The Most Famous
FASHION DESIGNERS from France
This page contains a list of the greatest French Fashion Designers. The pantheon dataset contains 38 Fashion Designers, 12 of which were born in France. This makes France the birth place of the most number of Fashion Designers.
Top 10
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary French Fashion Designers of all time. This list of famous French Fashion Designers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of French Fashion Designers.
1. Coco Chanel (1883 - 1971)
With an HPI of 82.18, Coco Chanel is the most famous French Fashion Designer. Her biography has been translated into 81 different languages on wikipedia.
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( shə-NEL, French: [ɡabʁijɛl bɔnœʁ kɔko ʃanɛl] ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post–World War I era with popularizing a sporty, casual chic as the feminine standard of style. This replaced the "corseted silhouette" that had earlier been dominant with a style that was simpler, far less time-consuming to put on and remove, more comfortable, and less expensive, all without sacrificing elegance. She is the only fashion designer listed on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. A prolific fashion creator, Chanel extended her influence beyond couture clothing, realizing her aesthetic design in jewellery, handbags, and fragrance. Her signature scent, Chanel No. 5, has become an iconic product, and Chanel herself designed her famed interlocked-CC monogram, which has been in use since the 1920s. Her couture house closed in 1939, with the outbreak of World War II. Chanel stayed in France and was criticized during the war for collaborating with the Nazi-German occupiers and the Vichy puppet regime to free her nephew from a prisoner of war camp. To secure his release Chanel began a liaison with a German diplomat/spy she had known before the war, Baron (Freiherr) Hans Günther von Dincklage. And following her nephew's release, she collaborated in minor ways. After the war, Chanel was interrogated about her relationship with Dincklage, but she was not charged as a collaborator due to intervention by her friend—British prime minister Winston Churchill. When the war ended, Chanel moved to Switzerland, returning to Paris in 1954 to revive her fashion house. In 2011, Hal Vaughan published a biography about Chanel based on newly declassified documents, revealing that she had collaborated directly with the Nazi intelligence service, the Sicherheitsdienst. One plan in late 1943 was for her to carry an SS peace overture to Churchill to end the war.
2. Christian Dior (1905 - 1957)
With an HPI of 75.30, Christian Dior is the 2nd most famous French Fashion Designer. His biography has been translated into 63 different languages.
Christian Ernest Dior (French: [kʁistjɑ̃ djɔʁ]; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer and founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE. His fashion houses are known all around the world, having gained prominence "on five continents in only a decade." Dior's skills led to his employment and design for various fashion icons in attempts to preserve the fashion industry during World War II. Post-war, he founded and established the Dior fashion house, with his collection of the "New Look". In 1947 the collection debuted featuring rounded shoulders, a cinched waist, and very full skirt. The New Look celebrated ultra-femininity and opulence in women's fashion. Throughout his lifetime, he won numerous awards for Best Costume Design. Upon his death in 1957, contemporary icons paid tribute to his life and work.
3. Thierry Mugler (1948 - 2022)
With an HPI of 64.56, Thierry Mugler is the 3rd most famous French Fashion Designer. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Manfred Thierry Mugler (French pronunciation: [manfʁɛd tjɛʁi myɡlɛʁ]; 21 December 1948 – 23 January 2022) was a French fashion designer, creative director and creative adviser of Mugler. In the 1970s, Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the following decades for his avant-garde, architectural, hyperfeminine and theatrical approach to haute couture. He was one of the first designers to champion diversity in his runway shows, which often tackled racism and ageism, and incorporated non-traditional models such as drag queens, porn stars, and transgender women. In 2002, he retired from the brand, and returned in 2013 as the creative adviser. At the beginning of his career he designed signature looks for Michael Jackson, Madonna, Grace Jones, Duran Duran, Viktor Lazlo, David Bowie and Diana Ross; most notably Demi Moore's dress from the 1993 movie Indecent Proposal, which was once coined "the most famous dress of the 1990s". In 1992, he directed and designed the outfits for George Michael's "Too Funky" music video; also that year he launched the perfume Angel, which became one of the best-selling perfumes of the 20th century. Mugler's fall 1995 haute couture collection, marking the 20th anniversary of his brand, was staged at the Cirque d'hiver venue in Paris; and has been referred to as the "Woodstock of Fashion", for having over 300 designed looks, an elaborate set design, dozens of high-profile supermodels and a performance from James Brown. He also designed costumes for Beyoncé's I Am... World Tour, and created a one-off design for Kim Kardashian to wear to the 2019 Met Gala.
4. Hubert de Givenchy (1927 - 2018)
With an HPI of 64.38, Hubert de Givenchy is the 4th most famous French Fashion Designer. His biography has been translated into 36 different languages.
Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy (pronounced [ybɛʁ də ʒivɑ̃ʃi]; 20 February 1927 – 10 March 2018) was a French aristocrat and fashion designer who founded the luxury fashion and perfume house of Givenchy in 1952. He is famous for having designed much of the personal and professional wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn and clothing for Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1970.
5. Jean-Paul Gaultier (1952 - )
With an HPI of 63.01, Jean-Paul Gaultier is the 5th most famous French Fashion Designer. His biography has been translated into 44 different languages.
Jean Paul Gaultier (French: [ʒɑ̃ pɔl ɡotje]; born 24 June 1952) is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs including corsets, marinières, and tin cans. Gaultier founded his eponymous fashion label in 1982, and expanded with a line of fragrances in 1993. He was the creative director for French luxury house Hermès from 2003 to 2010, and retired following his 50th-anniversary haute couture show during Paris Fashion Week in January 2020. Aside from his work in the fashion industry, Gaultier co-presented the first seven series of the television series Eurotrash with Antoine de Caunes from 1993–1997.
6. Paul Poiret (1879 - 1944)
With an HPI of 58.97, Paul Poiret is the 6th most famous French Fashion Designer. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Paul Poiret (20 April 1879 – 30 April 1944, Paris, France) was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house.
7. Christian Lacroix (1951 - )
With an HPI of 57.62, Christian Lacroix is the 7th most famous French Fashion Designer. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Christian Marie Marc Lacroix (French pronunciation: [kʁistjɑ̃ lakʁwa]; born 16 May 1951) is a French fashion designer. The name may also refer to the company he founded. Lacroix's designs combine luxury and insouciance. He prefers artisanal trades, fringe, bead, and embroidery. He's characterized by a strong sense of colour, and patterns mix.
8. Madeleine Vionnet (1876 - 1975)
With an HPI of 55.71, Madeleine Vionnet is the 8th most famous French Fashion Designer. Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Madeleine Vionnet (pronounced [ma.də.lɛn vjɔ.ne]; June 22, 1876, Loiret, France – March 2, 1975) was a French fashion designer best known for being the “pioneer of the bias cut dress”,, Vionnet trained in London before returning to France to establish her first fashion house in Paris in 1912. Although it was forced to close in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War, it re-opened after the war and Vionnet became one of the leading designers of 1920s-30s Paris. Vionnet was forced to close her house again in 1939 at the start of the Second World War and she retired in 1940. Called the "Queen of the bias cut and "the architect among dressmakers", Vionnet is best known today for her elegant Grecian-style dresses and for popularising the bias cut within the fashion world and is credited with inspiring a number of recent designers.
9. Emanuel Ungaro (1933 - 2019)
With an HPI of 54.39, Emanuel Ungaro is the 9th most famous French Fashion Designer. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Emanuel Ungaro (13 February 1933 – 21 December 2019) was a French fashion designer who founded the fashion house called the House of Emanuel Ungaro in 1965.
10. Christian Louboutin (1964 - )
With an HPI of 53.45, Christian Louboutin is the 10th most famous French Fashion Designer. His biography has been translated into 33 different languages.
Christian Louboutin (French: [kʁistjɑ̃ lubutɛ̃]; born 7 January 1963) is an Egyptian-French fashion designer. His stiletto footwear incorporates shiny, red-lacquered soles that have become his signature. Initially a freelance designer for fashion houses, he started his shoe salon in Paris, with his shoes finding favor with celebrity clientele. He has partnered with other organizations for projects including limited edition pieces, gallery exhibits, and a custom bar. His company has since branched out into men's luxury footwear, handbags, fragrances, and makeup.
Pantheon has 12 people classified as fashion designers born between 1876 and 1964. Of these 12, 3 (25.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living fashion designers include Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, and Christian Louboutin. The most famous deceased fashion designers include Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Thierry Mugler. As of April 2022, 4 new fashion designers have been added to Pantheon including Thierry Mugler, Paul Poiret, and Madeleine Vionnet.
Living Fashion Designers
Go to all Rankings
Jean-Paul Gaultier
1952 - Present
HPI: 63.01
Christian Lacroix
1951 - Present
HPI: 57.62
Christian Louboutin
1964 - Present
HPI: 53.45
Deceased Fashion Designers
Go to all RankingsCoco Chanel
1883 - 1971
HPI: 82.18
Christian Dior
1905 - 1957
HPI: 75.30
Thierry Mugler
1948 - 2022
HPI: 64.56
Hubert de Givenchy
1927 - 2018
HPI: 64.38
Paul Poiret
1879 - 1944
HPI: 58.97
Madeleine Vionnet
1876 - 1975
HPI: 55.71
Emanuel Ungaro
1933 - 2019
HPI: 54.39
Jean Patou
1887 - 1936
HPI: 53.07
Guy Laroche
1921 - 1989
HPI: 52.83
Newly Added Fashion Designers (2022)
Go to all RankingsThierry Mugler
1948 - 2022
HPI: 64.56
Paul Poiret
1879 - 1944
HPI: 58.97
Madeleine Vionnet
1876 - 1975
HPI: 55.71
Jean Patou
1887 - 1936
HPI: 53.07
Which Fashion Designers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 9 most globally memorable Fashion Designers since 1700.
