100 Most Influential People in Fashion

100 Most Influential People in Fashion

Zimbio's selection of the 100 Most Influential People in Fashion covers not only the major designers, but also the artists, entertainers, athletes, and industry insiders who have left indelible marks on the fashion world.

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The 100 Most Influential People in Fashion Full List
1.    Levi Strauss
2.    Hubert de Givenchy
3.    Coco Chanel
4.    Louis Vuitton
5.    David Bowie
6.    Claire McCardell
7.    Eileen Ford
8.    Elvis Presley
9.    Yves St. Laurent
10.    Max Factor
11.    Karl Lagerfeld
12.    Andy Warhol
13.    Richard Avedon
14.    John Galliano
15.    Yohji Yamamoto
16.    Salvatore Ferragamo
17.    Vivienne Westwood
18.    Bob Dylan
19.    Marc Jacobs
20.    Mary Quant
21.    Anna Wintour
22.    Vidal Sassoon
23.    Jane Fonda
24.    Hedi Slimane
25.    James Bond
26.    Mae West
27.    Giorgio Armani
28.    Harry Winston
29.    Madonna
30.    Diane Von Furstenburg
31.    Michael Jackson
32.    Donatella Versace
33.    Louis Réard
34.    Dolce & Gabbana
35.    Tom Ford
36.    Kate Moss
37.    Jean Paul Gaultier
38.    Barbie
39.    Edith Head
40.    Miuccia Prada
41.    Chuck Taylor
42.    Oleg Cassini
43.    Calvin Klein
44.    Kevyn Aucoin
45.    Kurt Cobain
46.    Charles F. Worth
47.    Ralph Lauren
48.    Vera Wang
49.    Marilyn Monroe
50.    Annie Leibovitz
51.    Farrah Fawcett
52.    Janie Bryant
53.    Keith Richards
54.    Herminie Cadolle
55.    Rowland Hussey Macy
56.    Andre 3000
57.    Takashi Murakami
58.    Grace Jones
59.    Twiggy
60.    Bettie Page
61.    Mario Testino
62.    Princess Diana
63.    Cher
64.    Sailor Jerry
65.    Herb Ritts
66.    Christian Louboutin
67.    James Dean
68.    Beverly Johnson
69.    Emilio Pucci
70.    Carrie Donovan
71.    Annie Hall
72.    Issey Miyake
73.    Joey Ramone
74.    Alexis Carrington
75.    Grace Kelly
76.    Janis Joplin
77.    Donald and Doris Fisher
78.    Daisy Duke
79.    Michael Jordan
80.    Patricia Field
81.    Robert Smith
82.    Gwen Stefani
83.    Louise Brooks
84.    David LaChappelle
85.    Astrid Kircherr
86.    David Yurman
87.    Mary Pickford
88.    Amy Heckerling
89.    Anjelica Huston
90.    Jacob the Jeweler
91.    Richard Blackwell
92.    Tyra Banks
93.    Dov Charney
94.    Irene Castle
95.    Yuko Shimizu
96.    Thom Browne
97.    Chris McMillan
98.    Eddie Plein
99.    Rachel Zoe
100.   Anna Nicole Smith
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Articles
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The 100 Most Influential People in Fashion

Written by Alicia on
Zimbio's 100 Most Influential People in Fashion There are a number of factors as to why we dress the way we do. Constraints of what we can afford, what's socially acceptable, and for many, the way we'd like to be perceived all play a role. And there are people: those who created the clothing, those who popularized it, those who artfully captured its relevance, and those who moved it into mass production. Whether we can cite the individuals who have affected the way we dress, we have all, in some way, borrowed from a long history of groundbreakers, trendsetters, and visionaries. Zimbio's list of ... Read Full Story

Fashion Influential #1: Levi Strauss

Written by Alicia on
A man and a woman modeling Levi's classic denim jeans. Photo via Daylife.com . LEVI STRAUSS Born: February 26, 1829 in Bavaria, Germany Died: September 26, 1902 in San Francisco, California. Fans: Marc Jacobs, The Nakash Brothers, Calvin Klein, Guess? Diesel. You'd be hard pressed to find a celebrity who doesn't wear denim. Beginnings. Levi Strauss (born Löb Strauß) was born in Bavaria, Germany but left for the United States when he was 18. In the U.S., he changed his name to Levi and moved to San Francisco, where the Gold Rush was booming, bringing along with him buttons, scissors and fabric that he ... Read Full Story

Fashion Influential #2: Hubert de Givenchy

Written by Alicia on
Designer Hubert de Givenchy and actress Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany's . Photos via Museu del Perfum.com and UKOnline . HUBERT DE GIVENCHY Born: February 20, 1927 ( 1927-02-2 Beauvais, France Celebrity fans: Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Gloria Guinness, Grace Kelly, Babe Paley Beginnings. Hubert de Givenchy started out in the fashion industry working for Robert Piguet and, later, for Lucien Lelong, where he worked alongside assistants Pierre Balmain and Christian Dior . He also worked with Elsa Schiaparelli before opening his own company, the House of Givenchy, in 1952. Career Highs. In 1953, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and an entire ... Read Full Story

Fashion Influential #3: Coco Chanel

Written by Alicia on
Designer Coco Chanel in one of her signature jackets. Photo via CocoChanel-Blog.com . COCO CHANEL Born: August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France Died: January 10, 1971 in Paris, France Fans: Tom Ford , Audrey Hepburn , Rachel Bilson , Nicole Kidman Fan of: Herself. She was quoted as saying: "There have been several Duchesses of Westminster. There is only one Chanel." Beginnings. Coco Chanel (born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel) lived for seven years in an orphanage after her parents died, and it was there that a seamstress taught her how to sew. Once she turned 18, she left to work for a tailor and began ... Read Full Story

Fashion Influential #4: Louis Vuitton

Written by Alicia on
Russian model Natalia Vodianova poses in Paris in a Louis Vuitton advertising campaign for the Women's Spring/Summer 2008 collection. Photo via Ce.Cn . LOUIS VUITTON Born: August 4, 1821 in Achay, Jura, France Died: February 27, 1892 in Paris, France Labels owned by LVMH: Belvedere, Hennessy, Moët et Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Louis Vuitton , Fendi, DKNY, Emilio Pucci, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs , Guerlain, Sephora Fans: Audrey Hepburn , Uma Thurman , Victoria Beckham , Scarlett Johanssen , Chloe Sevigny , Paris and Nicky Hilton Beginnings. Louis Vuitton was born in Jura, France, but he famously moved to Paris the very old-fashioned way: on foot. ... Read Full Story

Fashion Influential #5: David Bowie

Written by Alicia on
Singer David Bowie attends the Vanity Fair 2007 Tribeca Film Festival Party at the Courthouse on April 24, 2007 in New York City. (Getty Images) more pics » DAVID BOWIE Born: January 8, 1947, Brixton, London, England Fan of: Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol, Velvet Underground, dramatic arts Also Known As: Ziggy Stardust, The Thin White Duke Net Worth: $900+ million Beginnings. Calling David Bowie a fashion icon is not only cliche but perhaps one of the biggest understatements in this entire series of Fashion Influentials . Bowie has influenced so many people over such a long period (five decades and counting), that those he ... Read Full Story

Fashion Influential #6: Claire McCardell

Written by Alicia on
images via fashion encyclopedia and papier doll CLAIRE MCCARDELL Born: May 24, 1905 in Frederick, MD Died: March 22, 1958 in New York City, NY Inspired: Donna Karan, Cynthia Rowley, Isaac Mizrahi Innovations: zippers, spaghetti straps, ballet slippers, tweed evening coats, jersey dresses, drawstrings Beginnings. As a child, Claire McCardell noticed the clothes she wore were terrible for everyday activites like playing with her brothers. When she entered design school at what is now Parsons, she brought with her the idea of crafting clothing for utility and purpose, as well as aesthetics. Career Highs.  McCardell avoided Parisian fashion shows, which helped her develop a ... Read Full Story

Fashion Influential #7: Eileen Ford

Written by Alicia on
Ford Models' Super Model of the World grand prize winner from the Ukraine Natalyia Gotsky accepts her award from Ford Models founder Eileen Ford at the Ford Models' Super Model of the World contest at the New York Public Library January 20, 2004 in New York City. (Getty Images) more pics » EILEEN FORD Born: March 25, 1922, Great Neck, NY Discovered: Christie Brinkley, Carol Alt, Cheryl Tiegs, Kim Alexis Currently Represents: Chanel Iman, Lydia Hearst, Bar Refaeli Not Fan of: John Casablancas Beginnings. In 1947, a pregnant Eileen Ford worked as a secretary for two of her model friends in New York City ... Read Full Story

Fashion Influential #8: Elvis Presley

Written by Alicia on
Elvis Presley Born: January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi Died: August 16, 1977 Fan of: Gospel singer Jake Hess, Hank Snow, Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubbs, Ted Daffan, Jimmie Rodgers, Jimmy Davis, Bob Willis. Fans: Marty Wilde, Cliff Richard, Johnny Hallyday, Adriano Celetano, Bobby Solo Records sold: Unknown. Graceland reports over a billion. Beginnings. In terms of being a groundbreaker, Elvis is on the forefront. He’s broke ground before groundbreaking was invented. What comes before groundbreaking, anyway? Whatever it is, that’s Elvis. Without his contributions to popular culture, we’d all probably be wearing monochrome jumpsuits right now. In 1954, Elvis pioneered the ... Read Full Story

Fashion Influential #9: Yves Saint Laurent

Written by Alicia on
Fashion great Yves Saint Laurent. Image via thehuffingtonpost. YVES SAINT LAURENT Born: August 1, 1936, Oran, Algeria Died: June 1, 2008, Paris France Popularized: Le Smoking Suit (a tuxedo suit for women), the beatnik look, thigh-high boots, safari jackets, peacoats, leopard print, etc. Fan of: Betty Catroux, Talitha Pol, Katoucha Niane, Iman, Laetitia Casta, Catherine Deneuve Fans: Catherine Deneuve, Paloma Picasso, Lauren Bacall, his mother Beginnings. Yves Saint Laurent , like his design contemporary Karl Lagerfeld , won first prize in an International Wool Secretariat competition in 1954 for his sketch of a cocktail dress. His win led to an interview with Christian Dior, ... Read Full Story
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