Born: New York City, 6 November 1943. Education: Studied at Parsons School of Design, New York University, and the American Craft Institute.
Born: Hannah Golofsky in Brooklyn, New York, 7 June 1923. Education: Studied art at Girls' Commercial High School, New York, and fashion at Traphagen School, New York, 1937-38.
Born: Bronx, New York, 19 November 1942. Education: Studied at Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, 1959-62.
Born: John Klosowski in Detroit, Michigan, 13 June 1937. Education: Studied architecture at Cass Technical High School, Detroit; studied fashion at Traphagen School of Fashion, New York.
Born: Munich, Germany, 8 January 1938. Education: Studied fine arts, majoring in fashion design, Washington University, St.
Career: Designer, menswear line, Monsieur Nicole line, for Matsuda; joined Matsuda, 1976; took over as designer of Matsuda's menswear collection (known as Nicole in Japan), 1983; showed collection in New York for the first time, 1983; initial showing of collection in Paris, 1987; named chief designer, Matsuda's menwear and womenswear lines, 1995; opened Kobayashi Design Office Company to develop signature brands, late 1990s. Awards: Art Director's Club of New York for photo collaboration with Nan Goldin, 1996; Kuwazawa award, 1997.
Born: 1950 in Tsu, Japan. Career: Established Ficce Uomo Co.
Born: Long Island, New York, 9 August 1959. Education: Studied fashion design at Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, 1977.
Born: 15 January 1937 in Osaka. Education: Graduated from the Department of Design of Bunka Fashion College, Tokyo, 1961.
Born: Osaka, Japan, 1939. Education: Studied fashion design, Bunka Fashion College, Tokyo, to 1961.
Born: Osaka, Japan, 1950. Education: Graduated from Bunka Fashion College, Tokyo, 1974.
Born: Bamako, Mali, circa 1963, son of a diplomat and a doctor; moved to Paris around 1986. Education: Studied architecture, Architecture School of Strasbourg, France, and at La Villette, Paris.
Founded: by Fred Singleton as couture sportswear branch of Gray, Paulette and Singleton, 1928; company incorporated as Lachasse Ltd., 1946. Company History: Chief designers include Digby Morton, 1928-33, Hardy Amies, 1934-39, Michael Donellan, 1941-52; Peter Lewis-Crown (born, 1930) joined Lachasse as apprentice, 1948; became director, 1964; later became designer and sole owner; Lachasse has also produced clothes for theatre, film and television productions.
Founded: in Paris, 1933, by René Lacoste (1904-96); son Bernard Lacoste (born 1931), chairman/managing director since 1963. Company History: Manufactures tennis, golf, and leisure clothing, technical products for tennis and golf; launched first Lacoste shirts, 1933; sent first exports to Italy and addition of color range to shirts, 1951; first exports to U.S., 1952; established first collection for children, 1959; René Lacoste invented first steel racket, 1963; first exports to Japan, 1964; licensed deal with Patou for Lacoste Eau de Toilette, 1968; licensed L'Amy S.A.
Born: Christian Marie Marc Lacroix in Arles, France, 16 May 1951. Education: Studied art history at Paul Valéry University, Montpellier, and museum studies at the Sorbonne, Paris, 1973-76.
Born: Hamburg, 10 September 1938; immigrated to Paris in 1952. Career: Design assistant at Balmain, 1955-58; art director, Patou, 1958-63; freelance designer for Chloé, Krizia, Ballantyne, Timwear, Charles Jourdan, Valentino, Fendi, Cadette, Max Mara and others, from 1964; launched Parfums Lagerfeld, 1975; director of collections and ready-to-wear, Chanel, from 1983; Karl Lagerfeld and KL ready-to-wear firms established in Paris and Germany, 1984; Karl Lagerfeld, S.A., acquired by Chloé parent company, Dunhill Plc., 1992; broke ties with Chloé and Dunhill (part of the Vendome Group), 1997; Karl Lagerfeld, fall/winter 2001 ready-to-wear collection.
Born: Lam Kwok Fai in Hong Kong, 24 January 1951. Education: Harrow School of Art, London, 1971-74, and at the Royal College of Art, London, 1974-76.
Born: Detroit, Michigan, 22 April 1932. Education: Studied at the University of Michigan, 1950-52, and at Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, 1953-54.
Born: Vienna, Austria, 10 March 1956. Career: Grew up in Austrian Alps and Vienna; became acquainted with Viennese art scene; established own fashion studio in Vienna, 1977; opened made-to-measure shop in Vienna, 1979; developed ready-to-wear collections, 1984-86; presented Helmut Lang womenswear, 1986, and Helmut Lang menswear, 1987, as part of Paris Fashion Week; established license business, 1988; moved several times between Paris and Vienna, 1988-93; professor of Fashion Masterclass, University of Applied Arts, Vienna, from 1993; other lines include underwear, 1994, eyewear, 1995, and jeans, 1997; sold 51-percent stake of company to Prada, 1999; introduced first fragrance, Helmut Lang, and Helmut Lang Parfums flagship store, 2000; launched bath and body lines, 2001.
Founded: in Paris in 1890 by Jeanne Lanvin (1867-1946). Company History: Began with offering custom children's clothing; offered women's clothing, 1909, introduced first fragrances, 1925; men's clothing, women's sportswear, furs, and accessories, from 1926; upon Lanvin's death, daughter Marie-Blanche de Polignac took reins of company, 1946-58; launched women's ready-to-wear, 1982; Jeanne Lanvin S.A.
Born: La Rochelle, France, 16 July 1921. Career: Began working as a milliner, Paris; began working for Jean Dessés, became his assistant, 1949; traveled to the U.S.
Born: Oakland, California, 19 January 1965. Education: Studied at the Brooks Fashion Institute, Long Beach, 1983-85; Fashion Institute of Technology, 1986-87; selected to represent USA at the International Concours des Jeunes Créateurs de Mode, Paris, 1986, and at the Festival du Lin, Monte Carlo, 1989.
Born: Alsace, France, 29 December 1931. Career: Moved to Paris, 1958, to begin working for Raphäel fashion house; designer, Nina Ricci, Paris, early 1960s; worked freelance, from 1962, selling designs to Venet; collaborated with Courréges until 1963, when he moved to Rome; designed nine collections of haute couture and five of ready-to-wear for Maria Antonelli, 1964-68; opened own couture house and showed own collection, Rome, 1968; house continued for a few years after his death, then closed.
Born: Ralph Lifschitz, Bronx, New York, 14 October 1939. Education: Studied business science, City College of New York, late 1950s.
Education: Graduated in commercial and industrial design from Hong Kong Polytechnic, 1973, interior design from Leeds Polytechnic, England, 1976, and advanced fashion and illustration, St. Martin's School of Art and Design, London, 1977.