TH ESE DAYS , TOP FASHION DESIG N ERS MAY B E AS FAMOUS AS TH E STARS WHO WE AR TH EIR CLOTHES . THE LONG-STANDING NAMES ARE INTERNATIONAL IN E VERY SENSE, WITH STORES IN ALL THE WORLD S CAPITALS, AND THOSE OF YESTERDAY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN, HAVING MADE A LASTING IMPRESSION AND LEFT A LEGACY OF STYLE THE WELL-OFF and well-connected have always employed others to design and make their clothes, although the names of many dressmakers have been lost to history. In the Middle Ages, there were sumptuary laws , which stated that certain rich fabrics and embroideries could only be worn by the aristocracy to emphasise their status. It is known that Queen Elizabeth I, who owned 1,900 dresses at her death in 1603, was dressed by a tailor named Walter Fyshe who made ceremonial garments and farthingales for her. Another name that has come down to us is Rose Bertin, the dressmaker to the French Queen Marie Antoinette, who died in 1793. However, the father of haute couture as we know it today is generally agreed to be a 19th-century Englishman named Charles Frederick Worth. Based in Paris, he began as a draper but then became what we would now call a designer, sewing his own label into garments, setting fashion trends rather than simply taking clients orders and displaying his collections on live models. His wife Marie-Augustine was effectively the first professional fashion model . After Worth, who died in 1895, the most influential designers were Paul Poiret, who freed Edwardian women from corsets, Coco Chanel who pioneered the casual chic of the 1920s, and Elsa Schiaparelli, the first female designer to appear on the cover of Time magazine in 1934. One of the top names in both men s and women s fashion, Ralph Lauren began designing back in 1967, with his famous Polo line first appearing a year later followed by the womenswear line in 1971. He came from a modest immigrant family and grew up in New York. His clothes were featured in some of the most successful films of the era, such as The Great Gatsby (1974). The iconic pink linen suit worn by Robert Redford as Gatsby was one of his designs, as were the distinctive waistcoat and patterned tie worn by Diane Keaton in Annie Hall (1977). Fragrances for both sexes were marketed in the late 1970s and the brand continued to go from strength to strength in the new century. Ralph Lauren himself stepped down as CEO in 2015, but he still remains Executive Chair and chief creative officer. Married with three children, he is also known both for his philanthropy and for his magnificent collection of rare and luxury cars. His charity work is focused on both the prevention and treatment of cancer. In 2003, he opened the Ralph Lauren Centre for Cancer Care and Prevention in New York City, and in 2014 he became a partner in an initiative with London s Royal Marsden cancer hospital. His Pink Pony Initiative supports an international network of cancer charities. As for the cars he is said to own several Ferraris and Mercedes, a 1929 Bentley, an extremely rare Lamborghini and several Bugattis. His car collection has won Best in Show in the Pebble Beach Concours d Elegance twice. Best known now as a bridal wear designer , her gowns were worn by Chelsea Clinton, Victoria Beckham and Ariana Grande among others , Vera Wang originally planned a career as a figureskater and was devastated when, after training from childhood, she didn t manage to make the US Olympic team. Vera s parents were Chinese immigrants to New York. Her father was a businessman and her mother worked for the United Nations. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College and enjoying a summer job at an Yves Saint Laurent fashion store, she was chosen to be one of the youngest editors at US Vogue magazine, before becoming a designer herself. Although her bridalwear made her famous, she expanded her business into ready-to-wear, fragrance, jewellery and homewares. She has designed bone china tableware and crystal drinkware for the Wedgwood company since the turn of the century and more recently has specialised in gifts to celebrate life s magical moments including a Baby Piggy Bank and silver treasure boxes for special trinkets. Now in her 70s, she believes that working at something you love keeps you young and stimulated, insists on eight hours sleep at night, and enjoys a special vodka cocktail. Given the opportunity, she still finds time for skating as well, and says that her favourite sport is multidimensional ! Head designer at the Milan-based fashion house which bears her name, Miuccia Prada still lives in the apartment where she was born. The Prada company was founded by her grandfather back in 1913 and specialised at first in luxury handbags. Miuccia and her siblings inherited the company in the late 1970s and were joined by her husband Patrizio Bertelli. However, her career path was not the most obvious one. She attended the University of Milan where she studied political science, obtained her doctorate, and joined the Italian Communist party. At the same time, she studied mime at the local Teatro Piccolo and worked for five years as a mime artist. She was also active in the women s rights movement of the 70s and 80s. By that time, the Prada brand had expanded into women s ready-to-wear fashions, with their menswear label following in the 1990s. While other fashion houses such as Jil Sander and Helmut Lang were taken over; Miuccia founded her own Miu Miu label in 1992 based on her personal wardrobe (and given her own nickname!), featuring less expensive garments. She also designed the costumes for the New York Met production of the Verdi opera Attila in 2010. Fondazione Prada, co-chaired by Miuccia Prada and her husband and business partner Patrizio Bertelli since 1995, is an institution dedicated to contemporary art and culture in Milan. The couple have two sons, the elder of whom is rally driver Lorenzo Bertelli. When asked for the secret of her success she says: “Youneed “tobecurious and never stop studying!” RALPH LAUREN MIUCCIA PRADA VERA WANG JILL ECKERSLEY