Designers List
Acne
Ambition to Create Novel Expressions
ACNE Jeans is not a reference to pubescent fashion, but the denim branch of Stockholm-based design firm ACNE, an acronym for Ambition to Create Novel Expressions. The denim line was launched 1997 when ACNE designed 100 pairs of jeans to distribute to friends and family and their popularity meant the collection was released to the public the following year.
Adam Kimmel
Alessandro Dell' Acqua
Alexander Wang
High-end for the high-street
Originally from the Bay Area of San Francisco, Alexander Wang has a Chinese-American family heritage. He moved to New York at 18 and studied at the prestigious Parsons Design School where he interned for designers, including Derek Lam and Marc Jacobs. His designs are clean and pure, yet complex and quirky, with a strong street edge. He is based in New York City.
Andrew Gn
Fine tailoring, bows and floral touches
Hailing from Singapore, Andrew Gn (rhymes with pen), arrived in Paris to serve time at Emanuel Ungaro and Balmain before launching his eponymous label, which has been celebrated for fine tailoring cut from luxurious fabrics. His creations are not for the faint-hearted as his designs celebrate colour and flirt with fur, embroidery and appliqué.
Angelo Katsapis
Time to shine
Hailed as the designer to watch in 2008, Australian Angelo Katsapis worked as senior designer for Georgio Armani's womenswear and VIP clients and was responsible for the launch of the debut Armani Privé haute couture collection. Spring/summer 2008 saw him launch his own label where his show-stoppingly glamorous gowns crafted in hand-painted French fabrics and lined in silk have been grabbing international headlines.
Angelos Figus
Azzedine Alaïa
A Tunisian House in Paris
It was in 1980 that Tunisian born Azzedine Alaïa was awarded Best Designer of the Year by the French Ministry of Culture. From then on he was celebrated as the 'King of Cling', as Tina Turner, Madonna and Rachel Welsh stepped out in his seductive creations. Today Alaïa commands an international fashion empire from Paris where he has brought his atelier, two boutiques and an exclusive three-room hotel under one roof in the chic neighbourhood of le Marais.
Balmain
The new look revealed
Once the house of choice for Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren and Marlene Dietrich, Balmain fell into disrepair following the death of its founder Pierre Balmain in 1982. Its renaissance came in 2005 when Christophe Decarnin was crowned creative director and revived Balmain to once again appear on the red carpet, this time on a new generation of talent, which included Audrey Tatou and Sophia Coppola at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
Bamford & Sons
A lifestyle brand made for the modern British man
For Classic British luxury, Bamford and Sons knows how to deliver. Their standards of quality, craftsmanship and fine detailing are unrivalled. Crisp linins, bleached cottons, cashmere vests appear amongst there fine designs.
Berny Demore
Bracher Emden
Bling fest bags
Since Richard Emden and David Bracher began producing accessories, some of the world's most sartorially confident, style-leading celebrities such as Beyoncé Knowles, Cameron Diaz and Eva Longoria seem unable to walk out of their front doors without brandishing a Bracher Emden bag of maximalist hardware: armour plating for the sexy-chic in-crowd. For these are bags with bells on: not to mention with crystals, leather butterflies, leather lacing and appliquéd exotic skins and padding and tassels and chains.
Brian Atwood
Carlos Miele
Carolina Herrera
Fashion royalty
Carolina Herrera launched her eponymous fashion label in 1981, encouraged by legendary former editor of Vogue Diana Vreeland to give platform to her personal style. The Herrera look sprang from the spicy combination of a childhood spent in aristocratic Venezuela and as a young mother who had made it consistently onto the International Best Dressed List for nine years from 1971 in Manhattan. Herrera was initially inspired by Cristobal Balenciaga, and today her formidable fashion empire encompasses diffusion and perfume ranges.
Collette Dinnigan
Glorious gowns
In 1990 Collette Dinnigan launched her own label and by 1995 had become the first Australian-based designer to show a ready-to-wear collection in Paris. Famous for her handmade, embroidered, sparkling evening-wear, Dinnigan's achievements in the fashion industry have been recognised with countless awards; not least when she was honoured with a stamp issue by Australia Post as part of their Australian legends 2005 campaign.
Coquelicot
Costume National
De Couture
Couture arm candy
Belgian Vinciane Stouvenaker and Italian Massimo Mariotti joined creative forces when Stouvenaker moved to Italy with a mission to design haute couture bags. Unique collections are inspired by classic bag shapes and materials but are given unique twists with the addition of modern metals and design techniques.
Derek Lam
Ship-shape design
After graduating from Parsons School of Design, Derek Lam spent twelve years at Micheal Kors before launching his own label in 2002. Like his mentor, Lam's fashion designs explore the boundaries of functional attire, and he is known to work with stiff fabrics that mould geometric silhouettes around the wearer's body. These are contrasted by pretty, feminine prints and shapes that accentuate waists and the female form.
Development by Erika Davies
Diane von Furstenberg
It's more than a wrap
Princess, Warhol model, jetsetting businesswoman, Studio 54 party girl, mother, grandmother, fashion icon and fashion mogul: Diane von Furstenberg wears all these mantles as comfortably as she wears the wrap dress that made her a fashion legend and an inspiration to women the world over. Of her spring/summer 2008 collection von Furstenberg says:'Called "Under the Volcano" it is the fantasy of every woman to escape to an exotic island. Inspired by Bali, it is free, beautiful and colourful'
Diego Dolcini
The architect of shoe design
Following a position as creative director at Gucci for men's and women's shoes and collaborations with Dolce & Gabbana, Emilio Pucci and Bruno Magli, it was time for Diego Dolcini to go it alone. A degree in architecture has long inspired Dolcini's attitude to shoe design and his much coveted eponymous line heels are glamorous, structural works of art in themselves.
Doma
To tame
Doma is the Spanish work for ‘tame’ and was born as a fashion label in 2002 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fresh detailing and innovative cuts have meant that the brand is now recognised as a world leader in leather design.
Drifter
Edidi
Bejewelled bags
Wendy Lau founded Edidi in 2000 in New York. Her bejewelled evening bags and clutches involve an astounding amount of careful handiwork; an average of over 2000 pieces of Chaton diamond shaped crystals and semi-precious stones are set or wired on every bag in over a dozen separate procedures. Lau's artisan approach results in the ultimate glamour accessory.
Elie Saab
Red carpet rules
Born in the flash of a camera bulb exploding, Elie Saab's fashion creations came to life for many on the night of 25 March 2002 when Halle Berry triumphed at the Academy Awards, emerging as the first African-American woman to win the Best Actress Oscar. Internationally celebrated for his couture and ready-to-wear, Saab has become the darling of the red carpet and a visionary pioneer of true glamour in the fashion world.
Erdem
Erica Davis
Erickson Beamon
A girl's best friend
Vicki Beamon and Karen Erickson run their jewellery design partnership as an international tour de force. Beamon came to London from Detroit, Michigan via a decade in New York where she played with Andy Warhol's Factory crowd. Erickson still lives and works in Manhattan, but Beamon settled in London's quaint Pimlico with Philip Treacy as her neighbour. The shop is a regular port of call for the world's most glamorous women who covet trinkets and Erickson Beamon's exclusive diamond collection.
Erotokritos
Paris chic
Greek-Cypriot Erotokritos studied in San Francisco before settling in Paris and launching his label in 1994. Celebrated for his use of colour which embodies Parisian chic, by 1996 he had opened his first eponymous boutique. 2007 saw him open a second one in the trendy Marais District.
Fred Perry
From tennis whites to printed streetwear
Former tennis player and three-time Wimbledon champion, Fred Perry turned to fashion and made his mark as a leading designer.The brand crossed boundaries from sportswear to streetwear, and the Fred Perry laurel logo rapidly became a status symbol for British youth culture.
future classics
Giambattista Valli
Fashion superstar
After cutting his fashion teeth as senior designer at Krizia and fashion and prêt-a-porter art director at Emanuel Ungaro, Giambattista Valli was more than primed to launch his own label. By 2005 his creations were striding down the runway on a regular seasonal basis and celebrities such as Penelope Cruz, Mischa Barton and Victoria Beckham were being snapped in them on the red carpet. Flowing chiffon, striking shapes and fearless colours are Valli signatures setting him on an astral path of success.
Gina
Ultimate glamour
Gina was established in 1954 in London by master shoemaker Mehmet Kurdash. His dream was to create glamorous handmade shoes and bags and he named the company after his muse, movie icon Gina Lollobrigida. Designing shoes had been a family tradition since 1893 and today Mehmet's sons, Attila, Aydin and Altan Kurdash are the combined talent who create by hand the lasts and heels, using skills passed down from generation to generation.
Guia La Bruna
Tradition and romance
Guia La Bruna's grandfather founded a factory in Turin which has been producing lingerie since 1935 so it was perhaps natural propgression that, following her studies at Paris's Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Décoratifs, La Bruna would take up the creative reigns. She raided the archive and reworked classic patterns giving them an exclusive and luxurious twist, woven using vintage lace and trims found in old storerooms. The result is a sensual lingerie collection with a romantic spirit.
Halston
Hari
Lifestyle apparel
With Madonna as a fan and Daisy Lowe modelling the spring/summer 2008 collection, Lainey Sheridan-Young’s active, sportwear brand Hari is the ultimate in fashionable active-lifestyle clothing. Lainey worked as a fashion stylist, PR and sales agent before launching her own British lifestyle collection whose mission is to provide clothing for any independent woman who wants to look good in one outfit that can be worn at the gym or the yoga class as well as during lunch or to a meeting.
Hudson
Fancy footwork
Hudson is a London based shoe brand that's got its finger (or should that be toe?) firmly pressed on the pulse of style. Having collaborated a few years back with musician Paul Weller to come up with a limited edition shoe called the Chrome (a high patent lace up), in 2004 it launched the H range at a slightly more affordable price point. Hudson is also the official shoemaker to the Arsenal football team. Which is some fancy footwork indeed.
Issa
Glamour girl
Daniella Issa Helayel, designer and founder of Issa, was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and lived in New York for eights years before relocating to London in 2000. Her colourful signature is apparent in the unique prints and vibrant tones used to create her collections.
J Brand
A brand apart
To create a combination of sexiness and style in women's jeans while allowing their wearer's to feel comfortable has ensured that J Brand (the brand of Jeff Rudes and celebrity stylist Susie Crippen) fans include Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and Angelina Jolie.
Jonathan Kelsey
Karl Lagerfeld
Fashion history in the making
Throughout his career, an element of ‘Karl’ is visible in all Lagerfeld’s endeavours. His design collaborations read like a Who’s Who to the fashion world and include Balmain, Chloé, Fendi and Chanel. He has designed under his own name, while continuing to oversee the collections at other famous houses, since the early 1980s and his long career includes creating the show costumes for the tours of Madonna, Kylie Minogue and pursuing his passion for photography.
Katy Rodriguez
Art, architecture and fashion combine
San Francisco native Katy Rodriguez, had already co-founded renowned vintage store Resurrection in Los Angeles and New York, and designed a capsule collection with artist Raymond Pettibon, before launching her own eponymous fashion label in 2005. The launch collection featured dresses inspired by history, with modern interpretations. Use of rare silks and an architectural approach to tailoring ensured Rodriguez’s place as an established favourite with celebrities and the international fashion press.
Kotur
Clutching dreams
With a name like Kotur, it was very apt that Fiona Kotur Marin launch a specialised line of bags and accessories. Inspiration came from vintage brocades found during travels in Asia. In 2006 Kotur was commissioned by Aerin Lauder to produce a special Oscar goodie bag for the 78th Academy Awards, ensuring a multitude of red carpet stars started to be seen out with Kotur bags and accessories which now extend to matching espadrilles.
Lara Bohinc
Material girl
Citing 'Russian constructivism, Japanese graphic prints, nature and architecture, industrial processes and the naked body' as her inspirations, Lara Bohinc has built an accessories range that captured the imagination of her illustrious fans. Madonna and her cohort of dancers wore Bohinc's 'Rachel' sunglasses for her 2006/07 tour, including the much publicised MTV Awards.
Lauren Merkin
Bags of fun
New York based Lauren Merkin makes bags for every occasion. Colourful day bags and more delicate evening pieces have established the company as a pioneer in versatile arm candy.
Liberty of London
London Denim
London attitude
Designer Simon King founded London Denim in 2001 and captured the attention of the fashion world by creating customised designs on his denim. Using 14 ct gold plated buttons and rivets across a range of blue and more vibrantly coloured think cyan, magenta and sunflower - denim, King has made London Denim one of the most luxurious streetwise brands on the block.
Luella
Post-modern punk
After creating the Gisele bag with Stuart Vevers for Mulberry, Luella marked her own position at the cutting edge of fashion with collections given such memorable names as 'Daddy, I want a pony' and 'Daddy, who are the Clash?' Her fashion shimmers with the irreverence of the punk era: slogans and safety pins serving as reminders of an angry youth. But Luella's collections also possess a playful notion of fashion; the colour pink is always present in key pieces.
Made in Heaven
Dream fit
Made in Heaven jeans were originally created in the 1960s and named after their mission to create the ultimate fit, flattering denim. Jane Birkin and Farah Fawcett Majors were style icons of the time seen wearing the brand owned by Tony Lonsdale and his model wife Chekkie Maskell. Recently their daughter Chloe Lonsdale revisited the archive and relaunched Made in Heaven for the modern girl. The philosophy stays the same.
Maharishi
Combat king
As one of the UK's most influential fashion labels Maharishi is the pioneering label that put combat trousers on everyone from Oasis to politicians with their nifty stitched leg motifs. Their approach to clothing took casualwear onto the catwalk, and even the red carpet.
Maia N
It's in the bag
Polish Lebanese sisters Maya and Joanna Nakhle create bags that reinforce the wearer's femininity. Maya's qualifications from Central Saint Martin's and Joanna's degree in gemmology put the sisters firmly on the glamour accessories map and Maia is the Middle East ambassador for Swarovski. Their travels have made the Maia N bag range popular with Queen Rania of Jordan, Princess Alia of Jordan, Queen Sophia of Spain, Princess Deena Abdel Aziz of Saudi Arabia.
Maison Requiem
House of dreams
Raffaele Borriello and Julien Desselle teamed up to pursue a mutual fashion dream after several years of working at Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Costume National. They believe in the traditions of Parisian couture; paying meticulous attention to detail and the quality of fabrics and cuts. Requiem's mission is to marry what they believe to be two extremes: Haute Couture and industrialisation, and they achieve this through cut, style and tailoring.
Marc Jacobs
Maker’s Marc
"It's indifference that bores me," Mark Jacobs maintains, and his fashion items are far from dull, with oversized shapes, bright colours, empire lines and layered textures that have made him popular with celebraty fans. His range extends now to menswear and includes a range of footwear.
Martin Grant
An Australian in Paris
Martin Grant departed from his native Melbourne, Australia in 1990 bound for London where he joined Idol before learning the art of bespoke tailoring from Koji Tatsuno. Two years later he arrived in Paris and by 1996 had opened his first outlet and Lauren Hutton and Cate Blanchett became fans and customers. Grant's designs celebrate the art of fine tailoring and he loves to strike a balance between sharp geometric, sometimes military, lines rendered in a palette of neutral shades and emphasizing the body's natural curves.
Mawi
All about fashion
Indian-born, London-based Mawi calls herself a fashion accessories designer rather than a jeweller: 'My collections reflect runway trends', she says. This season's big bracelets mirror the voluminous direction seen in clothing and Mawi has mixed gold-plated skulls with oversized vintage clasps, crystal and acrylic to give a chic perspective to her funky-punk signature style.
Mayle
Chain mail
Former model Jane Mayle opened her eponymous boutique in New York's NoLita neighbourhood in 1999. Despite her lack of retail experience Mayle's collection flew out the door and trend setters such as Sofia Coppola began to flock to her for delicate dresses, woollen cardies and sweet cotton tops. The spring/summer 2008 collection is inspired by the colour and flowers of Mexico from pinaidas to funerals.
McQ
McQueen on trend
You can always trust Alexander McQueen to be on-trend and fashion-forward, but his spring/summer 2008 diffusion line McQ is also a timely comment on 2008 as the year of the Olympic Games being held in Beijing. The collection is inspired by the spirit of competition and wearing McQ this season means literally sporting gymast dresses for girls or hoodies for boys. Many looks are emblazoned with the Olympian motif or rhythmic gymnasts. Shine on.
Michael Bastian
American classic
Bastian's background as Bergdorf's men's fashion director, trained him to have an eye for fresh, classic and traditional American design that is now distilled perfectly in his slick men's daywear collection.
Missoni
Close knit family
A legendary love story between Ottavio and Rosita Missoni has spawned a fashion empire now three generations and a home-wear line old. The first Missoni collection walked down the runway in 1966 and was celebrated for its unique knitwear and textile patterns. Today this signature style has evolved under the influence of their daughter Angela who designs it and given birth to a perfume range fronted by granddaughter Margherita Missoni.
Moncler
Monique Lhuillier
Belle of the Ballgown
Founded in 1996, Monique Lhuillier took the bridal industry by storm with her high fashion gowns. Five short years later, her ready-to-wear collection was launched and Lhuillier became a firm favourite with stylists and celebrities the world over. Having dressed Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie, Meg Ryan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sharon Stone and Teri Hatcher among many others, Lhuillier's glamorous dresses have proved popular thanks to their classic elegance and enduring sense of style.
Mulberry
English heritage
With classic bags such as the Mabel and Roxanne, authentic English heritage leather goods manufacturer Mulberry has become a cult classic accessories range itself in the past few years, under the Creative Direction of Stuart Vevers. Even though Vevers has now departed, Mulberry is looking forward to an exciting season with a new creative at the helm.
Nathan Jenden
Star in the ascendant
Nathan Jenden was educated at Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art in London. He went on to work with John Galliano and Daryl K before becoming creative director at Diane von Furstenberg, a position he holds today. His striking, bold and dramatic designs have won him many admirers in the press and the fashion scene. He lives in New York.
Officine Creative
Officially creative
While Paris was under siege by furious students during the 1968 riots, a small factory in Italy started to produce shoes and became celebrated for the quality and craftsmanship of its woven leather styles and sandals. Fast-forward 30 years to 1998 and Mr Di Rossa senior launched a new line under the name Officine Creative with his son Roberto. The concept behind the brand is about achieving classic styles as advanced fashion solutions.
Oscar de la Renta
The Oscar of fashion
Following an apprenticeship with renowned Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga and time as couture assistant at Lanvin in Paris, Oscar de la Renta made New York his home and from there launched his eponymous label which today spans ready-to-wear, accessories, fragrances, cosmetics, home-wear and more. He is twice winner of the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year and was honored with a CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. De la Renta is internationally celebrated for his glamorous gowns and chic daywear.
Ossie Clark
Paul & Joe
Pioneering French chic
Parisian Sophie Albou named her fashion label after her two sons Paul & Joe when she launched the line in 1995. What started as a menswear collection expanded to womenswear two years later and in 2007, Albou celebrated a decade of international success as a womenswear designer whose fans include Kate Moss, Cameron Diaz and Helena Christensen. Quintessentially French, Paul & Joe is loved by women who adore Albou's chic sense of style and pioneering attitude to fashion every season.
Pauric Sweeney
The art of leather
Pauric Sweeney moved from his native County Donegal in Ireland to Florence in 2005 when he fell in love with the harmony between the past and present in this destination Italian city. The move also placed this internationally renowned creator of bags closer to the production as some of the world's best tanneries and leather factories are located nearby in the Tuscan countryside.
Philip Treacy
Phillip Lim
The one to watch
Following the launch of his debut collection in 2005, Phillip Lim was immediately recognised as the designer to watch with the clothes to wear. His work was snapped up by top international buyers and by 2007 he was honoured with the CFDA Swarovski Award for emerging talent in womenswear design. His strengths include sweet dresses that carry girls from working day to evening glamour and cleverly tailored coats and knits to dress down vibrant minis and sparkly baby-dolls.
Piatonna
Seductive style
Pia Tonna worked with such luxury brands as Chanel before launching her own line of glamorous bags in the autumn/winter of 2004. UK based and born to an English mother and Maltese father, Tonna's leather collection, which now spans both bags and a matching shoe line as well, is a seductive combination of English style and Mediterranean spice and spirit.
Pierre Hardy
Footwear maestro
Formerly with Hermés, Pierre Hardy kick-started his shoe career with Christian Dior in 1988, so brings together elements of haute style with a modern flair. Apart from his eponymous line, Hardy also designs footwear for Balenciaga. A celebrated footwear maestro, Hardy is the shoe designer of choice who is called upon by celebrities (such as Nicole Kidman) when they want a bespoke pair of heels to be created for red carpet events.
Pleasure Principle
Premiata
Raquel Moreno
Pretty things
Her collections are given names such as 'tea in the Sahara,' 'mah-jong' and 'paradise' so it is little surprise that Spaniard Rachel Morena's fine jewellery lines are inspired by travel and time spent working at Spain's most prestigious auction house where she learnt about gemmology and antiques. Using traditional enamelling techniques, Moreno's work combines delicate floral motifs rendered in vibrant colours. She also produces jewellery for men.
Repetto
Rika
Rosa Cha
Beach glamour
Seriously glamorous swimwear from Brazil, Rosa Cha uses lycra to full effect; tying, twisting cutting, binding and wrapping it around the female form for a highly charged beachwear style.
Rupert Sanderson
Colour, patent and heels
Rupert Sanderson is an alumni of the famous London cobbling college of Cordwainers and launched his first shoe collection in 2002. He previously worked with Sergio Rossi and Bruno Magli in Italy and today spends four months of every year in Bologna overseeing the production of four collections a year. Darling heels, clever flats and a fearless attitude to colour ensure Sandserson as a shoe designer to own and watch. Every shoe style is named after a variety of Daffodil.
See by Chloé
I see you, baby
See by Chloé, Chloé's diffusion line, subscribes to the baby-doll length but applies sophisticated touches with waists and trims.
Sigerson Morrison
The art of design
London born Miranda Morrison (sister of designer Jasper Morrison) and Nebraska-raised Kari Sigerson's eponymous label became famous when they launched the rubber flip-flop with a kitten heel. The girls now both live and design their main line and diffusion range called Belle by Sigerson Morrison in New York.
Stone Island
T Bags
T for two
Designers Shadi Askari and Su-Lyn Tay launched their label as a handbag range in 2000, but it was the mesmerising prints of their voluminous jersey dresses that really caught the attention of the international fashion world. Their success is in their versatility: a T-bags design is comfortable enough to wear casually during the day with flats but is easily glammed up with the addition of a pair of heels for something a little more red carpet.
Taka
International appeal
Izmir native Tania Eskinazi left Turkey to study fashion at FIT in NY and then lived in Los Angeles and Amsterdam where she developed the idea of a collection based on Ottoman and Turkish heritage with European fashion awareness and American spirit. Combining elements from three continents gave her work international appeal and, based once again in Izmir, Eskinazi created Taka to mix history, art and quality in beautiful womenswear.
Temperley
Fashion legend
Specialising in fabric technology and print, Alice Temperley's collections stand out for their glamour, craftsmanship and poetic beauty. Since graduating from London's Central St Martins College of Art and Design, Temperley has built up an internationally respected fashion empire and was recently named one of Britain's top 30 businesswomen. Her dresses are often snapped at red carpet events and Scarlett Johannson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts count amongst her fans.
Thom Browne
Thomas Wylde
Wylde about fashion
Thomas Wylde is the fictitious creation of ex-model Paula Thomas. The label is loved for its signature skull print motif, available on jersey dresses, sneakers and bags. Thomas brings imbues her chic designs, which include figure hugging leather gear with biker attitude to produce a collection that is the darling of some modern day rock'n'roll girls such as Lindsay Lohan and Kate Hudson.
Tibi
Pretty in print
It was Amy Smilovic's artist father who inspired her creativity to launch a fashion brand. She was living in Hong Kong in 1997 when Tibi was born, but has since moved back to the USA where she runs the business from Manhattan with her husband. Tibi collections are inspired by Smilovic's travels through Asia and Europe and her pieces are a vibrant expression of her love of colour and eye for detail.
Tippy K
Tom Binns
Punk couture
Originally Irish, Tom Binns was living in London when he created 'the Punk Couture' collection with Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren. Organic shapes, coaxed from precious metals are prevalent in his Classic collection, but golden safety pins show his witty, bad-boy edge is never far away. Other collections are called Modern Classic, Faux Real, Modern Chic and Real Deal. Now based in Los Angeles, Binns continues to produce exceptional, must-have jewellery pieces.
Triya
Twenty8twelve
More than a date
If one sister is a fashion designer with a reputation crafted on the tailoring rooms of Matthew Williamson, Anya Hindmarch and Shanghai Tang, and the other sister is a style icon and cover girl, it was perhaps inevitable that Savannah and Sienna Miller joined forces to launch their own fashion label twenty8twelve in 2007. The abstract name refers to Sienna's birth date, but there is nothing abstract about their on-trend collection.
U.N.I.T.Y
United
Franco-Italian designer JP Gassa launched U-NI-TY in 2004 as a label inspired by the vintage pieces he collects during travels to the flea markets of Paris, London, Tokyo, New York and Amsterdam. Whether of classic eveningwear or military origins, U-NI-TY embellishes original designs to create unique contemporary styles that are a modern interpretation of the fashion of eras gone by.
Unconditional
Whatever it takes
Interior designer turned event manager turned fashion/lifestyle consultant, Philip Stephens' collection, Unconditional started as a one-off line for his fashion/lifestyle consultancy, Concrete PR. Louis Boston, who loved the laid back edgyness of the line encouraged a world wide expansion of the collection. Jude Law, David Beckham, Brad Pitt, David Bowie and Madonna are all fans.
Vanessa Bruno
Unmistakable
Vanessa Bruno grew up in fashion; her father founded the French fashion house Emmanuelle Khan and her mother was a Danish model in the 1960s. Since launching her eponymous label at the age of 24, Bruno has become famous for blending materials to result in unique effects. Boiled wool, cotton and knits are just some of the textiles Bruno uses to create clothes that empower women. Fans include Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Vanessa Paradis.
VBH
Beyond bags
When the ex-president of Valentino, Victor Bruce Hoeksema, decided in 2000 to create his own uber-luxury brand, it was bound to have all the right ingredients to satisfy the style seeking appetite of today's fashionistas. Style, beauty and classical simplicity, blended with a touch of edge and excitement form the core of luxury accessories brand VBH.
Vera Wang
Bridal bliss
Vera Wang trained as a figure skater and then held a senior fashion editor position at Vogue for 16 years before launching her own line from a salon in New York's Carlyle Hotel selling what were to become her trademark bridal gowns. Wang's clients are as glittering a crowd as one of her creations. She is responsible for the wedding dresses of, amongst others, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Victoria Beckham, Sharon Stone, Uma Thurman and Holly Hunter.
Y3
Zac Posen
The House of Z
Zav Posen's fashion star has been meteorically ascending since he won first the backing of Sean Combs in 2004 and his first major runway show in the same year which resulted in the award for the CFDA Swarovski-Perry Ellis Award for Ready-to-Wear. 'Intelligent, flirtatious, femininity had emerged', commented Posen on his early success. And so had Zac and his enigmatic House of Z.
