dress Collection

Nina’s (approx. – Marie Adeland Nieli) path to success was long and difficult. After the death of her father, she and her mother often moved, and at the age of 13, Nina had to learn to sew.

An unsuccessful marriage also did not add opportunities for promoting her talent, and the idea – to found a fashion house – was realized by her at the age of 50, at the insistence of her son.

Sonya Rykiel (years of life: 1930-2016)

Expectant mothers need fashionable clothes even more than women who are not in a position. In order not to feel clumsy plump, but to feel beautiful and desirable, despite the extra 10-20 kg.

But most beautifully dressed expectant mothers do not even know that the history of fashion collections for pregnant women began precisely thanks to Sonya Rykiel.

Sonya Rykiel

Jumping out in marriage and becoming pregnant, Sonya suddenly realized that there was simply nothing decent for her with her growing belly in stores. Sonia reshaped the sweater presented by her husband more than once until she reached the ideal. From that moment, her success story began.

One of the collections of the Sonia Rykiel Fashion House

The second pregnancy came to Sonya along with popularity: Parisian women enthusiastically bought knitted models for expectant mothers, created from fine wool.

Sonia also owns such discoveries as clothes with seams on the outside and things with a fringe.


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