Here’s where some major designers got higher education
Although some of the most successful fashion designers never attended college, many did — often studying a subject other than fashion. The sampling of influential designers on this list, who hail from around the world, typically built diversified, internationally recognized brands that in some cases generate billions of dollars in sales annually. Celebrities and ordinary folk alike wear their designs, and their signature fashions often are instantly recognizable. Most of these creative talents have won design awards, and many also have been honored for charitable and philanthropic efforts. Here’s a look at 21 notable fashion designers, both living and deceased, and their diverse and interesting backgrounds.
Ralph Lauren
Birthplace: Bronx, New York City, 1939
College: Baruch College in New York
Ralph Lauren dropped out of college to enlist in the U.S. Army, and shortly after leaving the service began designing men’s neckties in a small space in the Empire State Building in Manhattan. He went on to become one of the world’s most iconic and influential fashion designers for men and women with a distinct aesthetic that he describes as inspired by “New England’s rusticity, the West’s natural beauty and Hollywood’s glamour.” He’s had the rare distinction of designing outfits for the U.S. Olympics team. Among many major honors, in 2019 he became the first American designer awarded an Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. “I don’t design clothes,” Lauren once said. “I design dreams.”
Miuccia Prada
Birthplace: Milan, Italy, 1949
College: University of Milan in Italy
This renowned Italian designer became famous for luxurious leather handbags and clothes that fuse minimalism and modernity. Her father headed a manufacturing company and her mother was heiress and later head of Fratelli Prada, a luxury goods company. Although Miuccia desired a career in politics, earning a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Milan, she studied several years to become a mime. She ended up going into the family business, later designing clothes and accessories for women and eventually. The Prada Group raised more than $2 billion when it went public in Hong Kong as Prada SpA in 2011. “It’s horrible when people are only interested in buying labels,” she once said, “because it doesn’t bring them the happiness they think it will.”
Tom Ford
Birthplace: Austin, Texas, 1961
Colleges: New York University and Parsons School of Design in New York
Tom Ford studied interior architecture at Parsons — now part of The New School — after transferring from NYU. Following his graduation in 1986, he designed at Cathy Hardwick and Perry Ellis. He later worked as creative director for Gucci, where he resuscitated the luxury brand aesthetically and financially from 1994 to 2004, before launching his own brand. Along the way, he became ready-to-wear designer at Yves Saint Laurent after Gucci acquired the company that owned the French luxury brand. In 2023, he sold his Tom Ford brand to Estee Lauder Companies. Ford’s design hallmark in menswear and womenswear is sexy sophistication. “There’s a different type of comfort that comes from knowing you are putting your best foot forward,” he once said.
Tory Burch
Birthplace: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1966
College: University of Pennsylvania
After earning her college degree in art history, Burch entered the fashion world, working in nondesign communication roles for minimalist sportswear designer Zoran Ladicorbic and later design luminaries such as Ralph Lauren and Vera Wang. When she began to design, her early specialties were tunics and ballet flats, and an appearance on “Oprah” in 2005 catapulted her to fame. The same year, she won the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award. In 2008, Burch won the Best Accessory Designer of the Year Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, a few years after opening her first store. Her circular double “T” logo distinguishes her footwear, handbag and accessories collections. “It’s very passe to think women want to spend a fortune on clothes,” she once said.
Zang Toi
Birthplace: Kelantan, Malaysia, 1961
College: Parsons
Zang Toi is known for elegant and expertly tailored womenswear, particularly show-stopping special occasion looks inspired by his Chinese heritage. He opened his New York City atelier in 1989, quickly caught the attention of king-making “Vogue” editor Anna Wintour, and went on to win design awards and develop a celebrity clientele across a wide demographic range. The designer also has been honored as a humanitarian, receiving the Lance Armstrong Foundation Top Fundraiser Award for his efforts over the years to support cancer research. In 2016, he was named an icon of Malaysia by the country’s prime minister, Najib Razak. “As a boy growing up, I always loved to draw and sketch,” he once said. “Fashion was the last thing that was on my mind.”
Tracy Reese
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, 1964
College: Parsons
In high school, Reese attended a summer program at Parsons and later, as a student there, completed an accelerated program in 1984. Like many designers, she honed her skills under others before launching her own brand. She worked with French designer Martine Sitbon and Perry Ellis in the 1980s. In the 1990s, her Tracy Reese women’s line became popular for its pretty and wearable dresses, and over the years she branched out with other lines. She was appointed to the board of the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2007. After 30 years in New York, she moved back to Detroit in 2019 to launch Hope for Flowers by Tracy Reese, which offers smaller collections in sustainable textiles along with free art-engagement programs for people of all ages.
Ralph Rucci
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1957
Colleges: Temple University in Pennsylvania and Fashion Institute of Technology in New York
While Ralph Rucci isn’t among the most commonly known designers, he may be America’s closest thing to a haute couturier. After finishing FIT — he earlier studied literature and philosophy at Temple — he apprenticed with Halston before launching his own brand in 1981. Economic recession almost tanked his company in 1987, and in 1994 he renamed it Chado Ralph Rucci in homage to the Japanese tea ceremony that reflects values such as purity and harmony. Rucci fuses unique design and construction techniques to create womenswear that is architecturally precise, luxurious and understated. In 2002, he became the first American to be invited by the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Francaise to show a haute couture collection in Paris on the official calendar under his own name.
Stella McCartney
Birthplace: London, England, 1971
Colleges: Ravensbourne University London and Central Saint Martins in England
One of the most influential global designers to hail from Great Britain, Stella McCartney is the daughter of legendary entertainer Paul McCartney and noted photographer-animal rights activist Linda McCartney. She worked at the Christian Lacroix couture house, “British Vogue” and Chloe before launching her own brand in 2001, going on to dress British Olympics teams and many celebrities. In between co-ownership arrangements with Gucci and LVMH, she owned 100% of her brand. McCartney, who uses no leather or fur, has introduced a vegan perfume, eco-friendly eyewear, a vegan football boot and cruelty-free vegan skincare over the years. She’s known for pioneering sustainable materials in fashion such as regenerative cotton and mycelium, and has won many design and humanitarian awards.
Christian Siriano
Birthplace: Annapolis, Maryland, 1985
College: American InterContinental University in England
Christian Siriano, who began designing clothes at age 13, may be the most famous designer to rise to fame via the popular fashion reality TV show, “Project Runway.” While studying at American InterContinental, he apprenticed with legendary designers Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. After graduating, he moved to New York, interning with Marc Jacobs while designing wedding gowns and working as a makeup artist. He won the Project Runway finale in March 2008 and that September debuted his womenswear label at New York Fashion Week. He’s had many creative collaborations, including with Payless ShoeSource, Puma, Lane Bryant, Disney, LG, Nordstrom, Starbucks and Victoria’s Secret. “I just think it’s great to show a gown that’s $8,000 and a shoe that’s like, $25 — but still look fabulous together,” he once said.
Marc Jacobs
Birthplace: New York City, 1963
College: Parsons
Marc Jacobs is one of the most influential designers of the modern era, partly due to his popularization of the “grunge” look. One of his early mentors was famed designer Perry Ellis, whom Jacobs met while attending the High School of Art and Design in New York and working at an upscale boutique. In 1987, Jacobs was the youngest designer to win the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. He later worked at Perry Ellis as vice president of women’s design before launching his own brand and, in addition, later worked at Louis Vuitton as creative director. His fashion brand eventually branched out, embracing clothing, footwear, accessories and beauty products. “Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them,” he once said.
Diane von Furstenberg
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium, 1946
Colleges: Complutense University of Madrid in Spain and University of Geneva in Switzerland
Although this iconic womenswear designer didn’t invent the wrap dress, she made it wildly popular beginning in 1974 on the way to building her New York-based fashion brand. She initially became popular for pretty and comfortable silk jersey dresses, which she first made while apprenticing at a textile manufacturer in Italy. From 2006 to 2019, von Furstenberg was president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and in 2016 was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the New School. She studied economics in college, which may have come in handy when expanding her global fashion brand and launching other businesses. “Confidence. If you have it,” she once said, “you can make anything look good.”
Jimmy Choo
Birthplace: Penang, Malaysia, 1948
College: Cordwainers Technical College in England
Known globally for luxury footwear for men and women, this son of a cobbler made his first pair of shoes at the age of 11. He went on to study shoe design at Cordwainers, now the London College of Fashion. Choo later began designing custom footwear for private clients, opening his first shop in 1986 in London. Two years later, he debuted a collection at London Fashion Week and was featured in an eight-page spread in “British Vogue” — which led to “Vogue” hiring him to create shoes for photo shoots. After several brand launches and ownership changes over the years, he launched another shoe line in 2017 bearing his birth name — Zhou Yang Jie — and in 2021 established the JCA London Fashion Academy for emerging designers.
Vera Wang
Birthplace: New York City, 1949
Colleges: Sarah Lawrence College in New York and Sorbonne in France
The daughter of affluent Shanghai immigrants, Vera Wang studied ballet and became a skilled figure skater before gaining a huge following as a bridal gown designer. Wang, who studied art history, began in fashion as an editor at “Vogue” for a decade. She later was one of Ralph Lauren’s design directors before launching her own brand, eventually expanding into everyday womenswear, perfumes, beauty products and home goods. She’s won numerous design and civic awards, including the 2019 Sandra Taub Humanitarian Award from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. “I can’t say it’s been easy,” she once said. “But I’ve grown from the challenges, and I keep learning. The day I stop learning is probably the day I’ll just stop.
Oscar de la Renta
Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1932
College: San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Spain
One of the most venerated designers internationally, de la Renta left his homeland at 18 to study painting at San Fernando in Madrid. Design soon captured his interest, which led to sketching for fashion brands and an apprenticeship with couturier Cristobal Balenciaga. Next was a couture assistant job at French luxury brand Lanvin. He moved to New York in 1963 to do couture design for Elizabeth Arden, and two years later launched his own brand. In 1993, he became head designer at the French couture house Balmain, the first American to hold such a post. A former two-time president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, he received many accolades, including the French Legion d’Honneur as Commandeur and two honors from the king of Spain. He died in 2014.
Kenneth Cole
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, 1954
College: Emory University in Georgia
Kenneth Cole launched his brand in the Big Apple in 1982 with a shoe collection. He documented the genesis of his company on film, and multimedia branding fused with social consciousness became a hallmark of his fashion business ahead of other major U.S. designers. Cole’s comfortable, urban-sleek clothing, footwear and accessories for men and women, along with his philanthropy, brought him global fame. “People” magazine named him the year’s sexiest businessman in 1998 and New York’s Legal Aid Society honored him in 2009. Cole, who was raised on Long Island by parents who owned a shoe manufacturing company, once said: “We set out to make an impact in people’s wardrobes, but even more so in the communities and in people’s lives.”
Donna Karan
Birthplace: Queens, New York City, 1948
College: Parsons
Donna Karan, whose mother modeled and stepfather designed suits, became one of America’s most influential designers. While at Parsons — where she had enrolled years after quitting school at the age of 14 to work at a clothing store — Karan snagged a summer job with popular designer Anne Klein. She soon became associate designer and, after Klein’s death, head designer at age 26. Karan eventually launched her self-named brand, showing her first womenswear collection in 1985, and soon became known for stylish professional attire for women. She successfully ventured into menswear and other categories, and luxury conglomerate LVMH bought her company on 2001. Karan stepped down as head of the brand in 2015. Among many honors, she was the first American designer to win Fashion Group International’s “Superstar” award.
B Michael
Birthplace: Durham, Connecticut, 1957
Colleges: University of Connecticut and FIT
Although B Michael began his professional career as a Wall Street account executive, he decided to change careers and make hats. His career as a milliner led him to design for Louis Feraud and Oscar de la Renta. His fame soared when he worked with apparel designer Nolan Miller and created hats for the hit ’80s prime-time soap opera “Dynasty.” Next was a creative director stint at Aldo Hat Corporation, then launch of his couture collection in 1999. B Michael has designed ensembles for numerous celebrities and productions, from “Sparkle” starring Whitney Houston to a Joffrey Ballet world premiere. A CFDA member since 1998, he has been active in various cultural endeavors, including the advisory board of the Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts in New Jersey.
David Yurman
Birthplace: Long Island, New York City, 1942
College: New York University
Long before becoming a famous jewelry designer, David Yurman sold small sculptures in his high school cafeteria. He dropped out of college before his second year and hitchhiked to California, where he joined an artist colony. He founded his jewelry company in 1980 with his wife, Sybil. Though born a few miles and two months apart, they didn’t meet until 1969; they married in 1979. Both had been involved in the underground art scenes in California and New York. He had begun sculpting in bronze in 1958 while she honed skills as a painter and later as a ceramicist. Their artistic training informed their jewelry design and creative collaboration. In 2022, he received an honorary doctorate degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.
Carolina Herrera
Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela, 1939
College: Vassar College in New York
Herrera, daughter of a Venezuelan governor and general, had no formal design training when she debuted her first collection on the fashion runway in 1981. In college, she had studied biopsychology and biochemistry. Although she attended a Balenciaga runway show with her grandmother when she was 13, she wasn’t deeply into fashion. She once remarked, “When I was growing up, I was more into my horses and tennis than fashion.” She settled in New York in 1980 and began designing fabrics — until “Vogue” editor Diana Vreeland urged her to design dresses. Though Herrera also designs men’s clothing, she gained global fame for her elegant womenswear, especially the silhouette of a crisp white top over a full skirt. She transitioned from being her company’s creative director to its global brand ambassador in 2018.
Dennis Basso
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, 1954
Colleges: The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and FIT
Dennis Basso may be America’s leading designer of fur fashion, gaining renown over the decades for creative modern interpretations in terms of weight, construction, design and color. He also designs women’s eveningwear, bridal looks and accessories, having established his fashion brand in 1983 and gone on to dress an intergenerational market of celebrities, socialites and everyday women. Basso received an honorary doctorate from FIT in 2013 and has been recognized for philanthropy as well as design. The Alzheimer’s Association, the Children’s Hearing Institute in New York and other organizations have honored him. Basso once described his design process as “a mood, a feeling. You start with a print you might like and then you find colors …. and a theme — it becomes a building process.”
Perry Ellis
Birthplace: Portsmouth, Virginia, 1940
Colleges: William & Mary in Virginia and NYU
Perry Ellis was among the earliest American fashion giants. After earning a business administration degree in 1961 from what was then the College of William and Mary, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve for six months to get out of active military service and then studied for a master’s degree in retailing at NYU. After working for a department store and a sportswear company, Ellis ventured into design. He created a sportswear collection for women that launched in 1976 and two years later established his own brand, eventually adding menswear. Ellis, who died in 1986, once said: “I was determined to change the course of fashion, to move away from what I call pretentiousness of clothes — to design clothes that are more obtainable, more relaxed, but ultimately more stylish and witty.”
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