In a scenario when creative directors or artistic leads barely spend a season at design houses before they’re handed the pink slip, there have been exceptional design names, who’ve injected their creative prowess into nurturing brands and turning around their fortunes. Reconciling creativity with commerce, and brand ethos with their distinctive personalities, these dynamic individuals have left a body of incredible work making these brands desirable, cool and profit-making. Here’s the lowdown on some of these distinguished names.
By Manish Mishra
Karl Lagerfeld – Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld was truly a force of nature who resurrected design houses like Chanel, Fendi and Chloe—making them relevant for the new-age fashion consumer. From infusing a new lease of life into Chanel in the ’80s to injecting his playfulness into Fendi and Chloe, Lagerfeld’s creative energies were unmatched. Since his appointment at Chanel, he reinterpreted the fashion codes of the French luxury house—reworking the styles from the context of the demand at the time, and how the client’s taste was evolving. From extrapolating denim (a textile looked down upon by Gabrielle Chanel) to crafting the Boy bag (named after Chanel’s boyfriend Boy Capel) to staging the extravagant Chanel showcases at the sprawling Grand Palais in Paris—Karl’s vision, passion and innovation knew no end. From creating a Chanel supermarket to staging a showcase around a massive lion figure (Chanel’s sun sign) to recreating a garden reminiscent of Versailles to staging a sensational Paris-Bombay Chanel Métiers d’Art showcase (2011/12)—Karl’s work can be defined either by a word or in a book with several volumes.
Tom Ford – Gucci
Tom infused unapologetic sex and brazen oomph into Gucci which was primarily seen as a leather goods company back in the day. As creative director of the house from 1994 until 2004, he rooted for uninhibited sexiness, sending out risqué silhouettes and a fusillade of provocative crotch-led campaigns, which may have shocked some but definitely ushered in a windfall for the Italian luxury house. Tom’s runway showcases aligned glamour with insouciance, va va voom with wearability. Think cut-outs and cleverly placed metal hardware, along with silky shirts unbuttoned almost to the navel. Moreover, his suits tailored in glistening velvets eclipsed the red carpet seen on the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow. Gucci’s sales spiked with revenues of $500 million in 1995.
Alber Elbaz – Lanvin
Soft femininity, romanticism and a craft-centric approach to design are some of the phrases which come to mind when one looks back at Elbaz’s work for Lanvin. The designer’s masterful extrapolation of exposed seams and zippers effortlessly offset the poetic femininity exuded by his dresses. His unsparing attention to the craft of dressmaking and dexterous handwork made each Lanvin collection a celebration of empowered femininity. At Lanvin, Elbaz catalysed a number of collaborations with other companies, including a limited edition cosmetics range with Lancôme and a capsule collection for Swedish high street retailer H&M in 2010. In honour of his tenth anniversary as creative director of Lanvin, Elbaz released a book in 2012 featuring over 3,000 images, peppered with the designer’s own short narratives and musings.
Matthieu Blazy – Bottega Veneta
A graduate of La Cambre in Brussels, Matthieu Blazy started his career as a men’s designer for Raf Simons, before joining Maison Martin Margiela to design the ‘Artisanal’ line and the Women’s RTW show; he then went on to become a senior designer at Céline, before working again with Raf Simons at Calvin Klein from 2016 to 2019. However, the fashion world discovered his magic after he was appointed RTW design director at Bottega Veneta in 2020. Since then he’s been dazzling clients and critics with each showcase—be it the hugely anticipated runway shows or his cheekily shot campaigns. From languid tailoring to tassel detailing to his playful take on the house classic intrecciato bags—Blazy is having fun and Bottega has easily become a darling brand for the elusive fashion palate. Earlier this year, Blazy signed up internet sensation Jacob Elordi as an ambassador, where he mimicked a bunny rabbit—suggestively nodding to his critically acclaimed role in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Cashing in on the playful theme at the brand’s latest SS25 fashion show, Blazy ditched ordinary seating in favour of 60 beanbag chairs inspired by Zanotta’s Sacco and the animal world.
Maria Grazia Chiuri – Dior
Since her arrival at Christian Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri has been inspiring Dior addicts with her specific vision of cerebral chic. The sales have always been up across all the categories she looks into. According to reports, Dior Couture reached sales of €9.5bn in 2023, up from €8.6bn in 2022. Her Spring 2017 ready-to-wear debut featured silhouettes inspired by gender-agnostic fencing costumes and ‘We Should All Be Feminist’ tees, which had the whole luxury landscape take notice. This wasn’t a Dior of towering heels and bias-cut dresses but a new socio-cultural dialogue on women’s rights and freedom. Empowering and enchanting in equal measure, her body of work makes for an intriguing study. Helming a global juggernaut like Dior is surely a daunting task. However, Maria has managed to silence her critics, churning out collections which pretty much stay loyal to the Dior archive and are also commercially viable. From reimagining the Dior Bar jacket to recreating the house’s signature bags with artistic influences to joining creative forces with multidisciplinary artists like SAGG Napoli (for Dior Spring Summer 2025), for Maria, the future is female—whether it’s the women of her atelier or the toffee-nosed ladies she dresses.
Anthony Vaccarello – Saint Laurent
Unbridled sensuality, androgynous allure and post-dark glam—these are the three key attributes central to both Anthony’s and YSL’s creative universe. Since his appointment at the luxury house in April 2016, the Belgian-born designer has been creating magic season after season. Honestly, a match made in artistic heaven! From rekindling Yves’ signature Saharrienne jacket to reimagining the house’s Holy Grail – Le Smoking to sending shockwaves with his bold and rebellious ad campaigns starring his muses and friends like Kate Moss, Bella Hadid and Anja Rubik—Anthony has always stayed true to the founder’s vision of assertive femininity while lending the house his own sensual touch. From exemplifying impeccable mannish tailoring techniques to recontextualising the signature YSL bohemian looks with indulgent nods to Yves’ country house in the scenic Marrakech—Anthony has easily made Saint Laurent his own.
Phoebe Philo – Celine
A thinking woman’s designer, purveyor of stealth chic and clever sexiness—perhaps all this and much more may aptly sum up the artistic worldview of Phoebe Philo. The visionary designer, who inspired a generation of working women, spent 10 years as creative director at LVMH-owned Celine. Transforming Celine from a sleepy bourgeois label into a much-copied global fashion force that generated $900 million in annual sales, according to analyst estimates, she made her exit in 2017. Her remarkable designs steeped in minimalist aesthetic, created a legion of fans or “Philophiles”. Her singular vision and ability to craft wearable pieces with an unexpected surprise made the Celine show into one of Paris Fashion Week’s hottest tickets. In an interview, Philo shared with British Vogue, “I felt it was time for a more back-to-reality approach to fashion, clothes that are beautiful, strong and have ideas, but with real-life driving them.” Philo won British Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2010, for the second time. In 2011, Philo received the International Award at the CFDA Fashion Awards and in 2014 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.
Sarah Burton – Alexander McQueen
Following his tragic death in 2010, Lee Alexander McQueen’s longtime colleague Sarah Burton was entrusted with continuing the iconic designer’s legacy. Having worked with McQueen for 14 years, Burton took a slight departure from the house’s aesthetic while respecting its iconoclastic codes. Growing up in Manchester followed by moving to London to study at Central St Martins, Burton completed a placement year at Alexander McQueen in 1996. She returned following her graduation and was named head of womenswear design after just two years, in 2000. Burton created the Princess of Wales’s ivory lace wedding gown, which became more talked-about than any dress designed by Lee McQueen. In fact, she has remained the princess’s go-to designer for high-profile events, including Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle, in 2018, and for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last year. She evolved the house of Alexander McQueen into a modern luxury powerhouse by proving her mettle in all categories—men’s, women’s and accessories collections. From a savoir-faire-led approach to design to immaculate tailoring to dramatic surface texturing—Burton’s work ensured McQueen stayed ahead of the curve.
Alessandro Michele – Gucci
In January 2015, Gucci appointed a new leadership team, President and CEO Marco Bizzarri and creative director Alessandro Michele. This partnership went on to reap game-changing dividends for the parent company Kering. In a stroke of genius, Michele singlehandedly reimagined the brand’s approach to luxury fashion, focusing on a new direction for its aesthetic and image. Thereby entered men in lace and feathers, Gucci loafers came embossed with snakes and an array of headline-grabbing collabs with artists like Ignasi Monreal. Only three years later, Gucci was displaying record revenue growth (+45% in 2017) and had become a cultural sensation, with Alessandro Michele well on his way to social media stardom. Magpie gowns, bejewelled trouser suits, sequinned capes and pussybow collars, all made their presence felt in a flurry of runway shows (some were even held at cemeteries) and campaigns shot featuring the likes of house collaborators—Harry Styles, Jared Leto and Florence Welch.
Virginie Viard – Chanel
After 30 years, including the last five years as artistic director, Virginie Viard left Chanel this year. Viard was appointed artistic director in 2019 after Karl Lagerfeld died. In the past five years, Viard has attempted to make the brand youthful, pared-back and accessible, taking a departure from the larger-than-life theatricality synonymous with the Lagerfeld era. From laying emphasis on shorts, from micro versions to bermudas, to toying with camellias as appliques on jumpers and recalling Coco Chanel’s seminal works in cinema history, Viard’s collections respected the hallowed codes of the house while also embodying a free-spirited, street attitude. In fact, some of the ensembles reflected Viard’s personal style, an unmistakable Parisian street cred with a touch of the exuberant 1980s. During her tenure as creative director at Chanel, Virginie Viard helped the brand achieve record revenues of almost $20 billion in 2023.
Olivier Rousteing – Balmain
Over the course of his decade-long tenure at Balmain, the designer has transformed the brand into a profit-making venture, turning his sceptics into believers. Since he arrived at Balmain in 2011, he has become the face of the brand. With over 7.4 million followers on Instagram, his own glamorous yet relatable persona has worked wonders for the brand. He became not only the youngest creative director in Paris since Yves Saint Laurent for Christian Dior but also one of the first Black designers to helm a luxury fashion house. A true visionary, he could see the potential of social media and reality TV stars before anybody else could. He embraced social media and influencers with great gusto splashing them in his campaigns. He featured Rihanna in her first luxury fashion campaign in 2013 and, a year later, Kim Kardashian, alongside Kanye West, in theirs. Every Balmain showcase is like a music concert with the who’s who of showbiz gracing the front row.
Alessandro Sartori – Zegna
After more than a decade of design experience at Z Zegna and Berluti, in June 2016, Sartori returned to family-run Italian luxury giant Ermenegildo Zegna Group as artistic director, a newly-created role in which he oversees all Zegna brands and creative functions at the world’s largest luxury menswear brand. With over 500 mono-brand stores, Ermenegildo Zegna is one of the largest luxury menswear brands in the world. The company has also extended its menswear dominance into perfume, rolling out men’s cologne and fragrances for the Spring-Summer 2019 season. Sartori’s collections are always textile-centric and exemplify the versatility and beauty of cashmere with tailoring rooted in inventiveness. His double-collared blazers, collarless anoraks, the new “Il Conte” jacket and the newly created Triple Stitch™ “Monte” and soft satchels have elicited a great response. He’s stayed true to the quiet luxury aspect of the brand and lent each collection a fresh update steeped in inventive design.
Fausto Puglisi – Cavalli
Fausto Puglisi was already a red carpet darling before he took over Roberto Cavalli in October 2020 as creative director. Think Baroque embellishments, cutout details and bodycon dressing and you’ve nailed his designs. And this formula is working well at Cavalli too. According to reports, the sales of ready-to-wear have since more than doubled. There are currently 17 standalone Roberto Cavalli boutiques in operation—Puglisi says that high-spending vacation hotspots such as Ibiza and Saint-Tropez are particularly strong performers—and two more (in Los Angeles and Dubai) are set to open before the end of this year. Womenswear currently accounts for 70 per cent of apparel sales and direct-to-consumer channels (which the company is pushing to grow) account for around half of the business. At the recently concluded Milan Fashion Week, paying a tribute to the late Roberto Cavalli, Puglisi’s showcase for the brand included 62 looks, many of which were presented by Cavalli’s favourite models, including Mariacarla Boscono, Alek Wek, Isabeli Fontana and Eva Herzigova. Among the highlights of the show were Cavalli’s signature mermaid and bodycon dresses.
Nicolas Ghesquiere – Louis Vuitton
Resonating with the avant-garde spirit of the Maison, Nicolas Ghesquière continues his creative journey after ten years with Louis Vuitton, in an ongoing expression of his signature feminine aesthetic. From the iconic Petite Malle, GO-14, and LV Twist bags to the audacious Archlight sneaker, the artistic director of Women’s Collections has embarked on an inspirational path, revealed in his show retrospective – spotlighting a decade of emblematic archive creations. During his decade as artistic director of the Maison’s Women’s Collections, Nicolas Ghesquière has never ceased to surprise with his exceptional creativity and visionary spirit, establishing himself as a key artisan of Louis Vuitton’s unprecedented growth. In a press release Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s Chairman and CEO shared, “I am immensely proud to collaborate with Nicolas Ghesquière who is a true creative genius. His redefinition of the Women’s Universe at Louis Vuitton, including a sharp new ready-to-wear silhouette, iconic models of leather goods and shoes, and numerous astounding destination shows, has contributed in no uncertain terms to the Maison’s success over the past decade. I am very much looking forward to continuing to pave the future of Louis Vuitton together.”
Julien Dossena – Rabanne
For nearly ten years, as artistic director of Paco Rabanne, Julien Dossena has been infusing the label with his radical take. Reimagining Rabanne’s signature chain-mail designs and clashing them with prints and embroideries, his take is more wearable, fresh and mixed with a degree of surprise. In 2019, Dossena announced that he would be showing his first menswear collection, with future plans to expand into make-up. The Summer 2024 sees the addition of the archival Rabanne 1969 bags adorned with colourful raffia fringing, gobstopper ‘pampille’ pendants and golden medals. Dossena has been instrumental in the recent rebrand which unites its ready-to-wear, bestselling fragrances (including Fame and Calandre) and the new extension into beauty. The latter includes the Rabanne make-up collection of space-agey silver-coloured tubes of mascara and lipstick, and compacts with highly pigmented eyeshadows, with make-up artist Diane Kendal on board as beauty creative director.
Daniel Roseberry – Schiaparelli
Barely a year after taking creative control at Schiaparelli, Roseberry dressed Lady Gaga for the latter’s performance of the national anthem at US President Joe Biden’s inauguration. The custom look—a red ball skirt and a fitted black jacket with a golden dove—was made bulletproof for the occasion. The addition of the dove brooch made a powerful statement for peace, with many even comparing the brooch with the Mockingjay of The Hunger Games. Easily a key moment in his career which cemented Schiaparelli as a brand to look out for. Also worth mentioning here is Bella Hadid’s red carpet look at the Cannes—a sleek wool crepe gown with its plunging neckline and the gold-toned necklace covering her breast. Adapted from Schiaparelli’s Fall 2021 collection, it featured the human bronchial network—the webwork of hundreds of airways that deliver oxygen to our lungs—a bold fashion statement indeed.
Hedi Slimane – Saint Laurent and Celine
One of the most controversial designers today, whatever Hedi touches becomes either gold or bestselling. According to Kering (the luxury conglomerate that owns Saint Laurent), sales doubled to a staggering $800 million during the designer’s tenure. Fashioning YSL into a symbol of cool and desirable, he succeeded in creating something both aspirational and commercially viable. Inspired by music, the LA youth scene and also by his personal style, he focused on reworking closet staples such as plaid shirts, leather jackets, skinny jeans and Chelsea boots. Hedi’s runway shows have always resembled live music performances with fans showing up dressed to the nines and grooving to the music they listen to, breathe and live. At Celine too, he gave an unmistakable Hedi potion—skinny tailoring, pussybow collars, cardigans and micro shorts. He went on to add stationery, headphones, pet accessories, other lifestyle products and Celine Beauté, the first cosmetics line in the house’s history. Celine and Hedi have parted ways but nobody can nix the designer’s contribution.
Nadège Vanhée – Hermès Femmes
Nadège Vanhée worked as a design director at The Row when Hermès brought her in as the artistic director of women’s ready-to-wear. A decade later, she’s still going strong collection after collection. When you work at a luxury house where the DNA is strong and powerful, it could be a challenge to live up to Maison’s mammoth legacy but Nadège has made it so simple. She’s time and again proposed a timeless closet with indulgent nods to the house’s equestrian heritage and grounded in contemporary intuition. Elegant and ergonomic, each ensemble, separate and accessory, embraces the culture of contemporary living through its luxe utility.
Valentino – Pier Paolo Piccioli
Piccioli first joined Valentino in 1999 alongside former collaborator Maria Grazia Chiuri, having previously worked in Fendi’s accessories department. A prolific working relationship with Chiuri—who is now creative director of Dior womenswear – saw the duo take over from Alessandra Facchinetti in 2009, beginning a critically applauded and commercially successful era at the brand. The ‘Rockstud’ accessories range, which became a rage since their launch, is still in demand. After Chiuri’s departure in 2016, Piccioli actually made his presence and vision felt like never before. From an intelligent use of colour and theatrics to fashioning dramatic yet feminine silhouettes – particularly in his haute couture collections – he crafted some of the most memorable runway shows of the last decade. Especially worth mentioning is an exceptional couture showcase which took place on the Spanish Steps in Rome in 2022. A proponent of runway diversity and inclusivity and also devoted to his atelier, each of his couture dresses was thoughtfully named after the artisan who created it. Another noteworthy moment was an entirely pink collection titled Pink PP. During his 16-year tenure as creative director at Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli grew the Italian fashion house’s revenue to €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion). Piccioli left the brand in March 2024.
Demna Gvasalia – Balenciaga
Demna Gvasalia took over as artistic director of Balenciaga in October 2015 and with his first collection for the brand which debuted at Paris Fashion Week in March 2016, he had both critics and clients under his spell. In an interview with The Business of Fashion, Demna explained, “We all met and realised how frustrated we were. We started to lose a sense of fun in fashion. We feel it is inevitable and crucial to create contemporary clothing. We are having a dialogue with today. The most important ingredient for us is the reality, what our woman wears to feel good.” Democratising fashion with inclusivity and witticism, his runway showcases and collections have always been at the crossroads of culture, society and the realities impacting us. From the Triple S sneakers to the Speed Trainer sneakers to the City bag to the Le Cajole bag to the Chunky sandals—he has redefined ugly chic making it instantly desirable. When he arrived at Balenciaga, sales hovered around $350 million. By 2022, sales surged to about $2 billion!
John Galliano – Maison Margiela
The low-key John Galliano took over at Margiela in 2014 and has been enchanting the style cognoscenti with his incredible artistic energy. A recent example being Margiela SS ’24 couture which was a walk through the underbelly of Paris in the late-19th-century Paris of prostitutes and gamblers. The show resembled a soul-searing Toulouse-Lautrec painting, with nipped-waist silhouettes, full-skirt sheer dresses, and exaggerated Edwardian hats that brought back to mind the shapes from Galliano’s Dior Fall 2005 couture show. He reimagined yesteryear’s characters with unconventional lives and jobs and stories playing out their lives in Paris. Galliano’s magic continues to enthrall the fashion set and nothing can decimate it.
Jonathan Anderson – Loewe
Anderson was appointed creative director of the Loewe fashion house in 2013, after LVMH acquired a minority stake in the JW Anderson brand. In 2015, he became the first individual to be awarded both Womenswear and Menswear Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. In 2018 he was appointed to Loewe’s Board of Directors. His Loewe Spring-Summer 2023 womenswear collection was a smash hit as it sent out 3D, pixelated garments inspired by the IRL Minecraft world and the metaverse. With 3D stitching, short one-piece dresses, trousers and hoodies were amplified to the max, creating a sense of virtual reality in a physical environment. Over the years, the brand’s digital push managed to seduce and shock the followers. There’s always been an element of surprise, for instance, when Jonathan cast the 89-year-old Dame Maggie Smith in the brand’s campaign (Maggie Smith passed away recently).
Riccardo Tisci – Givenchy
Over his 12 years there, Tisci designed Givenchy’s womenswear, couture and, beginning with the spring/summer 2009 season, menswear collections. It was hard to overlook an overarching Catholicism in Tisci’s body of work. Having grown up Catholic in Southern Italy, he sublimated Givenchy with religious iconography throughout his time there, using Madonna-and-child motifs on T-shirts and sweatshirts. Also came in animal prints, such as Rottweilers and panthers, throughout his collections — as well as florals. “People call me a Gothic designer — I don’t think I am,” Tisci told the New York Times’s Cathy Horyn in 2007. “I love romanticism and sensuality, maybe because I come from a family with eight sisters. I’m also a person who is very emotional. I like black, I like white. I never like what’s in the middle. And the runway is where I try to transmit this.” Tisci’s designs also referenced several subcultures like the Victorian Chola girl, Hindu Mandala motifs and Eye of Horus prints. Moreover, he added to the drama of his showcase with statement-making face jewellery. His creations became a sensation on the red carpet seen on the likes of Michelle Obama, Cate Blanchett and Julia Roberts. Since his arrival in 2005, the sales revenue is believed to have grown to around 500 million euros ($539 million) annually.
Véronique Nichanian – Hermès Hommes
The creative force behind the Hermès men’s universe for an incredible 35 years, the 69-year-old artistic director’s long tenure has surpassed that of her contemporaries at other storied Parisian ateliers. Every season, she tries to reimagine the men’s wardrobe with a twist, experimenting with textiles, and mixing natural fabrics with futuristic technology. Season after season, she’s tried to view the symbolic elements of the masculine wardrobe from a contemporary and new perspective. Hermès represents luxury, longevity and timelessness and Nichanian’s collections embody these values. Crafting clothes that are well made in excellent materials, she’s lent a newness to menswear while staying true to the spirit of the Maison. Today the fashion world is abuzz with talks of embracing sustainable practices, but Nichanian has been an eco-conscious crusader for a while now. Creating timeless pieces in leather and cashmere which stand the test of time and stay relevant unencumbered by trends, she’s stayed true to the DNA of the French luxury house ingrained in mindful luxury.
Kim Jones – Dior Men
Ever since his arrival at Dior Men, Kim Jones has lent the heritage brand his own vibrant touch while honouring the spirit of the founder—Monsieur Dior. From reimagining the men’s saddle bag to bringing back totems and influences which were close to Christian Dior like the lily of the valley—Kim Jones’ Dior Men is playful, wearable and desirable. In his incredible tenure, he’s forged artistic collaborations with artists across the world. For his latest spring/summer 2025 collection that he showed in Paris Jones worked with the South African ceramicist Hylton Nel. For the Dior Men’s show which marked Kim’s fifth anniversary, the designer showcased tweedy, textured cardigans and double-breasted car coats textured with the house motif—the Cannage. Dior’s tweed jumpers worn with the matching tweed shorts evoked instant desirability. Each Dior collection is an artistic bridge between the past and the present and Kim’s relentless push on applying Dior women’s couture techniques into menswear tailoring has been the icing on the cake.