Here are 10 of the most recognized and famous French designers. If you love French style, today I wanted to dive a petty bit more into the well-nigh famous French style designers and to share their inspiring stories.

Paris acts as the center of the fashion industry and holds the name of the "Capitale de la Mode". Indeed, the bulk of the greatest style designers and biggest names ofhaute couture like Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, or Jean-Paul Gaultier are from the French capital. Today, I wanted to present you with ten of the near famous French fashion designers who will inspire y'all with their success stories. From ready-to-wear to haute couture, these French designers have made a huge impact on the international fashion industry, both in the by and present.

Then to indulge your love for all things French, I've brought together ten of the most important French brands. Likewise, I'll try to give you pointers on exactly what y'all should expect out for when shopping at any of these French luxury designer brands. Proceed scrolling to learn from the x best French manner designers.

10 Earth-Course French Designers And Their Inspiring Stories

1. Dior

Christian Dior was born in 1905 in Granville, a small town on the Normandy coast of France. Equally a male child, he was ever passionate about art and really wanted to become an architect. After graduation in 1928, Christian opened a pocket-sized art gallery with the financial help of his father. Simply, post-obit the Great Depression, Christian was forced to close down his art gallery. To make some coin, he started working for the way designer Robert Piquet. And after his military service in 1940, he got the opportunity to work for the style designer Pierre Balmain.

In October 1946, Christian Dior, at 41 years old, opened his couture firm. In a post-war context of deprivation and rationing, Dior had just one obsession: to allow women to rediscover joy, elegance, and dazzler. The Business firm of Dior was established on 16 December 1946 at thirty Artery Montaigne in Paris. And "La Ligne Corolie" ("New Look") is the name of Christian Dior's offset drove, released in 1947. The New Look was a large success, it changed the post-Earth State of war II style scene. Indeed, features like rounded shoulders, a cinched waist, and a full A-line skirt were clearly revolutionary in the 40s.

In merely ten years, from 1947 to 1957, Christian Dior revolutionized the conventions of elegance and femininity. The human being who set out to exist an builder offered women his vision of dazzler through elegant lines, his name somewhen becoming synonymous with French luxury all around the world.

2. Chanel

Around the age of xviii, Coco became interested in mode. It all actually started in 1909. At the time she was the mistress of a businessman named Étienne Balsan, he gave her the financial support she needed to open a hat-making shop in Paris in 1910. She so opened boosted stores in Deauville and Biarritz and began making and selling clothes. Another man, named Arthur Capel also had a huge influence on the beginning of the Chanel mode firm.

In the 1920s Coco Chanel became a true style icon, known for her simple only sophisticated outfits, styled with great accessories. She introduced the perfume Chanel no. v. in 1921, the Chanel adapt in 1925, and the piddling blackness dress in 1926.

Subsequently being away from the fashion globe due to the international economic depression and Globe War II, Coco Chanel decided to reopen the couture firm in 1954. In 1955 she created the Chanel purse two.55 that took over the earth. She wanted a practical handbag made for women on the get with a long strap. Today, this bag is probably one of the well-nigh iconic way handbags of all time.

3. Louis Vuitton

In 1837, xvi-year-erstwhile Louis Vuitton arrived in Paris and started apprenticing for Monsieur Maréchal as a torso-master, where he concluded up working for 17 years. At that time, horse-drawn carriages, boats, and trains were the main modes of transportation, and travelers called upon craftsmen to pack and protect their valuable objects.

Rapidly Louis gained a reputation as existence 1 of the best in this field. When in 1852 Napoleon III gained the title of Emperor of French republic, his wife, Eugenie de Montijo, hired Louis Vuitton as her personal box-maker and packer. In 1854, Louis opened his own box-making and packing workshop at 4 Rue Neuve-des-Capucines near the Identify Vendome in Paris. In 1858, his business organization gained popularity with the introduction of rectangular trunks. And in 1859, Louis was able to expand his business with a second workshop in Asnieres (a hamlet outside Paris).

Because the company suffered from plagiarism a lot, in 1888 the "Damier Canvass" blueprint was created including the trademarked logo reading "marque L. Vuitton déposée". Throughout the 1900s Louis Vuitton'south son Georges expanded the business organisation by introducing new bags: the Keepall in 1930, and the Speedy in 1932. Today bags like Noé, Alma, and Papillon are nonetheless iconic.

4. Hermès

In 1837, Thierry Hermès first established Hermès every bit a harness workshop on the Grands Boulevards of Paris. Originally, his intent was to serve the needs of European noblemen by providing saddles, bridles, and other leather riding gear. Over the post-obit decades, Hermès developed into one of the most famous saddlery retailers. They besides began to produce leather bags to feed the horse, to house the saddles, and to acquit other accessories for riders such as boots, whips, and riding hats.

The company's product offerings expanded through generations and in the 1920s, accessories, and clothing were introduced. In the 1930s, Hermès introduced products that are iconic such as the Kelly bag (originally called the Sac à dépêches and renamed every bit the "Kelly bag" after Grace Kelly), and the Hermès carrés (scarves). In 1949, the showtime Hermès silk tie and the commencement perfume Eau d'Hermès were introduced. And, in 1984 the "Birkin handbag" was introduced, after a conversation between the then CEO Jean-Louis Dumas and Jane Birkin on a flight from Paris to London, who articulated to Dumas that she needed a medium-sized bag. Today the Birkin purse is one of the most iconic numberless of all fourth dimension.

5. Lanvin

Lanvin is one of the almost prestigious and oldest Parisian fashion houses. The story started in 1889 when Jeanne Lanvin who just turned 22 opened her first hat shop on the mezzanine of 16 rue Boissy d'Anglas. 4 years later on, she obtained a commercial lease on the prestigious rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and established her eponymous style firm.

When Lanvin's girl Marguerite was born in 1897, the designer began to create vesture for her daughter which was a real success. In 1908, Jeanne Lanvin opened a children's habiliment department and devoted an unabridged section of her shop to this new thriving concern. Then, in 1909, the designer opened a Young Ladies' and Women's department. Mothers and daughters would come and choose their Lanvin-make outfits together.

Ambitious and determined, Jeanne Lanvin became a fellow member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture (the Parisian Fashion Council) that same year, and thus switched her condition from milliner to designer.

six. Balmain

For 11 years, betwixt 1934 and 1945, and afterward studying architecture for a year in Paris, Balmain worked in various fashion houses: at Robert Piguet, the House of Molyneux, and finally Lelong. Balmain began his postal service-state of war career at the atelier of Lucien Lelong, where he worked aslope both Dior and Hubert de Givenchy.

In 1945, Balmain founded Maison Balmain as a couture firm. The House of Balmain was an immediate success, with the focus on first-class quality and evening wearable. Stars similar Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, and Sophia Loren wore his designs, introducing them to a vast global audience. This focus on quality can exist seen today, with the famous Balmain blazers.

Balmain was one of the first designers to focus on the American marketplace, instead of focusing on dressing french women. And in 1953, Balmain expanded into the American market, showcasing his collections nether the nameJolie Madame.Pierre Balmain remained the proprietor and chief designer of Maison Balmain until his decease in 1982.

7. Nina Ricci

Maria Nielli was born in Turin in 1883 and moved with her family unit to France in 1895 aged 12. As a kid, she earned the nickname "Nina" and she became Nina Ricci in 1904 when she married Luigi Ricci, a Florentine jewelry maker. Four years later Ricci joined the style House of Raffin where she worked as a designer for 24 years.

In 1932, she founded her haute couture house in Paris at xx Rue des Capucines with the assist of her married man. Her precision of cut and choice of noble materials apace fabricated the Maison a success.

And so, Robert Ricci, Nina's son, created the perfume business in 1941. The perfume Cœur-Joie, which came in a canteen signed past Lalique, was the outset in what would get a longstanding collaboration with the crystal maker. In 1948, 2 doves, symbols of love and liberty, appeared on the bottle of the emblematic perfume L'Air du Temps. It's one of the world'due south classic fragrances and information technology stands with Chanel No 5, Arpège by Lanvin, Joy by Patou, and Shalimar by Guerlain.

8. Givenchy

Hubert de Givenchy born in 1927, started his fashion career in 1944 every bit an apprentice designer at the couture firm of Jacques Fath while studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In the early 1950s, he worked as an assistant designer-first with Fath, then with Lucien Lelong, Robert Piguet, and Elsa Schiaparelli.

Givenchy opened his own couture business firm in 1951 and fabricated an immediate mark with his design of the "Bettina blouse," a simple white cotton shirting blouse named for Fath'south favorite model, Bettina Graziani. In 1954, Givenchy designed his first outfits for the extra Audrey Hepburn. She quickly became his muse and Givenchy designed several creations for her and for several films: Sabrina (1954), Funny Face (1957),Breakfast at Tiffany'south (1961),My Fair Lady (1964). Givenchy also became known as ane of Jacqueline Kennedy's favorite designers; he designed the dress that she wore to President Kennedy's funeral.

In 1969, the designer launched the "Givenchy Gentleman" line that would quickly become a reference in men's fashion. Givenchy championed a residual between classicism and casualness for his men'south ready-to-vesture drove.

Loved by some of the most iconic stars of the 20th Century (from Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, to his muse Audrey Hepburn) Givenchy's proper name and legacy have been synonymous with Parisian chic for more than than 50 years.

9. Yves Saint Laurent

Algerian-born Yves Saint Laurent was discovered by influential French writer and illustrator Michel de Brunhoff, who introduced him to Christian Dior. His first task was equally Dior's pattern assistant and he took over as creative manager when the founder died suddenly in 1957. Yves Saint Laurent founded his namesake fashion business firm in 1961 and launched his outset couture drove.

He introduced a revolutionary take on women'south clothing. Inspired by the structure of menswear, his approach was a celebration of gender fluidity that shook the fashion industry. He took traditionally masculine items and made them work for a new kind of womenswear – one designed to empower its wearer. Le Smoking (the tuxedo) remains 1 of his signature styles and celebrities like Bianca Jagger, Catherine Deneuve, and Nan Kempner were among the first to wear it.

10. Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean-Paul Gaultier developed a taste for mode at a young historic period. He spent much of his babyhood with his maternal grandmother and plant inspiration in her closet. At age xviii, Jean-Paul Gaultier joined the house of Pierre Cardin every bit an assistant before moving on to Jacques Esterel and Patou.

The debut of Gaultier'due south own collection was in 1976, but he did not officially launch his ain pattern house until 1982. Gaultier chop-chop gained attention due to his unconventional designs, which included sailor suits, male skirts, and razor-sharp and exaggerated tailoring. And in 1990, he collaborated with Madonna to create her infamous conical bras. His starting time fragrance, Classique was introduced in 1993, followed by Le Mâle two years afterwards, which was the number one selling men's fragrance in Europe for many years since its release.

Then, Gaultier launched his highly regarded haute couture line in 1997 which was a huge success. As a issue, In 2003, he became the creative manager at Hermès where he worked until 2011. In April 2019, Supreme launched a highly predictable collaboration with Jean-Paul Gaultier including both menswear and womenswear and the collaboration sold out almost immediately.

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