Famous Fashion Designers to Know in 2021
ICYMI fashion friends, you need to know your designers. And not just the famous fashion designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Coco Chanel. If you want to truly understand the fashion industry, you need to know the names behind every major fashion brand.
To aid you in your fashion education, we've rounded up some of the most important fashion designers to know in 2021. These game-changers are paving the way for people of color, breathing new creative life into major fashion houses, and stylishly challenging the sustainability status-quo. Disclaimer: This is by no means a comprehensive list, merely one to show our admiration for the incredible talent emerging in the 21st century.
In case you didn't go to fashion school, a quick story before we dive in: On my first day at the University of Arts, London College of Fashion, my styling professor made a girl cry. No, this isn't that kind of story, and no, that girl was not me (#blessed). The poor girl didn't know that Karl Lagerfield ~RIP~ was Fendi's Creative Director, and my professor went off.
One by one, he went around the room and grilled us on our favorite labels and the Creative Directors behind them. Let me tell you, you did not want to be wrong. Thankfully, I skrrrted by with a shaky, "My favorite brand is Off-White, and their CD is Virgil Abloh." (It was 2017, and I was a closet hypebeast... IYKYK.)
One thing he said has stuck with me ever since: If you want to succeed in fashion, you needed to know designers like the back of your hand.
Our homework that night was to memorize a list of 50 major fashion labels and the designers behind them. I stayed up all night that night frantically studying, and frankly, I haven't stopped studying since.
Name-drop this list of famous fashion designers and you’re sure to impress even your most stylish friends.
Telfar Clemens
Founder of Telfar
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few years, you’re already familiar with Telfar’s elusive Shopping Bag. The “Bushwick Birkin” turns the traditional exclusionary fashion model on its head with an affordable price point and accessible luxury feel. The brand’s success, and their “not for you, for everyone” tagline, is thanks to their charismatic founder Telfar Clemens.
The Queens-native infuses his queer identity and New York upbringing into each and every one of Telfar’s reimagined basics. After a record-setting 2020, dubbed “The Year of Telfar” by The New York Times, we can’t wait to see what Telfar and Telfar Clemens will bring in 2021.
Rihanna
CEO of Fenty, Fenty Beauty & Savage x Fenty
ICYMI, Rihanna, aka Riri, aka Robyn Fenty, means business. In 2017, the musician-turned-business mogul launched her namesake makeup brand, Fenty Beauty, and blessed us all with the best lipgloss the world has ever seen. Only a year later came Savage X Fenty, her size-inclusive lingerie brand that, rumor has it, singlehandedly took down Victoria's Secret. NBD that she's also had fourteen No. 1 Hits and won nine Grammys. Not to mention some of the best street style.
But that wasn't enough for our bad girl Riri. In 2019, she became the first woman of color to lead a fashion brand under a major fashion house when she launched Fenty as part of the LVMH group. Though LVMH recently announced they’d be back-burnering Fenty temporarily, we’ll still be keeping our eyes on Riri in 2021.
Daniel Lee
Creative Director at Bottega Veneta
IDK about you, but there's been a Pheobe Philo's Céline-sized hole in my heart since roughly 2017. Thankfully, Daniel Lee fills a small portion of said fashion-induced hole. After working at Maison Margiela, Donna Karen, and Balenciaga, Lee joined Céline as Director of Ready-to-Wear in 2012, where he undoubtedly absorbed a healthy dose of Philo's fashion genius.
Since replacing Tomas Maier as Creative Director at Bottega Veneta in June 2018, Lee has already taken home four Fashion Awards including Designer of the Year and Brand of the Year. Thanks to an army of influencers posting pics of the brand's Pouch bag and Padded Sandals, the #NewBottega blew up overnight.
Alessandro Michele
Creative Director at Gucci
Since taking over as Creative Director at Gucci in 2015, Alessandro Michele has been a breath of fresh air for the Kering-owned house. The only thing big enough to match his level of creativity: Gucci's budget.
Under Michele's unique (see the literal horse in their 2020 ad campaign below for reference) creative direction, Gucci's fashion shows have become viral sensations. In his final pre-pandemic show, Fall 20, Michele brought the audience behind-the-scenes by turning the backstage area into the runway.
And remember Gucci's FW 18 show, where models carried everything from dragons to severed heads down the runway? Whatever drugs Alessandro Michele is on, I want to be on them too.
Virgil Abloh
Creative Director of Louis Vuitton Menswear, Founder & Creative Director of Off-White
Instead of asking, what does Virgil Abloh do? A better question would be, what doesn't he do? Not only is Abloh the head of design at two of the world's largest fashion brands, but he's also busy doing collabs with Nike and Ikea, befriending every major hip-hop artist. and somehow still finding spare time to pursue a side career as a DJ and artist. Oh, and he's also friends with literally every celebrity ever. The only list longer than Abloh's job titles is the list of his controversies.
Love him or hate him, Virgil Abloh's clout is undeniable. He made history as the first Black designer at Louis Vuitton when he assumed his current role as Creative Director of Menswear. Before starting Off-White, Abloh was busy interning at Fendi and working as Creative Director for his bestie Kanye West.
Maria Grazia Chiuri
Creative Director of Dior Womenswear
Before flying solo as Creative Director of Dior Womenswear, Maria Grazia Chiuri was co-CD at Valentino Womenswear alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli. Nowadays, she's got her hands full showing her haters wrong at the renowned French label. In 2019, Dior reported a 15% growth in sales, largely due to the relaunch of their iconic Saddle bag.
Chiuri's feminist ideology is what truly distinguishes her identity at Dior. Perhaps it's because she came to fashion power at the dawn of the Me Too era, or perhaps it's because she's just a badass who received the Legion of Honor in 2019, the highest civilian distinction in France, from the country’s gender equality minister.
And who could forget the now-iconic 'We Should All Be Feminists' tees from her debut collection? J'adior.
Simon Porte Jacquemus
Founder & Creative Director of Jacquemus
Simone Porte Jacquemus and his namesake brand have become synonymous with summery French-girl style. From giant sunhats to architectural heels to Air-pod-sized purses, the brand has staked its claim in the luxury accessories sector with its Instagram-friendly accessories.
Simone Porte Jacquemus is more than just an accessories designer, and he's got the celebrity street style creds to prove it. His feminine designs and 'Gram-worthy runway shows have a fresh feel that the fashion industry can't get enough of rn. We're predicting Jaquemus' knit bras will be a major trend for Fall/Winter 2020 and their chunky flip-flops come spring 2021.
Also important to mention: Simon Porte Jacquemus is really hot.
Kim Jones
Creative Director of Dior Menswear & Artistic Director of Fendi Womenswear
I have a professional crush on Kim Jones, especially the new Dior-era Kim Jones. Here's why.
Jones has always been at the forefront of streetwear. See for reference: the Louis Vuitton x Supreme collab from his stint as a menswear designer at LV that increased LVMH's profits by 18% that year.
In the short time that Jones has been at Dior, he's partnered with various artists to bring fresh (and increasingly diverse) perspectives to the famous house. There's an ease to his mix of streetwear and tailoring that really makes me swoon.
Stella McCartney
Founder & Creative Director of Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney—daughter of my second favorite Beatle, Paul McCartney—grew up famous AF. At her graduation presentation at Central Saint Martins, her good friend Kate Moss modeled one of her looks. She designed Madonna and Meghan Markle's wedding dresses... Just imagine being that famous.
Thankfully, Stella McCartney has used her clout for good. After a stint as Creative Director at Chloe, she founded her sustainable namesake brand. Their cutting-edge sustainable production and eco-friendly vegan alternatives to leather, suede, and fur have brought sustainable fashion to the mainstream luxury market.
