Caroline Castigliano (c.1960 -) is a British fashion designer, noted for her elegant timeless classic wedding and evening wear dress ranges, the Caroline Castigliano Collection. [1] [2] [3] [4] In her early twenties she set up a business in Florida, 'Survival Kit', designing sportswear for women, which was sold in Macy's, Bloomingdales and Saks. [5] [6]
In 1990, she returned to the UK and opened a bespoke bridalwear retail business and in the mid nineties worked with Jasper Conran. In 1996 she launched her first high end bridal dress collection. [6]
As of 2016, Castigliano has a prestigious showroom located in Knightsbridge, London and a unique dedicated production facility in Lincolnshire (UK). Dresses are sold via specialist stockists throughout the world.[ citation needed ]
She has featured in interviews with Brides Magazine , Wedding Magazine and Wedding TV and featured on "How the Rich Get Hitched" which ran on Channel 4 in 2015[ citation needed ]
Vera Ellen Wang is an American fashion designer. Wang initially pursued a career in figure skating before transitioning to fashion. She worked for Vogue and Ralph Lauren before launching her own bridal gown boutique in 1990.
Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood was an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. In 2022, Sky Arts ranked her the 4th most influential artist in Britain of the last 50 years.
Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell was a leading British fashion designer, best known for his work for the ladies of the royal family. Hartnell gained the Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth in 1940, and Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. Princess Beatrice also wore a dress designed for Queen Elizabeth II by Hartnell for her wedding in 2020.
A crinoline is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which was used to make underskirts and as a dress lining. The term crin or crinoline continues to be applied to a nylon stiffening tape used for interfacing and lining hemlines in the 21st century.
Diane von Fürstenberg is a Belgian fashion designer best known for her wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence in 1969 when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon von Fürstenberg. Following their separation in 1972 and divorce in 1983, she has continued to use his family name.
Dame Zandra Lindsey Rhodes, is an English fashion and textile designer. Her early education in fashion set the foundation for a career in the industry creating textile prints. Rhodes has designed garments for Diana, Princess of Wales and numerous celebrities such as rock stars Freddie Mercury and Marc Bolan. She has also designed textiles for interiors, featuring her prints on furniture and homewares. In 2003 Rhodes founded the Fashion and Textile Museum in London.
Lucy Christiana, Lady Duff-Gordon was a leading British fashion designer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who worked under the professional name Lucile.
Elie Saab is a Lebanon-based fashion designer. He started his business in the early 1980s and specialised in bridal couture.
Willi Donnell Smith was an American fashion designer. At the time of his death, Smith was regarded as one of the most successful African-American designers in the fashion industry. His company, WilliWear Limited, launched in 1976 and by 1986 grossed over $25 million in sales. After Smith's death, his business partner, Laurie Mallet, continued the line with various designers creating collections. Without Smith, the company floundered and due to financial problems and poor sales, WilliWear Limited ceased production in 1990. WilliWear was the first clothing company to create womenswear and menswear under the same label. The accessibility and affordability of Smith's clothing helped to democratize fashion.
Monique Lhuillier is a Filipino fashion designer and creative director known for her bridal, ready-to-wear and lifestyle brand. She launched her eponymous brand in 1996 and has since established fashion houses in Los Angeles, California, where she primarily works and lives, as well as in Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Elizabeth Florence Emanuel is a British fashion designer who is best known for designing, with her former husband David Emanuel, the wedding dress worn by Lady Diana Spencer on her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. Since then Elizabeth has developed her own label and worked in costume design for airlines, cinema, pop video and television productions, as well as providing a couture service to some of the world's most famous women.
Ann Cole Lowe was an American fashion designer. Best known for designing the ivory silk taffeta wedding dress worn by Jacqueline Bouvier when she married John F. Kennedy in 1953, she was the first African American to become a noted fashion designer. Lowe's designs were popular among upper class women for five decades from the 1920s through the 1960s.
British Vogue is a British fashion magazine based in London and first published in 1916. It is the British edition of the American magazine Vogue and is owned and distributed by Condé Nast. Currently edited by Chioma Nnadi, British Vogue is said to link fashion to high society and class, teaching its readers how to 'assume a distinctively chic and modern appearance'.
English actress and model Elizabeth Hurley wore a black Versace dress, often referred to as "THAT Dress", when she accompanied Hugh Grant to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994. The dress was held together by several oversized gold safety pins. The dress is one of Versace's best-known creations, along with Jennifer Lopez's green dress, which had served as the inspiration for Google Image Search. It is considered by some to be largely responsible for launching Hurley onto the global media stage.
American entertainer Jennifer Lopez wore a green Versace silk chiffon dress to the 42nd Grammy Awards ceremony on February 23, 2000. The sheer fabric was printed with a tropical leaf and bamboo pattern, and cut with a very low neckline that extended well past Lopez's navel, while the waist of the dress was studded with citrines.
Mary Katrantzou is a Greek fashion designer who lives and works in London.
Ian Stuart (1967-2022) was a British fashion designer, noted for his Wedding Dress, Evening and Occasion Wear ranges.
Rena Koh is a Malaysian-born British fashion designer, especially noted for her bridal wear. She is based in Boca Raton, Florida.
Lauren Santo Domingo is an American entrepreneur, magazine editor, and socialite. She is the co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of online fashion retailer Moda Operandi.
The lobster dress is a 1937 dress designed by Elsa Schiaparelli. It features a large lobster painted by Salvador Dalí.