Born: Marc Roger Maurice Louis Bohan in Paris, 22 August 1926. Education: Studied at the Lycée Lakanal, Sceaux, 1940-44.
Born: Thomas Franklin Brigance in Waco, Texas, 4 February 1913. Education: Attended Waco Junior College; studied in New York at the Parsons School of Design, 1931-34, and the National Academy of Art; studied in Paris at the Sorbonne and at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiére, Paris.
Founded: by tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and entrepreneur Gaetano Savini in via Barberini, Rome, in 1945. Company History: First men's tailored clothing show, Palazzo Pitti, Florence, 1952; launched accessory line, 1952; first men's runway show in New York, 1954; first show in Britain, 1959; manufacturing company, Brioni Roman Style, launched in Penne, Italy, with 45 workers, 1960; neckwear collection launched, 1979; Penne factory established tailoring school, 1980; first American freestanding Brioni store opened, Park Avenue, New York, 1982; company acquired Burini of Bergamo, 1991, and controlling interest in Sforza of Bologna, leather creator, 1994; ready-to-wear line, Brioni Roman Style, produced in Penne, Italy; first sportswear-only freestanding store opened, Aspen (CO), 2000.
Born: New York City, 10 January 1928. Education: Studied art, Syracuse University, New York, 1947-49, fashion design and illustration, Parsons School of Design, New York, 1949-50.
Established: in New York as Brooks Clothing Company by Henry Sands Brooks, 1818; renamed Brooks Brothers, 1854. Company History: First American firm to market such staples as the button-down collar shirt and polo coat; has also sold womenswear from 1940s; opened womenswear department in own New York store, 1976; sold to Marks & Spencer, Plc.
Born: New York City, 21 September 1954. Family: Married Nicholas Barker (divorced); married Nicholas Alvis-Vega.
Founded: in 1936 by designer Bruno Magli and siblings Marino and Maria; Company History: Moved out of basement and into factory, 1947; opened first retail store, 1967; U.S. operations formed by Rolf Grueterich, mid-1970s; began franchising retail locations, 1980s; gained notoriety and increased sales during the O.J.
Founded: in 1856. Originally a draper's shop in Basingstoke, Hampshire, founded by Thomas Burberry (1835-1926), and specializing in waterproof overcoats.
Born: Newark, New Jersey, 15 September 1943. Education: Philadelphia Museum College of Art, 1961-62; fashion design, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, 1964-66.
Founded: in 1973 as a division of Genny SpA. Company History: Independent company formed, circa 1983; designers have included Versace and Guy Paulin; principal designers, since 1981, Alan Cleaver and Keith Varty; collections include Byblos Uomo, 1983, Byblos USA, and Options Donna, 1985, Vis á Vis Byblos, 1986, and Options Uomo, 1988; Cleaver and Varty dismissed, 1996; Richard Tyler debuts first collection for Byblos, 1997; Tyler and Byblos end relationship, Richard Barlett takes over as creative director, 1998; Barlett leaves Byblos, 2000; Martine Sitbon hired as women's creative director and Sandy Dalal as men's creative director, 2001.
Born: Jean Louis Henri Bousquet in Nïmes, 30 March 1932. Education: Studied at École Technique, Nïmes, 1951-54.
Founded: in Florence, 1982, by Mauro Calugi (born 1941) and Danilo Giannelli (1957-1987). Company History: Incorporated, 1984; renamed Danilo Giannelli, SpA, circa 1987; principal designer, Mauro Calugi.
Born: Rome, 2 December 1930. Education: Attended Liceo Artistico and Accademia di Belle Arti, Rome, 1947-50.
Born: Son of French parents, born in San Andrea da Barbara, Italy, 2 July 1922. Education: Studied architecture, Saint-Etienne, France.
Born: Henrietta Kanengeiser in Vienna, 1889. Family: Married third husband, John Zanft, in 1928.
Founded: Established by Mme. Carven Mallet in Paris, 1945; Company History: Launched Carven Scarves and Carven Junior lines, 1955; introduced Kinglenes and Kisslenes sweater collections, 1956; neckwear collection, 1957; swimwear, 1965; furs, 1966; jewelry, Ma Fille children's line, and blouse collection, 1968; opened Monsieur Carven boutique, Paris, 1985; also designed uniforms for Air India, SAS, Aerolineas Argentinas, and Air France; merged divisions in reorganization, 1995; hired Angelo Tarlazzi as artistic director, 1995; purchased by French perfume company Daniel Harlant, 1998; Edward Achour named artistic director and designer, 1998.
Born: Ghana, 24 May 1956. Education: Trained at Tailor and Cutter Academy, London, 1974-75, St.
Born: Oakland, California, 1915. Education: Studied at the Art Students League, New York, and also in Paris.
Born: Oleg Loiewski in Paris of Russian parents, 11 April 1913. Raised in Florence; adopted mother's family name, Cassini, 1937.
Born: Of French parents in Casablanca, Morocco, 28 November 1949. Education: Attended Catholic boarding schools in France, 1955-66; studied law, Faculté de Droit, Limoges, 1966-77.
Founded: in 1907 by John C. Bentz as Bentz Knitting Mills, manufacturing underwear and sweaters; renamed Pacific Knitting Mills (1912), Catalina Knitting Mills (1928), and Catalina, from 1955.
Born: Pau, France, 24 October 1932. Education: Studied fine arts in Paris.
Born: Biella, Italy, 1930. Career: General manager, family textile firm (founded 1881), Fratelli Cerruti (Cerruti Brothers), Biella, Italy, from 1950; introduced Hitman men's ready-to-wear line, 1957; introduced knitwear line, 1963; first menswear collection presented in Paris, opened Cerruti 1881 boutique, Paris, and launched unisex clothing line, 1967; added women's ready-to-wear, 1976; helped create fashion revolution on Miami Vice television show, 1980s; designed costumes for some 150 films, including The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Philadelphia (1993), and Pretty Woman (1990); appeared in Cannes Man (1996); sells controlling interest of company to Italian company Fin.part, 2000; Fin.part buys remaining interest and forces Cerruti out, 2001.
Born: 25 September 1939 in New York. Education: Studied design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, 1959-61.
Born: Huseyin Caglayan in Nicosia, Cyprus, 1970. Education: Highgate School, London; St.