Opened London store in the Haymarket, 1891; trenchcoat introduced, 1901; Burberry established as a trademark, 1909; women’s clothing lines added, and Paris branch opened, 1910; bought by Great Universal Stores, 1955; New York branch opened, 1978; toiletries line introduced, 1981; fragrances introduced, 1991; Christy Turlington ads make plaid trench chic again, 1993; Anne Marie Bravo hired as chief executive, 1997; Roberto Menichetti hired as head designer, 1998; Menichetti departs, replaced by Christopher Bailey, 2001; New York store refurbished and expanded, 2001; public offering of shares planned, 2002.

Designer Handbags Burberry

Burberry was founded by Thomas Burberry (1835-1926), the inventor of the Burberry waterproof coat. The origin of the term “Burberry” to describe the famous waterproof garments is thought to have derived from the fact that Edward VII was in the habit of commanding, “Give me my Burberry,” although Burberry himself had christened his invention “Gabardinee.”

With the Burberry name once again firmly entrenched as a fashion must-have, the 145-year old company has proven that its plaid will never go out of style. Looking back at her odyssey of pulling Burberry back from the brink of extinction, Bravo told Forbes in April 2000, “Coming in, I had studied Hermés and Gucci and other great brands, and it struck me that even during the periods when they had dipped a bit, they never lost the essence of whatever made those brands sing.” With Bravo on board, Burberry has once again hit a high note.

Designer Handbags Louis Vuitton

As the years went by the Vuitton line gained international recognition, thanks in part to a bronze medal at the 1867 World’s Fair and a gold medal at the 1889 World’s Fair, both held in Paris. After Louis died in 1892, his son, Georges, took the company to new heights, developing what is recognized as the first “designer label” on a product. (Widespread copying of Vuitton patterns pushed Georges to design the distinctive “LV” monogram.) Vuitton’s luggage company has since become a world leader in luxury consumer goods, with products that include travel books, perfume, distilled spirits and designer clothing.

Since the 19th century, manufacture of Louis Vuitton goods have not changed: Luggage is still made by hand. Contemporary Fashion gives a preview of the creation of the LV trunks: “the craftsmen line up the leather and canvas, tapping in the tiny nails one by one and securing the five-letter solid pick-proof brass locks with an individual handmade key, designed to allow the traveler to have only one key for all of his or her luggage.

The woven frames of each trunk are made of 30-year-old poplar that has been allowed to dry for at least four years. Each trunk has a serial number and can take up to 60 hours to make, and a suitcase as many as 15 hours”.

Louis Vuitton.

Designer Handbags Gucci

Founded in Florence, Italy, as saddlery shop by Guccio Gucci (1881-1953), 1906, after family millinery business failed.

Company History: Became retailer of accessories, 1923; Gucci shops opened in Florence, 1923; boutiques open in Rome, 1938; firm renamed Societá Anonima Guccio Gucci, 1939; stores opened in Milan, 1951; renamed Guccio Gucci Srl, 1945; New York boutique opened, 1953; opened in Paris, 1963; shop opened in Hong Kong and Gucci Parfums formed, 1975 (renamed Gucci Parfums SpA, 1982); company renamed Guccio Gucci SpA, 1982; appointed Dawn Mello creative director, 1989.

Tom Ford joined company, 1990; acquired by Investcorp, 1993; Mello departed and Ford named creative director, 1994; deaths of Mauritzio and Paolo Gucci, 1995; listed on the NYSE, 1995; rival Prada bought stake, 1998; sold stake to LVMH, 1999; Pinault Printemps Redoute acquired major stake and fought off LVMH, 1999; Alexander McQueen defected from LVMH to Gucci, 2000; hired Stella McCartney to create her own line, 2000; designer Nicolas Ghesquiére came to firm with acquisition of Balenciaga, 2001.

Dooney & Bourke started in 1975 when Peter Dooney and Frederic Bourke launched their namesake in South Norwalk, Connecticut. The duo started off with two introductory products: surcingle belts, which were popular due to their unique vibrant colors and stripes, and classic suspenders.

Designer Handbags Dooney & Bourke

In 1981, Dooney & Bourke branched out into the handbag business with the release of the Tack Case and the Equestrian Bag, both made from bridle leather. Along with their original distributors such as Nordstrom, Brooks Brothers, and Saks Fifth Avenue, they opened The Company Store in Norwalk, Connecticut which sold among other things Dooney & Bourke Merchandise. In 1983, with the development of their famous All-Weather Leather (AWL) bag, the first AWL handbag collection was released featuring a duck logo with a russet leather trim.

Awards: Miuccia A new outlet was opened on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California in 2003. In 2006 and 2007, the “Emma Bag,” a small oval sized bag named after Emma Roberts, was created. In 2007, Hayden Panettiere, an actress on the NBC television series Heroes, designed a new bag for Dooney & Bourke.

Designer Handbags Prada

The company’s first ready-to-wear collection was launched in 1989 and was admired for its clean lines and ‘elegant minimalism’. Subsequent designs have been characterized by fabric innovations and computer-enhanced patterns. In 1992 Prada launched its cheaper Miu Miu line, aiming to capture a more youthful market sector. The company’s success in this project was underlined by the inclusion of Drew Barrymore in many Miu Miu advertisements in the mid-1990s.

Founded by Mario Prada (born in Milan, Italy in 1913) and his brother as a luxury leather goods company; taken over by granddaughter Miuccia Bianchi Prada, 1978. Miuccia Prada began designing for company, early 1980s; married Patirizio Bertelli, 1989.

Awards: Miuccia Prada named Footwear News Footwear Designer of the Year, 1996; Special Achievement award, National Italian American Foundation, 2000; Patirizio Bertelli given the Pitti Immagine Uomo award, 2001.

Prada, a fashion conglomerate in the 2000s, is still an exciting fashion label best known for its elegant accessories and breath-of-fresh-air Miu Miu apparel line.

Kate spade new york has thirty-six shops across the united states, and is sold in every time zone and on every continent. whether in macau or michigan, our shops are always warm and inviting.

Designer Handbags Kate Spade

It all started back in 1993, when kate brosnahan, a former accessories editor at mademoiselle, set out to design the sleek, utilitarian handbag she’d been craving for years, but couldn’t find on the market. along with her husband, andy spade, they launched kate spade new york. and so began a revolution in the accessories market.

Women and fashion editors alike quickly fell for kate’s designs, which combined utility, simple silhouettes and crisp palettes. as the company grew, its core design values were reinforced by iconic logos and modern graphic elements, establishing a visual shorthand for the brand recognizable the world over.

In 2007, this iconic american brand was acquired by design powerhouse liz claiborne, inc. deborah lloyd, formerly of banana republic and burberry, took the helm as creative director and co-president that same year, with an aim to broaden the product line while honoring kate spade’s core values

Designer Handbags Fendi

Like many Italian firms producing luxury goods, the Fendi company is a family dynasty owing a great deal of its success to the strong blood links comprising an intrinsic part of the business. Fendi is unique in that it has been run not by male members of the family (of which there are none, except by marriage) but by five sisters, daughters of Adele and Edoardo Fendi, who became involved in the business after the death of their father in 1954. Fendi originally specialized in producing high-quality furs and leather goods on the Via del Plebiscito in Rome in 1925. It was at this point that the firm moved toward a more high-fashion profile, with the first Fendi fashion show staged in 1955.

Like many luxury goods companies, Fendi has capitalized upon its name with the usual plethora of accessories, gloves, lighters, pens, glasses, and fragances that have become a natural progression for a well-recognized label.

The new millennium found Fendi at the forefront of fashion buzz after the 1999 buyout by Prada-LVMH. A year later, insider undercurrent predicted a shift of Jil Sander from Prada to Fendi following the resignation of Prada chief Patrizio Bertelli in January. The extended Fendi family posed for photos in Rome in February to announce plans to go public by 2002.

Designer Handbags Chanel

She wore little black dresses, clean and slim lines, tanned her skin, bobbed her hair and was truly unique for her time period –truly revolutionary. She worked tirelessly through the rest of the decades creating the image of Chanel, while creating spectacular designs. Coco Chanel died in 1971. And, soon after Karl Lagerfeld became what he is today – the head designer for Chanel.

Karl Lagerfeld. He has truly became one of the most respected designers of our time, carrying on the legend that Coco Chanel left, while adding modern elements to the collections. His signature black suits and fan make his trademark undeniable. And, watching him season after season carry on Chanel’s legacy is truly amazing.

The handbags are also a big status symbol, where you’ll find classic Chanel quilted handbags with the chain strap or newer, more modern versions of the classic French label.

“A tie was the way a man expressed himself. I believed that men were ready for something new and different. They didn’t want to look as if they worked for IBM. A beautiful tie was an expression of quality, taste, style.”

Already interested in promoting a lifestyle with his ties, Ralph Lauren names his line after a sport that embodies a world of discreet elegance and classic style: Polo.

Designer Handbags Ralph Lauren

What began forty years ago with a collection of ties has grown into an entire world, redefining American style. Ralph Lauren has always stood for providing quality products, creating worlds and inviting people to take part in our dream. We were the innovators of lifestyle advertisements that tell a story and the first to create stores that encourage customers to participate in that lifestyle.

RalphLauren.com takes this participation to a new level, as a rich and exciting interactive destination. When you’re transported into the world of Ralph Lauren online, you can shop for great products for yourself and your home, learn about adventure, style and culture in RL Magazine and RL TV, find one-of-a-kind vintage pieces and exquisite gifts and much, much more. Back when all this started, I felt sure that there were no boundaries for Polo. I’m even more sure of that today.

Gianni Versace was killed by Andrew Cunanan on July 15, 1997. His sister Donatella Versace, formerly vice-president, then stepped in as creative director of Versace and his older brother Santo Versace became CEO. Donatella’s daughter Allegra Versace also owns 50 percent of the company since 2004 as wished by Gianni in his last will. Allegra also has the last say of the sale and other important details in the Versace clothing line.

Designer Handbags Versace

Versace’s Style Department employs a group of designers and stylists who work in teams. Each team is specifically dedicated to each fashion line or label. These teams operate under the close supervision and guidance of Donatella Versace.

Gianni Versace and Frank Muller launched the first Versace watch collection line in 1994. The name of the first collection was Atelier and it became a must among fashionistas and Versace brand lovers.

Since then, the collection of Versace timepieces has evolved and the range of products of the Medusa fashion brand has greatly been expanded.