List of fashion designers

This is a list of notable fashion designers sorted by nationality. It includes designers of haute couture and ready-to-wear.

For haute couture only, see the list of grands couturiers. For footwear-designers, see the list of footwear designers.

Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Fashion design

Fashion design is the art of application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social attitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories such as bracelets and necklace. Because of the time required to bring a garment onto the market, designers must at times anticipate changes to consumer tastes.

"Designers conduct research on fashion trends and interpret them for their audience". They attempt to design clothes which are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. They consider who is likely to wear a garment and the situations in which it will be worn. They have a wide range and combinations of materials to work with and a wide range of colors, patterns and styles to choose from. Though most clothing worn for everyday wear falls within a narrow range of conventional styles, unusual garments are usually sought for special occasions such as evening wear or party dresses.

Fashion

Fashion is a popular style or practice, especially in clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, body or furniture. Fashion is a distinctive and often habitual trend in the style in which a person dresses. It is the prevailing styles in behaviour and the newest creations of textile designers. Because the more technical term costume is regularly linked to the term "fashion", the use of the former has been relegated to special senses like fancy dress or masquerade wear, while "fashion" generally means clothing, including the study of it. Although aspects of fashion can be feminine or masculine, some trends are androgynous.

Clothing fashions

Early Western travelers, whether to Persia, Turkey, India, China, would frequently remark on the absence of change in fashion there. The Japanese Shogun's secretary bragged (not completely accurately) to a Spanish visitor in 1609 that Japanese clothing had not changed in over a thousand years. However, there is considerable evidence in Ming China of rapidly changing fashions in Chinese clothing. Changes in costume often took place at times of economic or social change, as occurred in ancient Rome and the medieval Caliphate, followed by a long period without major changes. In 8th-century Moorish Spain, the musician Ziryab introduced to Córdobasophisticated clothing-styles based on seasonal and daily fashions from his native Baghdad, modified by his own inspiration. Similar changes in fashion occurred in the 11th century in the Middle East following the arrival of the Turks, who introduced clothing styles from Central Asia and the Far East.

Fashion Star

Fashion Star is an American reality television series on NBC, created and Executive Produced by E.J. Johnston, James Deutch and Rick Ringbakk which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by Louise Roe. It was hosted by Elle Macpherson in the first season. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme. Their designs are judged, and one or more designers are eliminated each week.

On May 11, 2012, NBC renewed Fashion Star for a second season.Season 2 premiered Friday, March 7, 2013. On July 27, 2013, NBC canceled Fashion Star after two seasons.

Format

Fashion Star features unknown designers competing for a chance to have their creations bought. Each week, the contestants work with mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie, and John Varvatos in designing their creations, shopping for materials and overseeing production. They then compete in a fashion show during which they display their work to the three buyers: Caprice Willard of Macy's, Terron E. Schaefer of Saks Fifth Avenue and Nicole M. Christie of H&M in season one, and Erika DeSalvatore for Express in season two. Any designer whose clothes are not purchased that week is up for elimination from the show. The mentors, who also serve as judges, save one unsold contestant each week. Then the three buyers choose which of the remaining unsold designers is sent home. At the end of the season, the three remaining contestants must create separate showcases of three garments for each retailer. Whoever meets the needs of the three retailers will be named "Fashion Star" and will receive a capsule collection worth $6 million within each store.

Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung (born 5 November 1983) is an English fashion model, television presenter, and contributing editor at British Vogue.

Early life

Born in Privett, Hampshire Chung is the daughter of Gillian and Phillip Chung. Her father, was a Chinese graphic designer, and her mother is of English descent. Chung attended secondary school at the local Perins School and spent sixth form at Peter Symonds College, Winchester. She was accepted at King's College London to read English, but was scouted by a modelling agency before attending.

Career

Modelling

Chung was scouted by London-based Storm Model Management after being seen in the comedy tent at the Reading Festival at age 16. She modelled for teen magazines, such as Elle Girl and CosmoGIRL!, and worked for companies including Fanta, Sony Ericsson, Sunsilk, Urban Outfitters, and Tampax. She appeared in music videos for artists including the Streets, Westlife, Delta Goodrem, Reuben and Holly Valance and starred as Jake in a scripted reality show called Shoot Me, broadcast on Fashion TV in 2005. After four years, Chung quit modelling with the intention of beginning an art foundation or fashion journalism course, having become disillusioned. She had developed a "distorted body image" and "low self-esteem" through modelling.