Fashion History

1. Betsey Johnson (b. 1942) Birthplace: Wethersfield, Connecticut Betsey Johnson was drawn to the arts already in her childhood, favoring drawing and dance. Her love for sketching flashy, elaborate costumes that she wore during dance recitals spearheaded her career as a fashion designer. Johnson is known for her quirky, out-of-the box aesthetic and is dubbed as a pioneer of New York City street fashion during the late '70s. Johnson is also famous for doing a cartwheel at the end of every New York Fashion Week.

2. Paul Poiret (1879-1944) Paul Poiret was the party boy of Paris who is the unsung hero of 20th century fashion. In the first instalment in BoF’s fashion history series, we learn that Poiret dressed Paris’ finest before World War I, but as the years went on, his inability to adapt to '20s modernity led to the collapse of his company.

3. Alexander McQueen (1969-2010) Birthplace: London, England McQueen was a bit of a provocateur before his untimely passing in 2010. After tailoring suits for Mikhail Gorbachev and Prince Charles at the London tailors Anderson & Sheppard, McQueen went out on his own in the 1990s. Among his creations were the “bumster” trousers -- pants cut so low that they exposed cleavage of the backside. He was also known for his controversial catwalks that depicted blood-spattered, brutalized models.

4. Calvin Klein (b. 1942) > Birthplace: New York City, New York The American designer was known as much for his brand’s controversial ads as for the apparel line. Klein’s clothes were simple, comfortable, and relatively expensive, and American consumers responded favorably to his collections. Ads featuring a teenaged Brooke Shields wearing Calvin Klein jeans (“Nothing comes between me and my Calvins”) was pilloried in some circles as objectifying young girls.

5. Carolina Herrera (b. 1939) Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela Carolina Herrera is perhaps best coined as a woman of elegance. She was often seen wearing a taffeta skirt with a white button down shirt, a look that has become a model for evening wear to women worldwide. Herrera made her debut on International Best Dressed List in 1972, and she was inducted into the Best Dressed Hall of Fame by 1980. Herrera’s work has been sported by A-list celebrities and even former presidents.

6. Christian Dior (1905-1957) > Birthplace: Granville, France Few designers dominated the fashion industry as Christian Dior did after World War II. Dior’s creations featured a lower hemline on dresses, small shoulders, and fuller skirts, a contrast to the padded shoulders and shorter skirts look from years past. Dior is credited with restoring French clothiers to the exalted status they enjoyed before the war.