A Guide to the 13 Biggest Fashion Houses and Their Current Creative Directors

Founded by Giorgio Armani in 1975, Armani is an Italian luxury fashion house that is known for their signature luxury style with a relaxed vibe. Armani hones in on elegant ready-to-wear pieces, and intricate beaded designs for evening wear. While luxury is their thing, the brand's styles have become slightly more streetwear oriented over the past decade. Armani has had several creative directors during the course of their existence, most recently appointing the former editor-in-chief of Italy Harper Bazaar, Alan Prada, as their new leader in 2021.

Gucci is going to look a lot different in the months and years to come, as the brand is now being led under the creative direction of Sabato De Sarno after months of speculation over who was going to take the reins from Alessandro Michele. We’re only a little over a month into this announcement so we’ll have to wait until later on this year to give you an update on the first collections/shows, however we can give you a little backstory on the Gucci brand altogether. The Italian fashion house was founded by Guccio Gucci in 1921, eventually being led by his son Aldo Gucci during the Dolce Vita period.

Chanel was founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris that specializes in women’s RTW, luxury, accessories, perfume, and eyewear. The brand started gaining popularity in the 1910s thanks in part to their sportswear items made from jersey material, and continued to increase in traction over the decades with things being taken to the next level under the direction of Karl Lagerfield who led the brand from 1983 until his passing in 2019. At the moment, Chanel is currently being led by French fashion designer Virginie Viard.

In case you haven’t heard, Louis Vuitton has a new creative director. His name is Pharrell Williams. Thee Pharrell Williams. Louis V is another brand that is going to look a lot different than what we have previously known it to be, and we’re super excited to see the results. Louis Vuitton’s roots date all the way back to in 1854 when it was founded in Paris France by Louis Vuitton. A brand where the monogram appears on most of their products, you know Louis Vuitton as soon as you see it, making it probably the most instantly recognizable brand in the world.

One of the things that excites us most about Williams now leading the company is his unique approach to his artistry, which is apparent with his other brand Billionaire Boys Club, and his sneaker releases with adidas. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for this new era.

Balenciaga was founded in 1919 by designer Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastian, Spain, eventually moving to Paris where the brand’s first designs were heavily influenced by the Spanish Renaissance period. In the decades since, Balenciaga has become known for their avant-garde structural pieces which regularly blend together luxury and street. Currently, Balenciaga is led by creative director Demna Gvasalia, who is also the co-founder of Vetements.

Dior has been under the creative direction of Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri since 2016, and is regarded as the luxury brand credited with revolutionizing the women’s fashion industry. The company was founded in 1946 by Christian Dior, and has had a total of six creative directors since Dior himself: Yves Saint Laurent (1958-1960), Marc Bohan (1961-1989),  Gianfranco Ferré (1989-1996), John Galliano (1997-2011), Raf Simons (2012-2015), and now, of course, Maria Grazia Chirui.

Burberry also has a new face in award-winning designer Daniel Lee, who joined the brand this past fall from Bottega Veneta, where he played a major role in the brand’s reinvention. Lee presented his debut collection for the brand during London Fashion Week, as the company officially kicks off a new era. Established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry in London, Burberry is most famous for its iconic trench coats, but also regularly showcases leather accessories and footwear. The brand is also recognized for its cologne and eyewear.

Founded in Paris by Thierry Hermès, the brand’s roots date back to the 1800s, making the company nearly 200-years-old. Hermès specializes in ready-to-wear fashion along with leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, jewelry, and perfume. Coming back from a 1970s decline where they had to reinvent themselves through switching up their clothing offering and the introduction of their home goods line in the 1980s, Hermès is now one of the top fashion houses in the world. The brand is currently led by French fashion designer and creative director Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski.

Established in 1962 by Yves Saint Laurent, YSL is the brand credited with popularizing the beatnik look, along with androgynous wear for women. In 2016, YSL appointed Italian fashion designerAnthony Vaccarello as their creative director, who was previously the creative director for Versace. In the seven years since his arrival, Vaccarello has somewhat transformed the brand with his ultra-creative fashion forward thinking and vision.

Founded by Mario Prada in 1913, Prada specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories, and has never been afraid to challenge the norm or defy standards reaching elite fashion house status during the course of the 1990s. Prada has been led by Raf Simons since 2020, who previously worked with the brand from 2005 to 2012.

Founded by Gianni Versace in 1978, Versace is responsible for many of the red carpet pieces you have seen celebrities wearing on the red carpet over the past four decades. Known for their flashy prints and bright colors, the brand has been led by artistic director Donatella Versace since 1997, who has been able to successfully transition the brand through the many different trends and eras that have followed since.

Rome is the home of Fendi, who is just two years shy of celebrating their 100th birthday. The Italian fashion house produces ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eyewear, timepieces and accessories, and has been led by Kim Jones since 2020 haute couture and ready-to-wear collections for women.

Founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy in Paris, Givenchy is one of the biggest luxury fashion houses in the world known for its balance between simple and extravagance. It should be noted that the brand is now currently under the LVMH umbrella, and has been under the creative direction of Matthew M. Williams since June 2020.