As March steadily approaches, there’s one thing you should know in case you don’t. In the United States, each third month of the year is recognized as Women’s History Month, where people celebrate the enormous contributions (including some that are often overlooked) women have made in history. This celebration goes far back to the founding of the nation.
March also happens to be the month when international women’s day (March 8), where women’s achievements are celebrated worldwide in various industries, from politics to art, business, science, fashion, and everything in between. Speaking of fashion, women designers have played a huge role in transforming the male fashion industry over the years.
Whether you’re looking for motivation or inspiration, here are five such female designers you want to know about.
1. Sarah Burton
Officially named Sarah Jane Burton, the 1974-born English fashion designer is famed for designing the wedding dresses for one of the most famous weddings in history between Duchess Catherine Middleton and the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William in 2011. This aside, Sarah Burton has played a critical role as the creative director for Alexander Mcqueen’s high fashion for men and other offerings from the famous fashion brand. She has won multiple awards as a fashion designer, including CFDA Fashion Awards 2019, Glamour’s designer award in 2011, and woman of the year in 2014.
2. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
After exiting the plastic world of TV, Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate decided to venture into the fashion world by launching their own brand called The Row in 2006. Initially, they focused on women’s fashion but decided to launch a menswear capsule in 2016, which gave birth to a fully-fledged menswear line in 2018. The pair is today renowned for their immense creativity and consistency, especially when it comes to men’s unique clothing pieces like baggy trousers and luxe cashmere knitwear.
3. Miuccia Prada
The 1949-born Italian fashion designer actually went by the name Maria Bianchi at the time of birth. She was a big name in women’s fashion in the 20th century, especially when it comes to corsets, skirts, handbags, backpacks, and stiletto heels. After being a sensation in women’s fashion for many years, the once aspiring politician started a menswear line in 1995. In the men’s fashion world, she’s specifically recognized as an inspiration for minimalistic fashion items for spring and summer menswear. One unique thing about Prada is how she has demonstrated fearlessness in experimenting with new styles.
4. Victoria Beckham
Most of you may know her as an English singer and celebrity who married a professional footballer and successful businessman. But there’s a lot more to Victoria Beckham’s story than meets the eye. You might have also come across David’s hilarious ads online promoting some of their offerings like men’s underwear. While she primarily focuses on Women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories, some of her collections include sophisticated and creatively designed men’s clothing as well as accessories, and shoes. Some of her collections also include male-fashion-inspired women’s outfits that look out of this world.
To sum it up, the fashion industry has seen a lot of great female designers over the past few decades. Many of them got into fashion with a focus on women’s offerings but later caught interest in the male wardrobe. The above are just a few of the many you might want to learn about.