So, you’ve spotted the ‘V’ in Loewe. And now you’ve spotted it, you can say it properly. But correct pronunciation of a name isn’t much good unless you know the meaning behind it. To help you tell your Raf Simons from your Gosha Rubchinskiy, and your Incotex from your Vetements, we’ve compiled this handy, easy-to-follow guide of who’s who in fashion.
Alessandro Michele
The man [header image, right] responsible for
Anthony Vaccarello
Hedi Slimane’s successor at Saint Laurent has some big shoes to fill. Vaccarello did stints at Fendi and Versus Versace before arriving at the famed French fashion house, and so far seems to be maintaining Slimane’s rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic. Watch this space.
Brunello Cucinelli
From humble beginnings (he was born a poor farmer’s son), Italian designer Brunello Cucinelli became a leading figure in menswear, making his name on quality cashmere. These days, however, he’s just as known for tailored staples that can easily flit between smart and off-duty.
Craig Green
One of London’s hottest tickets, Craig Green is best known for his avant-garde take on men’s traditional uniform. Wide legs, earth tones and some fairly left-field fashion shows can all be attributed to Green, and he’s gone from emerging designer to rising star as a result.
Demna Gvasalia
Georgian fashion designer Demna Gvasalia [header image, left] heads up Parisian design collective Vetements (see below), and is in no small part responsible for sparking a trend for luxury streetwear, slouchy silhouettes and post-Soviet chic. Plus, he’s managed to bag a creative director gig at Balenciaga on the back of it.
Edward Enninful
This Ghananian-born British stylist is a breath of fresh air on all fronts. Not only was he one of the first fashion directors of colour at i-D magazine, he was also the youngest. Since then, Enninful has forged himself a career that’s won him styling credits in the likes of The Sunday Times Style and W magazine, as well as a recent OBE appointment.
Fabio Zambernardi
Miuccia Prada may be the face of her eponymous brand, but it’s far from a one-woman show. Fabio Zambernardi has been Mrs. Prada’s longtime collaborator, working across Miu Miu and Prada menswear; he’s often lauded as the driving force behind the brand’s commercial success.
Gosha Rubchinskiy
Post-Soviet cool is having a moment. And for that, we’ve to thank Gosha Rubchinskiy. The Russian designer, who was recently taken under Commes des Garçons president Adrian Joffe’s wing, has become one of the biggest names in ‘affordable’ luxury. Not dissimilar to Supreme in terms of cult-like following.
Hood By Air
Launched by Minnesota-born designer Shayne Oliver, Hood By Air is not one for wallflowers – lots of longline, lots of branding and lots of skin-exposing cut-outs. Still, Hood By Air is partly responsible for the surge in streetwear’s popularity in recent years, and counts both Rihanna and Le1f as fans.
Incotex
Despite having a name that makes it sound like a logistics company up north, Incotex is in fact an Italian heritage brand that boasts over 60 years in the industry. It’s weathered trends by sticking to the basics: durable, well-cut and high-quality chinos.
Jonathan Anderson
While you may not have heard of Jonathan Anderson, you probably have heard of the two labels he designs for: Loewe and J.W. Anderson. His namesake label is admittedly more of a challenging wear, but menswear’s current penchant for loose fits is almost certainly influenced by his runway shows.
Kris Van Assche
Another little-known figure behind a big-name brand, Kris Van Assche is creative director at Dior Homme, responsible for the brand’s entire menswear output. By proxy, he (and his SS16 collection) is partly responsible for the floral trend.
Maria Grazia Chiuri
The former lynchpin of Valentino for 17 years, Maria Grazia Chiuri is now the first woman ever to steer the good ship Dior.
Natalie Massenet
Founder of Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter. Changed online luxury shopping by convincing designer brands to sell online, making their wares fair game for everyone outside the major shopping capitals.
Raf Simons
Raf Simons [header image, center], the revered Belgian designer, has done something of a triple jump career-wise. After beginning in furniture, he spawned his own label (lots of minimalism), jumped to Dior and now heads up Calvin Klein. Which makes sense, considering he loves clean lines and shapes.
Tim Blanks
The editor-at-large of fashion industry title The Business of Fashion, Blanks is a leading fashion journalist, often seen sitting front-row. While some of his more florid seven-line sentences can baffle even the most learned of fashion writers, he’s still one of the most respected critics working.
Vetements
Love it or hate it, Vetements is undoubtedly the brand of 2016. Famous for waders and collabs (everyone from Juicy Couture to Jimmy Choo), its infamous DHL T-shirt and ‘May the bridges I burn’ hoodie have ignited a huge resurgence in sloganwear and continue to polarise fashion types the world over.
