Fashion brand publicity materials

Chanel, perhaps one of the most well-known and coveted fashion brands in the world, was founded in 1910 by Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. Chanel originally sold hats at it's first location on Paris’s Rue Cambon. About four years later, she opened a second location in Deauville, followed a couple years later by another boutique in Biarritz. After many people commented on a jersey design she created for herself, Chanel began designing clothes, using the Cambon location for her Couture output and the Biarritz boutique for "pour-le-sport." Jersey would become an important textile for Chanel's early career; in 1916, Rodier, a French textile industrialist, gave Chanel exclusive rights to their jersey textile. Chanel debuted the now-legendary perfume, Chanel No. 5, in 1921. Chanel, working with Ernest Beaux, is said to have chosen the fifth sample Beaux had her try, giving rise to the simple yet effective name. Throughout the 1920s, Chanel continued to expand, launching a cosmetics line in 1924 and skin-care products. Chanel's design thesis was "fashion passes, style remains," perfectly describing the simplistic-yet-chic little black dress which she helped popularize. Chanel remained one of the leaders in fashion throughout the 1930s. It was in this decade that the brand released the "Chanel 2.55" bag. At the beginning of WWII, Chanel decided to close down her shop. Having spent the entirety of the war in the Ritz with the German officer, Hans Günther von Dincklage, it was expected that her fashion brand would be no more. Yet in 1954, at the age of 71, Chanel decided to reopen her salon. Although receiving scathing revues from critiques, women from all over flocked to Chanel once more, falling in love with the knit tweed suit that has become a staple for the brand. On January 10, 1971 Chanel passed away at the age of 87 in her suite at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris. Gaston Berthelot and Ramon Esparza, who were assistants to Coco, took over the brand. In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld became the head designer, and remained so until his death in 2019. Under Lagerfeld, Chanel proved it could maintain it's classic elegance while remaining quite contemporary. Chanel established the subsidiary company Paraffection in 2002 as a way to preserve the heritage, craft and skill of fashion artisan workshops in France. After Lagerfeld's passing, Virginie Viard became Chanel's creative director.

GUESS was established in 1981 by the Marciano brothers, who left the south of France in pursuit of the American dream. Inspired by a European influence, the Marcianos redefined denim. One of their initial designs was a stonewashed, slim-fitting jean, the 3-zip Marilyn. Bloomingdale's was the first department store to welcome the brand by ordering two dozen pairs of jeans. They disappeared from the shelves in just hours. This was the beginning of a long success story.



GUESS quickly became a symbol of a young, sexy and adventurous lifestyle. Throughout the decades GUESS invited people to dream with its iconic and timeless advertising campaigns that turned unknown faces into famous models.



Today GUESS is a truly global lifestyle brand with a full range of denim, apparel and accessories offered in over 100 countries around the world.

Ralph Lauren is the founder of the Ralph Lauren Corporation. Prior to its foundation, Lauren worked briefly at Brooks Brothers as a sales assistant before moving on to work at tie manufacturer Beau Brummell. In 1967, Lauren started his own line under Beau Brummell, which he named "Polo" based on his interest in sports. His first year of business was a massive success, selling his designs in the mens clothing department of large department stores including Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus. He won the Coty Award for his men's designs in 1970, and in 1972, he designed what is now the Ralph Lauren brand's signature look with his short-sleeved collared polo shirts. He also went on to outfit the cast for major films including the 1974 film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, and became well known for Diane Keaton's wardrobe in 1977's Annie Hall.

Born in 1957, Ralph Rucci is an American fashion designer. He graduated from FIT and began an apprenticeship with Halston. In 1981, he left to start his own brand. A small but dedicated clientele began to form but the late-1980s economic crisis pushed Rucci to near-bankrupcy. Through hard work, he kept afloat and, in 1994, rebranded his line as Chado Ralph Rucci, an allusion to the chado Japanese tea ceremony. Rucci made history in 2002, becoming the only American in history to be invited by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Francaise to show a Couture collection in Paris as part of the official calendar. Since then, Rucci has been honored with many major fashion awards, including The Star Award from the Fashion Group International of New York (2005), The Couture Council of the Museum at FIT (2006), and the The SCAD Andre’ Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award (2012).

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