25 Guys that have had a MASSIVE Impact on Men’s Fashion

By Dapperfied | May 14, 2015

Think about the reason you dress the way you do. Maybe you pick whatever’s clean and affordable, or maybe you have a little more spending money that allows you to dress the way needed to fit a certain role. Perhaps you simply choose clothes that make you happy. There are a number of reasons that men choose the clothes they do.

Whether you realize it or not, the way that other people dress influences your perception of fashion. From celebrities to your own father, you’re constantly receiving messages about fashion and how you should dress. If you’re curious about who has been influencing your style choices – men’s fashion icons, fashion designers or celebrities, read on to learn about 25 guys that have had a massive impact on men’s fashion.

Men’s Style Icons

1.) Levi Strauss – This German-born immigrant left for the U.S. at the ripe age of just 18. Once he arrived, he changed his name to Levi and quickly crossed the continent to San Francisco to try his hand in finding gold. He didn’t go empty handed though – he brought along with him buttons, scissors and fabric that he thought the local miners might need. His intention was to make money preparing tents and covers, but as any fashion-savvy man knows, that’s not how things ended up happening.

When Levi arrived on the scene, miners were wearing cotton pants that tore too easily. Levi stepped in and soon drafted a patent for blue jeans.

2.) Hubert de Givenchy – Hubert de Givenchy started his fashion career working for Robert Piguet and Lucien Lelong. He worked alongside the likes of Pierre Balmain and Christian Dior learning the tools of the trade. In 1952 he launched his own brand known as the House of Givenchy. He quickly became a household name when first lady Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy was seen wearing one of his creations. He also dressed Audrey Hepburn, earning him a place in fashion royalty.

3.) Louis Vuitton – Louis Vuitton was born in France and spent some time living in Paris, the fashion capital of the world. He became an apprentice to a well-known luggage maker and soon began designing luggage on his own. In 1853 he launched his own company specializing in luggage. The luxury label soon branched out into high-end handbags and today the name Louis Vuitton is known around the world.

4.) David Bowie – David Bowie is a fashion icon. He has influenced thousands of men during his 5 decades of fame and is one of the only people to transcend multiple genres with success. He maintained his image as a vibrant and imaginary innovator throughout all of his changes, successes and failures.

5.) Elvis Presley – Elvis is more than just a musician. He was also a fashion leader, breaking ground rules with his unique style and signature moves. From his signature ducktail hair style to his sometimes outrageous costumes, Elvis never lived life by anyone’s rules but his own.

6.) Max Factor – At the turn of the last century, a young immigrant named Max Factor opened a cosmetics store in a Moscow suburb. He sold wigs, creams and fragrances. Soon, he was doing makeup for a traveling theater group set out to perform for the Russian nobles. They were impressed and Max was promoted to the official cosmetic expert for the royal family. He came to the U.S. in 1904 where he continued to work on his makeup craft.

photo credit: DSC_0148 (license)

7.) Karl Lagerfeld – The German-born fashion designer left Germany for Paris when he was just 22 years old. He entered a contest to design a coat in which he won leading to him being offered a job in the fashion house Balmain. Over the years he has been the artistic director of Chanel and has designed a line of clothing for H&M to create more affordable clothes.

8.) Andy Warhol – Andy Warhol was arguably the U.S.’s most famous star in the art world. He was known to be a charismatic trend maker that had an endless passion for both beauty and ugliness. The notable former commercial artist is probably best known for his pop-culture print of some soup cans.

9.) Richard Avedon  –  Richard started out as a photographer, taking pictures of the Merchant Marines in their personal IDs. A couple years later, he took advertising photos for a local department store. During that job, he was discovered by the art director at Harper’s Bazaar who hired him to work as a photographer for Vogue.

10.) John Galliano – John Galliano graduated from St. Martin’s College of Art and Design. During his time at the school he created a first-class collection inspired by the French Revolution called Les Incroyables. The collection was bought by Joan Burstein. He became the creative director for Givenchy in Paris in 1995, going on to work for Christian Dior just a year later.

11.) Yohji Yamamoto – Yohji Yamamoto studied fashion design at Bunkafukuso Gakuin after getting a law degree in Tokyo. He created his first clothing line in the early 1970s and held his first fashion show in Tokyo in 1977. Four years later, he presented a collection in Paris.

12.) Salvatore Ferragamo – At the tender age of just 9 years old, Salvatore Ferragamo made his first pair of shoes. He went on to study shoemaking in Naples and opened his first store out of his parents’ house. Sometime after 1914, he moved from Naples to California where he opened a shoe shop making made-to-measure heels that quickly gained popularity amongst Hollywood’s celebrities.

13.) Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan probably doesn’t strike you as a fashion icon, but he is. In the mid-60s, the singer discovered the polka dot shirt. He wore the look on and off for decades, bringing the simple print into the spotlight.

14.) Marc Jacobs – Marc Jacobs is a New York native who learned to knit from his grandmother. The humble craft earned him a place on the Sunday Times when they pictured him with his thick, oversized sweaters, created as a senior project for design school. He continued working at creating street clothes until he was selected as the Creative Director for Louis Vuitton in 1997.

photo credit: johanoomen

15.) James Bond – James Bond is a fictional character that brought the simple tuxedo into pop culture. The character nabbed bad guys while brandishing his character smile and a well-pressed tux at all times. He became the epitome of male fashion with his classically tailored suit, charming personality and endless wit.

16.) Giorgio Armani – Few people haven’t heard of Girogio Armani. The designer chose to drop out of Medical School to pursue fashion by working at a department store. He was promoted to the style office where he bought clothes from around the world to feature in the stores. He then began creating his own clothing and is most notable for his suave suit designs.

17.) Harry Winston – When it comes to jewellery, there’s no denying the power of the name Harry Winston. Harry’s father began a small jewellery business after immigrating to the United States from the Ukraine. Harry worked in the shop growing up and the rest is history.

18.) Michael Jackson – The late singer Michael Jackson is known for a number of things, one of which is his unique sense of style. During his decades of performances, he has worn numerous outfits and has been photographed in clothing from some of the best-known brands. Whatever style the singer wore became an instant hit overnight.

19.) Louis Reard – Louis Reard was an automobile engineer, but he also played a vital role in the running of his mother’s lingerie boutique in Paris. Once Paris found peace in 1946, French designers were looking for clothing options that matched the free-spirited move of the people. Reard heard the call and rose to the occasion designing a smaller bathing suit than the current styles. He designed what he called the atom or the world’s smallest swimsuit. The design is now known as the bikini.

20.) Dolce and Gabbana – Dolce and Gabbana met in Milan in 1982 when they were working as assistants  in an atelier. Just 2 years later, the duo formed a romantic relationship that blossomed into a business partnership. They showed their homemade exhibitionist collection in a fashion show honoring new talents in 1985 and soon won national acclaim. The brand expanded to beachwear, menswear, lingerie and more.

photo credit: Tonya Pittman with Tom Ford

21.) Tom Ford – Tom Ford got the fashion bug at an early age, buying his first pair of Gucci loafers at age 13. He eventually got a job at Gucci and began resurrecting the dying luxury brand. In 1990, he headed up the women’s ready-to-wear deapartment and by 1994 he was promoted to creative director.

22.) Jean Paul Gaultier – Jean Paul Gaultier broke into the fashion industry in 1970 when he took a job working as an assistant for Pierre Cardin. His love of clothes was fostered by his grandmother, who often sent his sketches to designers. Six years after breaking into the industry, he launched his first individual collection.

23.) Chuck Taylor – In high school, Chuck Taylor favoured Converse shoes during basketball games. He continued his basketball career after high school, travelling the country to teach kids and college students the fundamentals of the game. During his travels, he stopped in Converse’s Chicago office to ask for a job and was quickly accepted.

24.) Calvin Klein – Calvin Klein never graduated from design school. Instead, the young designer and his friend Barry Schwartz launched a line of coats in a NYC department store with very little training earned during an apprenticeship. A year later, Klein was featured on the cover of Vogue and a year after that, the duo added sportswear, blazers and lingerie to the collection launching the brand into infamy.

25.) Kurt Cobain – Kurt Cobain is another musician that sparked fashion trends. He was part of one of the most influential bands of the 20th century and his somewhat sloppy fashion soon became known as “grunge”. Grunge was the term used to describe a genre of music as well as a way to dress.

And there you have it. 25 men that made their mark on the fashion industry. Who else would you add to the list? Who would you remove? Let us know!