Today is the birthday of Giorgio Armani, one of the most beloved and coveted fashion designers of all the world, and earlier this week we celebrated the birth of another fashion founder, Hugo Boss. To commemorate these amazing fashion icons, today we’ve compiled the best quotes from the top 5 fashion designers of all times.
Take a pen and some paper, because it’s time to learn from the best!
Top fashion designer of all times #5: Gianni Versace
Born in Italy in 1946, Giovanni “Gianni” Versace was involved fashion from a very young age inspired by his mother, who worked in a sewing workshop. Although he studied architecture, he later began working in fashion design, and in the 70’s his designs gained a recognition on its own which allowed him to open his first boutique.
Versace was very close to his sister, Donatella, with whom he worked on his fashion brand until he was murdered tragically in 1997. However, his legend lives on through his widely-known and beloved fashion house, Versace.
Best quotes by Gianni Versace
- “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live”
- “I think it’s the responsibility of a designer to try to break rules and barriers”
Top fashion designer of all times #4: Christian Dior
Christian Dior was the second child of the Dior family. He grew up in France, and from early on he began selling his impressive fashion sketches. After managing an art gallery for some years, Dior began working with fashion designers such as Robert Piguet and Pierre Balmain. It wasn’t until 1946 when Dior founded his homonymous fashion house, and his voluptuous silhouettes captured the attention of fashion lovers everywhere.
Christian Dior passed away in 1957, and the fashion house was run by a very young Yves Saint-Laurent, whom kept the brand alive and popular amongst the public.
Best quotes by Christian Dior
- “Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest”
- “A dress is a piece of ephemeral architecture, designed to enhance the proportions of the female body”
Top fashion designer of all times #3: Yves Saint-Laurent
Born in France on 1936, Yves Henri Donat Matthieu-Saint-Laurent was one the most rebellious and beloved fashion designers of all times. From very early on, Saint-Laurent showed an interest in fashion design, and he pursued the career in Paris. Saint-Laurent worked under Christian Dior’s tutelage, and eventually succeeded him after his death.
Saint-Laurent is believed to have revived haute couture as well as stimulating pret-a-porter design. He also introduced a masculine look in fashion, and was known for always staying ahead of the curve until his death in 2008.
Best quotes by Yves-Saint Laurent
- “Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it”
- “Fashions fade, style is eternal”
Top fashion designer of all times #2: Giorgio Armani
Born in 1934, this Italian designer began studying medicine before turning to fashion design after working in a department store in Milan. During the 60’s, Armani began working as a menswear designer for other fashion houses, until founding a label of his own in 1975.
Known for making high fashion accessible, Armani’s designs expanded to women’s clothing, sportswear, perfumes, and more; and today it’s one of the most powerful fashion brands in the world.
Best quotes by Giorgio Armani
- “To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail”
- “The difference between style and fashion is quality”
Top fashion designer of all times #1: Coco Chanel
Perhaps the most beloved fashion designer and icon of all times, Gabrielle Chanel was born in France on 1883 to a poor family, and after her mother’s passing she was sent to convents and boarding houses. The young woman worked as a seamstress and entertainer, and it wasn’t until 1920 when she began working as a hat maker and, later on, design casual clothes for women.
Known for the sporty and powerful look she introduced to women’s fashion, Coco Chanel became a coveted couture designer and was much appreciated until well after her death in 1971.
Best quotes by Coco Chanel
- “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening”
- “Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future”
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