Honoring 25 Legendary Women in Fashion for International Women's Day

International Women's Day - 25 Legendary Women in Fashion

Honoring 25 Legendary Women in Fashion for International Women’s Day

At Love Happens we LOVE fashion to say the very least! So today as part of our week-long celebration of International Women’s Day and kickoff to Women’s History Month we are honoring 25 women who have legendary status in the fashion industry and each of whom is an inspiration to us for their business savvy and style alike! Ordered alphabetically because how could we possibly rank this group?!

Anna Wintour

Photo by David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons

Iconic fashion journalist-editor, Anna Wintour began as editor-in-chief of Vogue in 1988, today she serves as the Artistic Director for Condé Nast. Her mark on the fashion industry is legacy status.

Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz at her SF exhibition. Photo by Marc Silber of www.silberstudios.com via Wikimedia Commons.

Literally framing the history of fashion one shot at a time, Annie Leibovitz is arguably the most notable fashion photographer in the world. She got her start at Rolling Stone and has since taken the portrait of very prominent celebrities and public figures.

Betsey Johnson

Red Dress Collection 2007. Photo by The Heart Truth via Wikimedia Commons

Ending each of her fashion shows with a cartwheel, American fashion designer Betsey Johnson’s whimsical fashion designs are a direct extension of her personality – a key to attracting and maintaining her loyal customer base.

Carine Roitfeld

Carine Roitfeld at Paris Fashion Week ~ Louis Vuitton Show, 2014. Photo by Dustin Gaffke via Wikimedia Commons.

Former model, writer, muse to Tom Ford, and editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, Carine Roitfeld holds fashion legendary status. In 2012 she started her own fabulous magazine, CR Fashion Book.

Carolina Herrera

Photography by Christopher Peterson

A Venezuelan American fashion designer known for her regal and impeccable collections, Carolina Herrara built a fashion empire. Noted for dressing First Ladies, Carolina’s classic designs have graced Jacqueline Onassis, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump. In 2018 she passed creative reigns of her namesake brand to Wes Gordon.

Coco Chanel

Photo by Marion Pike, 1970 via Wikimedia Commons

Coco Chanel was a visionary, French couture fashion designer known for her ability to make masculine pieces feminine and is by far one of the most renowned names in fashion.

Diane Von Furstenberg

Photo by David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons

A fashion designer best known for her use of bold color and unique fits, such as her debut wrap dress which launched her career in 1974. Today in what Diane calls her “third-act” she is highly focused on using her voice to empower women around the world through philanthropy, mentorship, and The DVF Awards.

Donatella Versace

Donatella Versace at the 2010 Time 100. Photo by David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons.

Donatella Versace assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Gianni Versace in 1997 in accordance with his death. She has since overseen the production of dozens of collections each year for the fashion brand through which she leverages the power of her voice and the voice of fashion to send positive messages to women.

Donna Karan

Photo by David Shankbone, 2012 via Wikimedia Commons

After getting her start as the head fashion designer for Anne Klein at just the young age of twenty-six, Donna Karan branched out on her own to found DKNY making her a namesake in the fashion realm. In 2000, Karen sold to LVMH for an estimated $450 million.

Elsa Schiaparelli

Coco Chanel’s biggest rival, Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer that took inspiration from Surrealist painters. She was most known for her knitwear.

Kate Moss

Photo by Walterlan Papetti via Wikimedia Commons

One of the most iconic fashion models of the past twenty-five years. Kate Moss has been a muse to numerous fashion designers including Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs. She has also tried her hand in fashion design with collections for TopShop.

Kate Spade

Photo AP/Bebeto Matthews

Kate Spade is best known for her namesake brand of ultra-feminine women’s clothing, shoes, and handbags. She has since started a new company in 2016 called Frances Valentine.

Lauren Santo Domingo

Photo by Walterlan Papetti via Wikimedia Commons

A fashionista known for her impeccable style, Lauren Santo Domingo worked for fashion brands J Mendel and Carolina Herrera before branching out on her own in 2011 to co-found Moda Operandi, an e-commerce platform that allows customers to pre-order items almost directly from the runway.

Linda Fargo

Image via Bergdorf Goodman

The Senior Vice President of Bergdorf Goodman, Linda Fargo has that coveted role of deciding what pieces from the latest collections make the transition into the department store. Her window displays are sensational, she has created over 1,000 for Bergdorf over the years, each a stunning work of art!

Natalie Massenet

Natalie Massenet arriving for Stella McCartney Winter 2012 London. Photo by Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock.com.

Founder of luxury goods e-commerce platform Net-a-Porter, Natalie Massenet’s success story is one we most certainly admire. Her innovative editorial meets commerce sales approach via Net-a-Porter’s online magazine The Edit and print magazine Porter is one of the inspirations behind Love Happens. In 2010 Natalie sold Net-a-Porter for an estimated $80 million. Today she continues her business acumen on a new venture as co-chairman of fashion e-commerce platform Farfetch.

Rachael Zoe

Rachel Zoe at Donna Karan, 2010. Photo by Christopher Macsurak via Wikimedia Commons.

Stylist, fashion designer, and reality TV celebrity, Rachel Zoe defines what it means to be a Hollywood stylist. Rachel first rose to fame while dressing Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie.

Sara Blakely

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

From door-to-door fax machine saleswoman to the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, has singlehandedly changed the way women wear their clothes!

Sophia Amoruso

Photo by TechCrunch via Wikimedia Commons

After turning her vintage clothing shop on eBay into one of the fastest growing e-commerce sites, Nasty Gal, Sophia Amoruso decided to inspire female entrepreneurs by writing #GIRLBOSS, a New York Times best seller empowering young women to take their careers into their own hands.

Stella McCartney

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

This Beatle child has earned her own name in the fashion world, after divining in at age 16 with an internship at Christian Lacroix, Stella McCartney took the creative reigns at Chloé for four years and then struck out on her own in a joint venture with the Gucci Group.

Tamara Mellon

Photo via Tamara Mellon

One of the shoe industry’s female luxury shoe designers, Tamara Mellon, co-founder and former chief creative officer of Jimmy Choo is a successful businesswoman and model of women empowerment. Today the British designer has her own namesake collection

Tory Burch

Tory Burch 2009 Vanity Fair. Photo by David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons.

Known for her signature double-T logoed ballerina flats, Tory Burch has spawned a billion-dollar fashion empire that encompasses everything from shoes to ready-to-wear and perfume. She is also the founder of her namesake foundation which focuses on empowering women entrepreneurs through access to capital, mentoring and business training. #EmbraceAmbition

Vera Wang

Vera Wang and Donna Karan Ralph Lauren 40th Anniversary New York City. Photo by Christopher Peterson.

Bridal gown connoisseur, Vera Wang began her career as the youngest editor ever of Vogue where she spent 17 years. It wasn’t until age 40 and after 2 years working for Ralph Lauren that she launched her own collection. Since, Vera Wang has become a lifestyle brand offering a variety of fashion and home products.

Victoria Beckham

Photo via US Embassy London / Wikimedia Commons

Pop-star-turned celebrated fashion designer, mother of four and wife of soccer superstar David Beckham, Victoria Beckham is an inspiring female business success story

Vivienne Westwood

Photo by Mattia Passeri via Wikimedia Commons

A key player in bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream, British designer and political activist Vivienne Westwood is a fashion icon to say the least.

Yumi Katsura

Photo via Yumi Katsura

After beginning her notarized career in bridal in 1964, Japanese fashion designer Yumi Katsura popularized the Western bridal dress in Japan and went on to create endless haute couture gowns for women around the world. With a love for the design and craftsmanship behind her native countries traditional kimono Yumi, at age 85, continues on her mission to preserve and popularize the style.