DONATELLA VERSACE
Before becoming the head of the Versace empire, Donatella Versace's field of study was literature and languages in Florence, Italy. She worked with her brother Gianni Versace as a muse and valuable critic for the brand. A year after Gianni Versace's death, Donatella took over as head of the Italian fashion brand and presented her first haute couture show for Atelier Versace.
VIRGIL ABLOH
The former creative director of Louis Vuitton holds a master's degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. Despite not having an art background, Virgil Abloh's passion for fashion proved that 'nothing is impossible'.
In 2009, he interned at Fendi with Kanye West. Virgil Abloh's fashion career expanded when he launched the "Off-White" brand that centered around streetwear in 2012.
RAF SIMON
The Belgian-born fashion designer started his artistic career with a major in interior design at Genk. Attending a Paris Fashion Week show, Raf Simon discovered his love for fashion. To pursue his dream, he taught himself how to sew and design menswear. Raf Simon released his eponymous brand "Raf Simons" about three years later.
PIERRE CARDIN
Pierre Cardin's previous field of study was architecture, hence the French-Italian fashion designer was noted for his space-age style that carried his distinctive personality: geometric patterns and architecture. The "Pierre Cardin" brand was established in 1950 and the first haute couture collection debuted three years later.
VERA WANG
Vera Wang was a professional figure skater. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in art history from the University of Paris and Sarah Lawrence College in New York. In 1972, Vera Wang became the youngest fashion editor of Vogue and served as the Design Director at Ralph Lauren after her 17 years with Vogue. The "Vera Wang" brand was born from her struggles to find a wedding dress for herself when she was getting married and unable to find one that suited older brides.
