Versace, Gucci, Prada ... the names that we hear announced as models walk down the runway are all too often Italian names or the names of other designers who have made their careers in Europe. There is no denying that there are amazing fashion designers in Italy and throughout the rest of Europe. But it shouldn't go unnoticed that there are also some really amazing - and well-known - fashion designers working right here in the United States.
Here is a brief look at ten of the best American fashion designers:
- Marc Jacobs is a fashion designer who is well-known for his work with the French fashion house Louis Vuitton. However, Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer who has produced lines of clothing out of New York which are well-respected in the industry. The fact that he's gone international just points to the truth that there are some great American designers.
- Vera Wang is an American fashion designer who is best known for her wedding dress collections. Hers is the kind of name that gets regularly mentioned in pop culture (think Sex and the City or Lipstick Jungle and you'll think Vera Wang). She is also embedded in the culture of Hollywood because of the fact that she has made wedding dresses for a number of celebrities including Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and Sharon Stone.
- Oscar de la Renta is one of those fashion designers that many people have no idea where he came from. He was originally born in the Dominican Republic and he has worked in fashion design all over the world. He is famous for some of the fashion design work that he did throughout Europe. However, if you have to get down to the basics, he is actually an American designer since his citizenship is here.
- Calvin Klein is a brand name that has changed a lot of the years. It was first launched as a line of coats for both men and women. It became famous as a brand of jeans that were high-end and oh-so-hot. And these days when you look at a Calvin Klein billboard you are probably going to see a super attractive model in Calvin Klein underwear. Throughout all of these changes, Calvin Klein has remained an American brand name.
- Kate Spade is one of the trendiest young designers out there. She is best known for her line of handbags but what is really cool about Kate Spade is that she's got accessories and raincoats and personal organizers and makeup and even a home furnishings collections. She's a do-it-all kind of gal for those DIY girls out there. And she was born in Middle America, working now out of New York.
- Ralph Lauren is best known for his Polo collection but he's produced a lot of different designs that always get attention because he is a leading international designer. He is also a designer that works from America and his brand is an American brand. He has over thirty five boutique stores that carry his clothing all over different parts of the United States.
- Anna Sui is a fashion designer that we sometimes forget is an American designer because of the fact that her designs are so popular all throughout the world. She has boutiques in a number of different countries and her work is particularly well-known and well-liked in Japan. However, despite this international appeal of her work, Anna Sui is very much an American designer. She was born in Michigan and has had a highly popular boutique store in Los Angeles for more than ten years. In addition to clothing design, Anna Sui has dabbled in shoe design and a fragrance collection.
- Donna Karan is the "DK" in the famous American fashion brand "DKNY". She was born in New York and continues to work in aspects of the company that she spent years developing. Her brand is recognized all around the world and is particularly popular here in the United States.
- Todd Oldham is a fashion designer born in Texas; what's a more American place than that? He is a unique designer whose most famous work might be the line of clothing that he produced in conjunction with the Batman Forever movie. In addition to his fashion design experience, he has experience in design for the home.
- Bill Blass is one of the most famous fashion designers to have ever come out of America and he came right from the heart of the country - Indiana. He has won numerous awards throughout the years for his many designs and even attained a lifetime achievement award at the end of the twentieth century. He died of cancer in 2002 but his designs continue to be important and influential to the industry to this day.
These are just ten of the famous American fashion designers who have done a lot of their best work in America. What they have in common is not just that they are from the United States but that they have chosen to continue to keep their brand an American brand even though they have gained international attention. They may have fans and boutique stores and even additional jobs in other countries but all of these fashion designers remain, at heart, American fashion designers.
In addition to these famous names, there are also thousands of independent fashion designers working in America today. Head to any major urban area in the United States and you will find it easy to find small clothing stores where creative people are putting their clothing designs on the rack for sale to others who like their style. This independent business spirit thrives in America and it allows for the American fashion design scene to differ greatly from the fashion scene of European and other countries throughout the world. The famous American designers cited above are people who give credibility to the American fashion scene but it is all those people working behind the scenes and on a smaller level who really drive the American fashion world!
