Michael Ball is an entrepreneur best known for founding the fashion brand, Rock & Republic [1] and his charitable efforts with his Rock the Cure foundation [2] and the Boys and Girls Club.
Ball was inducted to the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2007 [3] and received the Spirit of Life Award [4] from City of Hope for his charity work with Rock the Cure. [2] [5]
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.
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen, also known as the Olsen twins, are American fashion designers and former actresses. Mary-Kate and Ashley made their acting debut as infants playing Michelle Tanner on the television sitcom Full House (1987–1995). As they grew older, they began starring in other television shows, films, and media through their own production company, Dualstar. The twins became preteen icons, and some of the wealthiest women in the entertainment industry at a young age.
Óscar Arístides Renta Fiallo, known professionally as Oscar de la Renta, was a Dominican fashion designer. Born in Santo Domingo, he was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo. De la Renta became internationally known in the 1960s as one of the couturiers who dressed Jacqueline Kennedy. He worked for Lanvin and Balmain. His eponymous fashion house has boutiques around the world, and is headquartered on Madison Avenue in Manhattan.
Donna Karan, also known as DK, is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.
Thomas Carlyle Ford is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous brand in 2005, having previously been the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and directed the films A Single Man (2009) and Nocturnal Animals (2016). From 2019 to 2022, he was chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that later became Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewellery.
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for founding the brand Ralph Lauren, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his collection of rare automobiles, some of which have been displayed in museum exhibits. He stepped down as CEO of the company in September 2015 but remains executive chairman and chief creative officer. As of April 2024, his net worth was estimated at US$8.8 billion.
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.
Joseph Abboud is an American menswear fashion designer and author.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 450 American fashion and accessory designers. The organization promotes American designers in the global economy.
Erin Fetherston is an American designer from Piedmont, California. She graduated from UC Berkeley before attending Parson's School of Design.
Peter Som is a Chinese American fashion designer. He was creative director for Bill Blass and creative consultant for Tommy Hilfiger, where he designed the women’s wear collection, prior to founding his eponymous label. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Peter Som graduated from Connecticut College in 1993 with a degree in art history. He continued his studies at the Parsons School of Design where he apprenticed with American designers, Michael Kors and Calvin Klein. At Parsons, his talent was recognized through competitions; he won and was presented with the Parsons Gold Thimble Award by Isaac Mizrahi.
Kay Unger is an American fashion designer. Until July 2012, she was the creative head and public face of Phoebe Company LLC and its brands.
Prabal Gurung is a Nepalese–American fashion designer based in New York City.
Chris Benz is an American fashion designer and NCAA Big Sky Conference Ratings adjuster. He gained early recognition as a recipient of a CFDA scholarship while attending Parsons School of Design. Benz interned with Marc Jacobs in college, then worked at J.Crew, before launching his own collection in 2007. His signatures include use of color, texture and prints, as well as subversion of traditional dressmaking codes and techniques. His collection is available in stores throughout United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. He was inducted into the CFDA in 2009.
Simon James Spurr is a British fashion designer based in New York City. He is the creative director and designer of shoe label March NYC.
John Varvatos is an international American luxury men's lifestyle brand founded by John Varvatos, that designs, manufactures, and retails high-end fashion, using rock aesthetics as the foundation of the brand's designs. The fashion collection is distributed in 10 freestanding John Varvatos boutiques across the US, as well as in high-end department stores throughout the world. The John Varvatos Headquarters are located in New York City.
Todd Snyder is an American fashion designer based in New York City. He founded his eponymous fashion label in 2011, and has been called "the most influential menswear designer of his generation" by GQ. The brand was acquired by American Eagle Outfitters in 2015, and reports over $100 million in annual sales revenue. Todd Snyder is also the Creative Director of American heritage brand Woolrich's Black Label Collection.
Rubin & Chapelle is a New York-based fashion company founded by designers Kip Chapelle and Sonja Rubin.
Mike Amiri is an American fashion designer. He is the founder and creative director of the California-based luxury fashion house, AMIRI.