10 Men Who Built World Famous Brands (We Knew Their Names But Not Their Faces)

Being famous doesn’t always mean having a face known to the general public. This is the case of men who created true fashion empires and who are worshiped around the world. Yes, you’ve certainly heard their names, seen some or several of their creations and maybe even be able to recognize the logos of their respective brands at a glance. But do you know who are — or who were — the people responsible for these great brands?

O awesome.club decided to investigate the lives of men who started great fashion brands and discovered that some of them have an admirable life story. Check out!

The French designer left the family home in 1944, moving from the French city of Beauvais to the capital, Paris. His purpose was to study and become a seamstress. After working with important names in fashion at the time, such as Jacques Fath, Hubert opened his own studio in 1952.

With an air of renewal, his designs were a counterpoint to the conventional fashion of that period. For this reason, he ended up establishing himself as the favorite stylist of great American stars, such as Audrey Hepburn, who would become his biggest and most important inspirational muse.

Unlike some of his peers in the same field, he was somewhat inclined towards the ready-to-wear, that is, for pieces with patterns reproduced on a massive scale. In fact, in 1973 the stylist launched his first menswear and sports collection with this style. In the 1980s, the brand passed into the hands of another company, and finally, in 1996, the famous Givenchy retired from the clothing design and manufacturing industry. He died in 2018.

The French stylist decided to move to Paris at a very young age, determined to fulfill his biggest dream: to establish himself as a fashion stylist. The goal began to be realized when he met Christian Dior, who hired him as an assistant and named him his successor when he died. However, some time later, Saint Laurent was removed from the post, which led him to open his own brand, together with Pierre Bergé. The decision was the beginning of what we now know as the Saint Laurent empire, marked by tunics, tuxedos, perfumes and suits. Yves died in 2008, aged 71.

Balmain was one of the most important pillars of fashion in the 20th century. He was born in Savoy, France, and after moving to Paris to study architecture and join the French army, he began working in his mother’s sewing studio.

In 1945, he created the brand we know today. During the 50’s, his name became more and more known, to the point that the professional started to be sought after to dress stars like Marlene Dietrich and the queen of Thailand.

In 1949, he opened a boutique in New York. There, alongside Dior, he became one of the most important representatives of the generation that became known as New Lookcharacterized by the movement linked to fashion that emerged after the Second World War.

Alexander dropped out of school in 1985, aged just 16, to learn tailoring in the most important houses of the time. In 1992, he graduated from a renowned London art school presenting a collection of clothing inspired by Jack the Ripper. Luckily for McQueen, the show was accompanied by the audience by the editor of Vogue United Kingdom, which purchased all models. Thanks to that, the stylist’s career took off.

In the 1990s, after gaining a good reputation and causing a revolution in fashion, he was appointed creative director of Givenchy in 1999. During his four and a half years at the helm of the brand, he dedicated himself to producing looks of haute couture, without giving up its own brand.

In the late 1990s, he sold 51% of his brand to the Gucci group and left his role at Givenchy to devote more time to his venture.

Cristóbal began his career in 1917, opening his own fashion studio with the help of one of his sisters. Shortly thereafter, he was already well known among the aristocracy and royalty, which paved the way for him to open a second studio and expand his business in the Spanish city of Madrid. However, in 1936, the professional was forced to move to Paris due to the Spanish Civil War. In the French capital, Balenciaga began a new stage as a stylist, changing the fashion of the 40s with looks that prioritized comfort, lines and volumes.

In 1968, Balenciaga decided to leave the fashion world, considering that the movement ready-to-wear threatened to relegate haute couture designs to the background.

After serving in the US Army and studying Business Management for two years, the New York-based designer began his career in the business as a salesman at a tie company. In 1967, he managed to convince the boss to give him an opportunity to start his own clothing line.

Thus, it started the production of exclusively men’s pieces, with the Polo brand. However, from 1971, he began to create female models. Thanks to this, in 1974, he had the chance to produce the costumes for the feature film. The big Gatsby🇧🇷 Since then, his brand has solidified into the great brand we know today.

Louis, aged 13, left the family home in the French town of Anchay to settle in Paris. After a long journey, he would arrive in the French capital in 1837, at the age of 16. Once in the city, he took an apprenticeship to a box maker and packer, becoming very skilled at the craft. So much so that in 1852, Napoleon III’s wife hired him as her box maker and personal packer, giving Louis a lot of popularity among the wealthy at the time.

In 1854, he opened his own studio together with his wife. Over time, the business grew and Louis began experimenting with new styles. His fame was such that he even created pieces for Ismail Pasha, a viceroy of Egypt, and for French royalty.

Despite his company having suffered from social and political problems, the stylist never gave up. Until his death, at the age of 70, he remained firm in his intention to promote his new product, a line of luxury luggage.

At just 20 years old, the young designer started producing clothes together with his younger sister, Donatella. Despite having studied architecture, he created the fashion brand Versace, with the help of his brother, Santo, in 1976. Known for his colorful creations and his quirky look, he dressed celebrities like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell, not to mention royals like Lady Di and Prince Charles. Thus, Versace began a close relationship between the fashion and entertainment industries.

After his murder in 1997, many people thought the brand was doomed. However, the stylist’s sister, Donatella, with whom he has always had a close relationship, has managed to follow in her brother’s footsteps.

The famous American stylist graduated in art and design in the year 1960 and soon after started working in the graphic sector of the company WWD. Subsequently, in 1968, he developed a brand with his own name, marked by warm clothes and minimalist pieces. However, what really made an impact on the public was the provocative style of the brand’s underwear, which to this day represent one of the company’s biggest sources of revenue. Calvin Klein was the first designer to launch a unisex perfume, the CK One, and branded jeans on the market.

In December 2002, he sold the company to the powerful Phillips-Van Heusen, giving up his role as creative director to start acting as a consultant for the brand.

The influential French stylist Christian Dior was born into a bourgeois family in France and after studying Political Science, he decided to bet on the fashion world. The beginning in the field was creating sketches for the famous stylist Robert Piguet. In 1946, Dior opened his own sewing house in Paris. He became known as an exponent of the aforementioned movement. New Lookfeminine style characterized by looks with toned shoulders, slim waists and wide skirts 20 centimeters off the floor.

Since then, the fashion house Dior has established itself as one of the most important fashion companies on the planet.

Did you already know the history or face of the stylists shown in this post? Are there any fashion professionals you admire that you would add to the list? Comment!