With fashion’s long and winding history, it’s difficult for even the most knowledgeable experts to decipher who invented what. There are, however, notable figures in modern history who paved the way for the making of your favorites styles today. Many of the individuals behind these “iconic” designs are women designers. “Who better to design for women than women?” Beth Dincuff Charleston, a fashion historian and professor at Parsons School of Design, says to TZR. “No amount of design training or business acumen can replace the experience of living in the body you are designing for.”
Maureen Lehto Brewster, a fashion expert and Ph.D student at the University of Georgia, agrees: “The designers were able to speak more directly to the needs of their female consumers — to identify with them and thereby create clothing that reflected their lifestyle, interests, and aspirations ... That's not to say that gender is the source of their talent for design, but rather that this talent was enhanced by their understanding of their audience.
Ahead, discover nine such women designers who, through their creations, left a lasting impact in the fashion world that can still be felt to this day. However, by no means is this an exhaustive list. Without further ado, keep scrolling to brush up on your fashion history.
We only include products that have been independently selected by TZR’s editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Ann Lowe: Formal Wear Fit For A First Lady
Perhaps you’ve heard tidbits about the midcentury American couturier Anne Lowe, whose clients included the Roosevelts and the Rockefellers. The daughter of a dressmaker, Lowe was a pioneering Black business woman and designer, responsible for generations of New York City socialite fashion. Though, her most iconic confection is perhaps the ivory silk taffeta wedding dress she made for Jacqueline Bouvier ahead of her marriage to future President John F. Kennedy.
In a style that aligned with the 1960s, “her work is beautifully and meticulously crafted,” says Lehto Brewster. “She was also independent and tenacious; she left her first marriage to pursue design, came back from financial disaster many times, and contacted Jackie Kennedy directly to express her sadness that she was not respectfully credited for her work on Kennedy's wedding dress.”
Coco Chanel: LBDs & Tweed Sets
Contrary to popular belief, Coco Chanel did not invent the little black dress or the tweed set. Though, she did popularize the styles. The former was actually adapted from the uniforms of working class women, while the latter had roots in contemporary menswear.
“[The little black dress] was styled to appear more effortless and simpler than the deco and decadent styles that preceded it,” explains Lehto Brewster. She also points to the designer’s robust marketing as a big reason why we so strongly associate the garment with the French fashion house. “Some designers are just more adept at publicity.” Chanel’s suits, on the other hand, were noted for their meticulous details, like weighted hems that helped the clothing drape evenly about the body. She also fashioned them in coordinated, quilted linings, which were sometimes brought to the exterior of the suit for an even bigger statement.
Diane von Furstenberg: The Wrap Dress
Upon its creation in the early 1970s, Diane von Furstenberg’s wrap dress style was highly sought after by everyone from the Studio 54 lot to the Park Avenue crowd. And even today, it’s so versatile that actors and royalty wear it as much as business women, academics, and journalists. The original design was a long-sleeved silk jersey dress featuring a fitted top and a skirt that wrapped around the body to tie at the waist. Feminine yet functional, it responded to the liberated mood of American society at the time, during which more women joined the workforce and opted for suit jackets and trousers.
“Designers such as Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing suits for women, and second wave feminism was calling attention to outmoded, hyper-feminine gender norms,” recalls Lehto Brewster. “The wrap dress was fluid and hugged the body, was simple and elegant, feminine but not stuffy. It was somewhat reactionary to the androgynous or masculine silhouettes of suiting, but still modern and sensual.”
Donna Karan: Modular Garments
American designer Donna Karan cut her teeth working under Anne Klein before going on her own to create Seven Easy Pieces, the foundation of modular (or mix-and-match) dressing. The interchangeable group of clothes (which included a bodysuit, a tailored jacket, a wrap skirt, and a white shirt, among other things) made American sportswear what it is today — practical, versatile, and relatively inexpensive. “Women could achieve a variety of looks and identities, to be worn in all areas of life,” says Dr. Alexis Romano, a fashion historian and lecturer at Parsons School of Design. “The wearer became the designer in a sense.”
Rei Kawakubo: Ultra Avant Garde Silhouettes
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Going against the grain of quintessential 1980s clothing — that is to say, the ultra luxe and figure-hugging fashion of the time — Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo rooted her label, Comme Des Garçons, in the balance of art and fashion and reframed common notions of beauty.
“[Her clothing] works with the body, but also redefines what a body looks like, where it begins and ends,” says Lehto Brewster, who also points out that the purported “un-wearability” of Kawakubo’s creations refers more to society’s views on practicality. “It can of course actually be worn, but you might not want to because it’s ‘weird,’ it juts out from your body and takes up space, it reshapes your body into something unrecognizable. Most women’s fashion is designed to complement the body, to work with it or else work it into something idealized ... Kawakubo is not interested in that.”
Mary Quant: Miniskirts
Mary Quant has often been credited with ‘inventing’ the miniskirt — perhaps the most defining element of 1960s dressing — in the heyday of Swinging London and the Youthquake. In reality, Quant popularized above-the-knee styles by offering them at a more affordable price point than her contemporaries, like Courrèges. While many people saw her designs as provocative, her clothes were still very popular amongst the zeitgeist because of the aforementioned pricing and Quant’s approachable styling and marketing methods. Taking after its name, her King’s Road boutique, called Bazaar, was a space for consumers to socialize and interact with her work and bred a community of fans.
Miuccia Prada: A Jolie-Laide Aesthetic
In French, jolie laide refers to “the beautiful, ugly.” For designer Miuccia Prada — the heiress to the luxury goods company then known as Fratelli Prada — this manifests in her collections via pleated skirts, clunky shoes, and shift dresses. Like Kawakubo, Prada was “interested in rethinking the fashion of the body,” according to Romano. “And it wasn’t a typically glamorous, sexy body, but [her approach to design] was saying that women can have different body types and they could look like intellectuals.”
Sonia Rykiel: The “Poor Boy Sweater”
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Similar to DVF’s wrap dress, the “poor boy sweater” by Sonia Rykiel spoke to the rise of second wave feminism, a movement that redefined how one lived and, therefore, dressed. A ready-to-wear designer to her core, Rykiel, who hailed from France, eschewed any couture-related sensibilities and opted to create pieces that were flattering and comfortable, such as knitwear in a slimmer silhouette.
“The beauty of that sweater is that it hugs the body and it’s very form-fitting, but also stretchy and comfortable,” explains Romano. “[It] spared women from having to go to the tailor or dressmaker to make a more formal woven garment fit perfectly.” Audrey Hepburn and Françoise Hardy were among the stars who wore the sweater style throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, and renditions of it continue to appear in Rykiel’s collections today.
Madeleine Vionnet: Bias-Cut Dresses
Madeleine Vionnet’s dress construction from the early 1900s has had long-lasting effects on minimalism in fashion. Her use of the bias-cut, a technique of cutting across the grain of a textile so that it drapes naturally on the body, made for a “seemingly simple silhouette that allowed for heightened movement,” Romano says. Though, with the cut’s growing popularity, women also had to become accustomed to revealing their bodies in a way they hadn’t before. “While this freed women from corsets and other structured underpinnings, it meant that they were tasked with attaining the slim, athletic bodies that were on fuller display in these clothes.”
Below, scoop up several items that echo the design DNAs of these iconic women in fashion. Their creative contributions live on through the clothes.
We only include products that have been independently selected by TZR’s editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
As an enthusiast deeply entrenched in the world of fashion, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to shed light on the iconic women designers mentioned in the article. My understanding extends beyond surface-level information, delving into the intricacies of their contributions, design philosophies, and historical contexts. Let's navigate the concepts introduced in the article and explore the groundbreaking work of these influential women in fashion.
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Ann Lowe: Formal Wear Fit For A First Lady
- Ann Lowe, a midcentury American couturier, played a pivotal role in shaping New York City socialite fashion.
- Notable creation: Ivory silk taffeta wedding dress for Jacqueline Bouvier, worn at her marriage to President John F. Kennedy.
- Lowe's resilience and independence are highlighted, as she overcame financial challenges and sought credit for her work.
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Coco Chanel: LBDs & Tweed Sets
- Coco Chanel, while not the inventor, popularized the little black dress (LBD) and tweed sets.
- The LBD was adapted from working-class women's uniforms, and the tweed sets had roots in contemporary menswear.
- Chanel's marketing prowess played a significant role in associating these styles with her fashion house.
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Diane von Furstenberg: The Wrap Dress
- Diane von Furstenberg revolutionized fashion with her iconic wrap dress in the early 1970s.
- The wrap dress, with its versatility and feminine yet functional design, reflected the liberated mood of American society at the time.
- Responding to societal changes, the wrap dress provided an alternative to androgynous silhouettes popularized by designers like Yves Saint Laurent.
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Donna Karan: Modular Garments
- Donna Karan's Seven Easy Pieces concept laid the foundation for modular (mix-and-match) dressing.
- This collection, including a bodysuit, tailored jacket, wrap skirt, and white shirt, made American sportswear practical, versatile, and affordable.
- Karan empowered women to become designers of their own looks.
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Rei Kawakubo: Ultra Avant Garde Silhouettes
- Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme Des Garçons, challenged 1980s fashion norms with avant-garde designs.
- Kawakubo's creations redefine the conventional notion of beauty and challenge societal views on practicality.
- Her designs, while perceived as "weird" by some, work with the body in unconventional ways.
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Mary Quant: Miniskirts
- Mary Quant popularized miniskirts in the 1960s, offering affordable styles that defined the era of Swinging London and the Youthquake.
- Quant's approachable styling and marketing methods, along with reasonable pricing, contributed to the widespread popularity of above-the-knee styles.
-
Miuccia Prada: A Jolie-Laide Aesthetic
- Miuccia Prada, heiress to Fratelli Prada, embraced the "jolie laide" aesthetic, celebrating unconventional beauty.
- Her collections feature pleated skirts, clunky shoes, and shift dresses, challenging the traditional glamorous and sexy body ideals.
- Prada's designs advocate for diverse body types and intellectual aesthetics.
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Sonia Rykiel: The “Poor Boy Sweater”
- Sonia Rykiel, a ready-to-wear designer, introduced the "poor boy sweater" that reflected the rise of second-wave feminism.
- The form-fitting and comfortable sweater spared women from formal garment fittings, aligning with the changing lifestyle of the era.
-
Madeleine Vionnet: Bias-Cut Dresses
- Madeleine Vionnet's early 1900s dress construction featured the revolutionary bias-cut technique, draping naturally on the body.
- The bias-cut created a seemingly simple silhouette that allowed for heightened movement but also required women to embrace a different approach to body presentation.
In conclusion, these women designers, each with a unique perspective and contribution, have left an indelible mark on the fashion world. Their creations continue to influence contemporary styles, emphasizing the importance of understanding the audience and embracing diversity in design.