Designer

Interior Designer

b. December 20, 1865
d. July 2, 1950

“I opened the doors and windows of America, and let in the air and sunshine.”

Elsie de Wolfe, later known as Lady Mendl, introduced the world to the art of interior design. She saw the home as a medium for self-expression.

The native New Yorker began her career as an actress before becoming a prominent figure in London and Parisian high society. After a decade in the theater, she shifted her creative energies to decorating. She started a business in 1905 and quickly landed her first big job: New York’s Colony Club, an exclusive new club for women.

As an interior designer, de Wolfe’s clients included Amy Vanderbilt, Cole Porter and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. She helped set the style for the world’s elite, introducing a light color scheme and chintz fabrics at a time when dark wood and heavy Victorian curtains were in vogue. She also helped popularize animal prints, faux finishes and chaise longues. In her autobiography, “After All,” she called herself a “rebel in an ugly world,” saying, “I opened the doors and windows of America, and let in the air and sunshine.”

De Wolfe regularly wrote for popular magazines of the day, such as Good Housekeeping and The Delineator. Her articles were assembled into an influential book, “The House in Good Taste” (1913), which became a best seller.

During World War I, she volunteered as a nurse in France and was awarded the Croix de Guerre for her heroism.

In 1926 at the age of 61, de Wolfe surprised many when she married Sir Charles Mendl, a British diplomat in Paris. Since 1892 de Wolfe had been living openly in a lesbian relationship with Elisabeth Marbury—a successful theatrical and literary agent, who became one of the first female Broadway producers. The women remained together until Marbury’s death in 1933.

Designer  

b. September 27, 1982

“Being able to make history is something I would have never thought I would do.”

Jason Wu is a fashion designer who became an overnight sensation when the first lady, Michelle Obama, wore one of his gowns to the inaugural ball in 2009. Mrs. Obama chose a Wu design again for the inaugural ball in 2013. 

Wu was born in Taipei, Taiwan. His parents, who own an import-export business, recognized Jason’s creative talent at age 5. His mother would drive him to bridal stores so he could sketch the dresses. He learned to sew by producing doll clothes.  

When Wu was 9, the family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. He attended Loomis Chaffee, a prestigious Connecticut prep school. At 16, he was designing doll clothes for Integrity Toys. A year later, Wu was named the company’s creative director. Wu attended the Parsons School of Design in New York. In 2004, he dropped out six months before graduation to intern for designer Narciso Rodriquez. 

In 2006, at age 24, Wu launched his own label and presented his first ready-to-wear collection. His clients include Ivana Trump, actresses January Jones and Kerry Washington, and RuPaul, for whom he designed six RuPaul dolls. In 2008, Wu was recognized with the Fashion Group’s International Rising Star Award. 

Ikram Goldman, of the Chicago boutique Ikram, introduced Wu’s designs to Michelle Obama. Wu created a sparkling white chiffon inaugural gown for her and submitted it to Ikram. Wu didn’t know until he saw the first lady on television that she had chosen his design. Wu, who was 26, became the youngest designer to outfit a first lady for the inauguration. “I was over the moon,” he said. “I didn’t think it was my turn yet.”

Wu’s inaugural ball gowns for Mrs. Obama are on display at the Smithsonian Institution. 

Jason Wu lives in New York City with his business partner and boyfriend, Gustavo Rangel. Wu has grown his label into an internationally acclaimed fashion brand. 

Actor

b. January 2, 1900

d. December 26, 1973

“Joan Crawford thought we should get married. I told her, that isn’t how it works in Hollywood. They usually pair men who like men and ladies who like ladies.”

William “Billy” Haines was one of the most popular silent and talking film stars of the 1930’s. He left show business when he refused to deny his homosexuality.

Haines grew up in Staunton, Virginia. At 14, he ran away from home with his boyfriend. In 1919, he started modeling in New York City. Haines won the Samuel Goldwyn Company’s “New Faces of 1922” contest and moved to Hollywood to pursue acting. Haines landed his first significant role in the silent movie “Three Wise Fools” (1923), and starred in “Midnight Express” (1924) and “Brown of Harvard” (1926).

In 1926, while visiting New York City, Haines met his future life partner, James Shields, and convinced him to move to Hollywood. Haines transitioned his career into talking movies, including “Navy Blues” (1929) and “Way Out West” (1930). In 1930, the Quigley Poll, a survey of film exhibitors, named Haines the top box office attraction in the country.

In 1933, Haines was arrested at a YMCA for indecency with a male sailor. MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer ordered Haines to enter into a marriage of convenience. Haines refused and was fired. His name was included in the Doom Book, which blackballed him from the film industry for being morally corrupt.

In 1936, Haines and Shields were dragged from their home and beaten by members of the Ku Klux Klan. The incident was never reported to police. The couple remained together for 50 years and established a successful interior decorating and antiques business. Clients included Joan Crawford, Betsy Bloomingdale, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan.

Haines died from lung cancer at 73. Shortly thereafter, Shields committed suicide. They lay side by side in Santa Monica’s Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery. Haines’s story was the focus of “Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The Life of William Haines” (2001).

Designer

b. April 24, 1952

"What is masculine and what is feminine, anyway? Why should men not show that they can be fragile or seductive?”

Jean Paul Gaultier is a world-renowned French fashion designer best known for his avant-garde and haute couture designs. He redefined traditional Parisian elegance.

Gaultier grew up in Arcueil, France. “I was a lonely child,” he says. “One day I decided my teddy looked forlorn and ugly so I made him a corset.” At 13, he designed a collection for his mother and grandmother. As a teen, Gaultier sent sketches to Paris designer Pierre Cardin and was hired as his design assistant. Gaultier worked for many French design houses, including the House of Patou.

After his designs were published in Mode Internationale, Gaultier started his own company and became the second designer in three decades to create couture under his own label. In his late 20’s, he became famous for his fusion of classic fashion and unconventional elements. He earned the name “enfant terrible” for his provocative designs.

After noticing that couture designers hid female curves, Gaultier reinvented the corset as an outerwear piece presenting breasts as an object of feminine power. On her Blonde Ambition tour, Madonna exclusively wore Gaultier designs, including the iconic torpedo bra.

In the 1980’s, Gaultier broke fashion stereotypes by featuring transgender, pierced and tattooed models. “There are different kinds of beauty,” he said, “and I always try to show that.” He challenged traditional gender roles by creating skirts, corsets and tutus for men. For one controversial show, female models smoked pipes while men wore transparent lace skirts.

He worked as creative director for Hermès and designed costumes for films such as “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover” (1989), “Kika” (1993) and “The Fifth Element” (1997). In 1995, Gaultier received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Stockholm Film Festival.

In 1987, Gaultier won the French Designer of the Year award and earned the title of Chevalier, one of France’s highest honors. In 2011, he received the Globe de Cristal for Best Fashion Designer.

Gaultier lives in Paris, where he continues to design his collections.

Fashion Designer/Filmmaker

b. August 27, 1961

“All I’ve done my entire life is fulfill my destiny.”

Tom Ford is a prominent creative entrepreneur whose accomplishments—first in the fashion world and later in the film industry—have earned him worldwide acclaim.

Born in Austin, Texas, Ford grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At 17, he moved to New York to study art history at New York University, but was smitten with fashion and design. He graduated with a degree in architecture from what is now Parsons The New School for Design.

His first foray into fashion was in Paris, where he interned for Chloe. He worked for American designer Cathy Hardwick next, before moving on to Perry Ellis.

Ford moved to Milan in 1990, where he served as Gucci’s head women’s designer. Two years later, he was named design director. In 1994, he became creative director of Gucci's Italian label. Ford is credited with turning around the historic fashion house in his short time at the company. In 2000, he was granted new responsibilities at sister label Yves Saint Laurent, where he served as the creative director for YSL Rive Gauche and YSL Beaute.

In 2005, Ford left Gucci and formed his own fashion brand, TOM FORD. Two years later, his flagship store opened in New York. By the summer of 2010, TOM FORD had opened 20 more stores worldwide. In addition to his remarkable financial success, Ford has won many prestigious awards, including five from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Ford’s lifetime ambition, however, was to make a film. He says, “I guess I’m just one of these people who when I decide I’m going to do something, I just do it.” In 2009, he wrote, produced, financed and directed “A Single Man,” an adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel. The movie centers on a gay man’s mourning over his partner’s tragic death. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for numerous awards, including a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for Colin Firth.

Ford lives with his partner of more than 20 years, journalist Richard Buckley, in their London, Santa Fe and Los Angeles homes.

Fashion Designer

One of the most noteworthy fashion designers of the 20th century, Yves St. Laurent is renowned for creating innovative trends that continue to influence style. 

Born in Oran, Algeria, St. Laurent first discovered fashion through the theater section of Vogue magazine, taking special interest in costume descriptions. 

St. Laurent was a target of bullying at school. He privately countered the taunts by saying to himself, “One day I’ll be famous,” and persisted in his exploration of the world of design.

In 1950, his first great opportunity arrived at age 21 when Christian Dior hired him after viewing his design sketches. St. Laurent spent the first year performing administrative tasks for Dior. His talent allowed him to quickly rise through the ranks, and he became the head designer of the company following Dior’s death in 1957. 

In 1958, St. Laurent garnered international attention with his first collection, which introduced the legendary trapeze dress. He achieved popularity experimenting with design motifs such as beatnik wear and ethnic patterns, becoming the first designer to introduce elements of pop culture into haute couture. 

In 1960, St. Laurent split with Dior to establish his own fashion house with lover and business partner Pierre Bergé. Under his own label, he set new standards for the fashion industry. He was the first high fashion designer to release a ready-to-wear line, and was among the first designers to hire black and Pacific Islander models. 

One of St. Laurent’s trademarks was to create feminized versions of menswear, such as tuxedoes, safari jackets and trousers, blurring traditional gender roles.  His work is widely credited with encouraging unique ways of self-expression. 

In 1991, St. Laurent came out to the French magazine Le Figaro. In 2008, he exchanged vows with Bergé in a civil union. St. Laurent died a few days later of brain cancer. A number of women attending his funeral wore trouser suits as a tribute to the designer’s legacy.  

Designer

Best known for his clothing and interior designs, Todd Oldham is the quintessential designer. He is regarded for transforming his youthful aesthetic into affordable style.

Oldham was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. His grandmother taught him to sew at age 9, and at 15, he designed his first dress. After high school, he moved to Dallas, where he found his first job in the alterations department of Polo Ralph Lauren.  Borrowing $100 from his parents, Oldham bought and dyed fabric, and created a small collection, which he sold to Neiman Marcus.

In 1989, Oldham launched his first clothing line. Two years later, he was honored with the prestigious Designer Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. Oldham’s young, vibrant approach soon landed him a regular segment, “Todd Time,” on MTV’s “House of Style.”  

In 1998, Oldham moved to New York. He served for three years as creative consultant to fashion house Escada while continuing to produce his own line. In 1999, he took a hiatus from couture to found L-7 Designs. This enabled him to branch out from clothing, taking on design in other forms.

Oldham was the architect and interior designer of The Hotel in South Beach. He has created affordable lines of clothing, homeware, and dorm room furniture for Target, and designed furniture and home accessories for La-Z-Boy.

In 2007, Oldham became the creative director for Old Navy. After his first quarter there, sales were up for the first time in years.  

Oldham serves as a mentor to the contestants on Bravo’s “Top Design.” He is the author of style and design books and books on artists, including John Waters, whose works inspire him. A philanthropist, Oldham serves on the boards of charities and conservation groups, including Bailey House, the oldest housing program in the United States for people with HIV/AIDS.

Fashion designer and entrepreneur

b. December 2, 1946

d. July 15, 1997

“In the past, people were born royal. Nowadays, royalty comes from what you do.”

With his larger-than-life designs and savvy business sense, Gianni Versace fused fashion and celebrity pop culture in unprecedented ways.

Versace’s career began as an apprentice in his mother’s tailor shop in Reggio Calabria, Italy. It was there that Versace learned about making clothes, transforming his mother’s lessons into his future fashion empire.

At the age of 25, Versace moved to Milan, Italy, where he designed collections for leading fashion houses. After six years, he launched his own label.

Versace oversaw the conceptualization of his label’s provocative campaigns and runway shows. He collaborated with American photographer Richard Avedon on Versace advertisements. He became the lead designer for Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi and Princess Diana, among others. Versace used his celebrity clients in print ads and on the runway, connecting haute couture to music, movies and media.

In 1988, Versace was named “the most innovative and creative designer in the world” by the jury of the Cutty Sark Award. In 1993, the Council of Fashion Designers of America honored him with the American Fashion Oscar.

Versace unabashedly embraced his sexuality, becoming one of Italy’s first public figures to come out. He worked closely with the Elton John AIDS Foundation and used his celebrity status to raise awareness.

On July 15, 1997, at the peak of his career, Versace was murdered outside his Miami home. His body was found by his partner of 15 years, Antonio D’Amico.

At Gianni's death, the House of Versace's estimated worth was $1 billion.