128 Fun Facts About Fashion

In what year was Vogue magazine first published?

1892 saw Arthur Baldwin Turnure launch Vogue as a weekly journal celebrating what he called the 'ceremonial side of life' for New York society; it later became a monthly.

What does the French term 'Haute Couture' literally translate to in English?

The term 'Haute Couture' directly translates from French to 'high sewing' or 'high dressmaking,' referring to the creation of exclusive, custom-fitted high-end fashion design.

Whose 1974 wrap dress reworked the kimono into a symbol of 1970s liberation?

Diane von Fürstenberg launched her jersey wrap dress in 1974; the easy-to-wear, kimono-inspired design sold millions and became an emblem of 1970s women's independence.

Who was appointed the creative director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collection in 2023?

Pharrell Williams was named Louis Vuitton's men's creative director on 14 February 2023, filling the post left vacant by Virgil Abloh's death in 2021.

Which of these cities is NOT one of the 'Big Four' fashion capitals?

The 'Big Four' fashion capitals, renowned for hosting the most prominent fashion weeks, are New York, London, Milan, and Paris. While Tokyo hosts an important fashion week, it is not part of this specific group.

What was the theme for the 2024 Met Gala?

The 2024 theme was 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion'; the exhibition ran 10 May to 2 September 2024 with around 250 pieces from the Costume Institute's collection.

In what year did Hubert de Givenchy found his eponymous fashion house?

Hubert de Givenchy founded his house in 1952, opening at the Plaine Monceau in Paris with a debut collection of versatile separates such as deep-sleeved white blouses.

Mary Quant said she named the miniskirt after what?

Mary Quant said she named the miniskirt after her favourite make of car, the Mini; she credited King's Road customers who kept demanding 'shorter, shorter'.

Which MGM costume designer created Grace Kelly's 1956 wedding gown?

Helen Rose, MGM's head costume designer, made the lace-and-silk gown Grace Kelly wore to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco in April 1956; the studio gave it as a wedding gift.

Under the rules for houses allowed to use the term 'haute couture', how must the garments be produced?

Members must also keep a Paris workshop with at least fifteen full-time staff and show a collection twice a year.

Which French fashion house debuted the iconic 'Bar Suit' in its 1947 'New Look' collection?

Christian Dior showed the Bar Suit in his February 1947 debut collection, soon dubbed the 'New Look'; Pierre Cardin, then heading the house's tailoring atelier, cut the jacket.

Which iconic French designer is widely credited with popularizing the 'little black dress'?

American Vogue printed her short, simple black dress in 1926 and likened it to the Model T Ford for its universal appeal.

What term describes clothing specifically tailored and custom-made for an individual client?

Bespoke clothing is cut from a pattern drafted from scratch for one client, unlike made-to-measure, which adjusts a standard block pattern to the customer's measurements.

What is the 1960s fashion movement of miniskirts, bold patterns and youthful style called?

The Mod fashion movement of the 1960s, often associated with designers like Mary Quant, embraced youthful, avant-garde styles featuring miniskirts, bright colors, and geometric prints.

Which British firm's founder invented gabardine in 1879 and pitched an officer's raincoat to the War Office in 1901?

Thomas Burberry invented weatherproof gabardine in 1879 and submitted an officer's raincoat design to the War Office in 1901; rival Aquascutum also claims to have originated the trench coat.

What soft, breathable natural fiber is the world's most widely used for textiles?

Cotton is the most widely used natural fiber globally, prized for its comfort, breathability, and versatility, making it a staple in everyday clothing and various textiles.

Which designer is credited with introducing 'Le Smoking,' the iconic tuxedo suit for women, in 1966?

Yves Saint Laurent revolutionized women's fashion in 1966 with 'Le Smoking,' a controversial yet iconic tuxedo suit that blurred gender lines and became a symbol of female empowerment.

Which actress was the famous muse of designer Hubert de Givenchy, on and off screen?

Givenchy first designed for her on Sabrina in 1954, when he was a young couturier and she was still an unknown, and she later fronted his first perfume, L'Interdit.

In what year was the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne founded?

The Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne was founded in 1868, with couturier Charles Frederick Worth among its leaders, to regulate Paris dressmaking and later define who may use the term haute couture.

Which 1980s women's corporate fashion trend featured oversized silhouettes and broad shoulders?

Power Dressing gave working women bold, structured silhouettes and prominent shoulder pads in the late 1970s and 1980s, as more of them entered corporate life.

Before founding his own house, the creator of the 1947 'New Look' was hired in 1938 by which couturier?

Christian Dior was hired by couturier Robert Piguet in 1938; after war service he worked under Lucien Lelong alongside Pierre Balmain before opening his own house in December 1946.

What fine, net-like fabric is used in bridal wear and to add volume to garments?

Tulle is a lightweight, sheer, and net-like fabric often used for bridal veils, tutus, and to create voluminous silhouettes in evening wear.

Which British designer dragged punk fashion into the mainstream in the 1970s?

Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren ran the King's Road boutique SEX in the mid-1970s, whose bondage trousers and ripped shirts were worn by the Sex Pistols.

Which Harper's Bazaar editor coined the phrase 'The New Look' for Dior's 1947 debut collection?

Harper's Bazaar editor Carmel Snow told Dior after the February 1947 show that his dresses had 'such a new look'; Dior himself had named the line Corolle, after a flower's ring of petals.

What term describes a minimalist collection of clothes chosen so that its few pieces combine into outfits for many occasions?

A capsule wardrobe gets the most from the fewest pieces: a minimalist set of clothes that can be put together in different ways to cover a variety of outfits and occasions.

Which luxury brand, founded in 1837, began with equestrian accessories before leather goods and fashion?

Hermès, founded in Paris in 1837 by Thierry Hermès, began as a harness workshop before evolving into a renowned luxury brand known for its leather goods and other high-end products.

Which French designer introduced the modern bikini in July 1946, naming it after a Pacific atoll?

Heim had launched a two-piece called the Atome two months earlier, but Réard advertised his as smaller than the smallest bathing suit in the world.

Which First Lady made pillbox hats, clean-cut suits with knee-length skirts and above-the-elbow gloves her signature look?

Jacqueline Kennedy's preferred look was clean-cut suits with knee-length skirts, three-quarter sleeves, above-the-elbow gloves, low-heeled pumps and pillbox hats.

What sturdy warp-faced twill textile is most associated with jeans and casual wear?

The most common type is indigo denim, in which only the warp threads are dyed, which is why the inside of a pair of jeans looks paler than the outside.

Which Italian designer dressed Richard Gere in American Gigolo (1980)?

He started out as a window dresser at the Milan department store La Rinascente and went on to dress over 100 films.

Which French shoe designer, along with André Perugia, popularized the stiletto heel in the 1950s?

Roger Vivier, designing shoes for Dior from 1953, is credited with the needle-thin stiletto heel, which spread rapidly across Europe and America in the mid-1950s.

Which French fashion house, founded in 1910, is famous for tweed suits and the No. 5 perfume?

The house was founded in Paris in 1910 and its No. 5 perfume, launched in 1921, remains one of the best-known fragrances in the world.

Which designer was dismissed by Perry Ellis after his acclaimed but poorly selling 'grunge' collection?

Marc Jacobs was dismissed by Perry Ellis in 1993 after his grunge collection; he relaunched his own label that year, and Nirvana later sued him over a smiley-face logo on his 'Bootleg Redux Grunge' line.

What type of sleeve extends in one piece to the collar, with a diagonal seam from the underarm?

A raglan sleeve runs in one piece to the neckline with a diagonal seam from the underarm and no shoulder seam; it is named for Lord Raglan and is a staple of baseball tees.

Which designer, known as the 'father of haute couture', opened his salon in Paris in 1858?

Charles Frederick Worth, an Englishman, opened Worth et Bobergh at 7 rue de la Paix in 1858 with Swedish partner Otto Bobergh and soon dressed Empress Eugénie and other royalty.

What is the lightweight, breathable fabric made from flax fibres called?

Linen is a natural fiber derived from the flax plant, highly valued for its exceptional breathability, absorbency, and lightweight feel, making it a popular choice for warm-weather garments.

Which Milan fashion house, founded in 1913, sold leather goods and luggage before expanding into ready-to-wear?

Mario Prada's original shop sold imported English leather goods; his granddaughter Miuccia later made the house famous for waterproof fabrics.

What early-2000s aesthetic featured low-rise jeans, crop tops, and velour tracksuits?

Y2K style was meant to echo the sleek new technology of the millennium, its tracksuits and huge sunglasses spread by celebrities in magazines, music videos and on red carpets.

What is the term for a high neckline that does not fold over, similar to a short turtleneck?

A mock neck is a high neckline that stands up and doesn't fold over, offering a look similar to a turtleneck but typically shorter.

Which strong, elastic, water-resistant synthetic fibre is often used in swimwear and activewear?

Nylon, DuPont's synthetic fibre announced in 1938, is strong, elastic and quick-drying; the launch publicity for nylon stockings claimed it was as strong as steel, a boast the company soon softened.

Levi Strauss shared his 1873 patent for riveted trousers with which tailor, who first added the copper rivets?

Davis, a regular customer for bolts of cloth, wrote to Strauss in 1872 proposing that they patent the idea together.

What is a dress shape that fits at the waist and flares straight to the hem?

The A-line, named for its resemblance to a capital A, is fitted above the hips and flares gently to the hem; Christian Dior introduced the term with his spring 1955 collection.

Which model is credited with popularising the miniskirt outside Britain in the 1960s?

Twiggy, the waif-like London model named 'Face of 1966', was photographed worldwide in minidresses, carrying the look far beyond Britain; Mary Quant, André Courrèges and John Bates each claim the skirt itself.

Which decade saw the emergence of the 'flapper' style of dropped waistlines and fringe?

The 1920s, known as the 'Roaring Twenties,' saw the iconic flapper style emerge, with its dropped waistlines, fringe, and loose silhouettes, reflecting a period of social liberation for women.

The term 'prêt-à-porter' in fashion refers to what?

Prêt-à-porter, French for 'ready-to-wear,' refers to high-quality, mass-produced clothing sold in standardized sizes, offering a balance between exclusivity and accessibility in fashion.

Which American designer started his company in 1967 selling wide men's neckties?

Ralph Lauren began in 1967 selling wide ties under the Polo name, added a full Polo menswear line in 1968 and built it into a global lifestyle brand spanning clothing, home goods and fragrance.

Which Italian fashion house, founded in Rome in 1925, is known for fur and leather goods?

Fendi opened in Rome in 1925 as Adele and Edoardo Fendi's fur and leather shop; Karl Lagerfeld joined in 1965 and directed its fur and womenswear collections for more than fifty years.

Who bought Vogue in 1909, after founder Arthur Turnure's death, and turned the weekly society journal into a monthly fashion magazine?

Condé Nast turned Vogue from a weekly society journal into a monthly fashion magazine and built a publishing empire around it.

Which French couturier dismissed the petticoat in 1903 and the corset in 1906?

Paul Poiret, who opened his own house in 1903, dropped the petticoat that year and the corset in 1906, making his name with loose kimono-style coats and high-waisted Directoire gowns.

Fashion minimalism, with clean lines and neutral colours, was prominent in which decade?

The 1990s saw a departure from the excess of the 1980s, with minimalism becoming a significant trend, featuring clean lines, neutral colors, and understated designs.

In fashion, what is an 'atelier'?

The French word covers any master's workshop where assistants and apprentices work under one name; in haute couture it is where the clothes are made.

Which semi-synthetic fabric, made from wood pulp, is a soft-draping affordable alternative to silk?

Rayon, also known as viscose, is a semi-synthetic fabric derived from wood pulp, developed as an affordable alternative to silk due to its soft, breathable, and draping qualities.

Which actress gave her name to a famous 1984 handbag from a French luxury house?

Jane Birkin inspired the Hermès Birkin after sitting beside Hermès chief Jean-Louis Dumas on a Paris–London flight; the bag launched in 1984 and became a byword for resale value.

What is the term for a finished garment opening that holds buttons, snaps or zippers?

A placket is a finished opening in a garment that holds closures such as buttons, snaps, or zippers, providing both function and a clean look, especially in shirts and dresses.

Which two designers won the International Woolmark Prize, launched in 1953, as unknowns?

Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld both won the International Wool Secretariat design contest in 1954 as unknowns, Saint Laurent in the dress category aged 18 and Lagerfeld in the coat category aged 21.

In what year did Louis Vuitton launch its signature Monogram canvas, later patented worldwide?

Georges Vuitton created the Monogram canvas in 1896 to deter counterfeiters; its quatrefoils and flowers drew on the late-Victorian vogue for Japanese family crests, and the canvas was made suppler in 1959 for handbags.

Jeans became casual fashion after 1950s films with James Dean and which other actor?

Marlon Brando in The Wild One (1953) and James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) made jeans a badge of youthful rebellion, turning miners' riveted work trousers into everyday casual wear.

What is a fold sewn into fabric to add shape, often at the bust, waist, or hips, called?

A dart is a fold sewn into fabric to add shape, commonly used to contour garments to the body's curves, such as the bust, waist, or hips.

The CFDA Fashion Awards, founded in 1981, celebrate fashion excellence from which country?

The CFDA Fashion Awards, established in 1981 by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, annually celebrate American fashion excellence across various categories.

Which avant-garde designer was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001 while running his own label?

Alexander McQueen succeeded John Galliano as Givenchy's chief designer in 1996 and stayed until 2001, while still running the label he had founded in 1992.

What is the term for the overall shape or outline of an item of clothing?

In fashion terms, the word 'silhouette' refers to the basic shape or outline of an item of clothing, defining its overall form and visual impact.

Which Italian designer was murdered outside his Miami Beach mansion in July 1997?

Versace was shot by spree killer Andrew Cunanan on the steps of Casa Casuarina.

Which mythological figure appears in the Versace logo?

The Versace logo is the head of Medusa, adopted by Gianni Versace in 1993 as a nod to the Greek heritage of his birthplace, Reggio Calabria in southern Italy.

Gucci was founded in 1921 in which Italian city?

Guccio Gucci opened his leather-goods shop in Florence in 1921 after working as a bellhop at London's Savoy Hotel, where he studied wealthy travellers' luggage.

Which luxury conglomerate has owned Gucci as a subsidiary since 1999?

Kering, then called PPR, bought a controlling stake in Gucci in 1999 after a takeover fight with LVMH; the Gucci family had been fully ousted from the company by 1993.

Which designer was named creative director of Gucci in 1994, reviving the brand?

Ford later ran Yves Saint Laurent too before launching his own label in 2005.

Which Spanish couturier did Christian Dior call 'the master of us all'?

Christian Dior called Cristóbal Balenciaga 'the master of us all', and Coco Chanel said he was the only one of them who was a couturier in the truest sense, able to cut and sew himself.

Valentino Garavani opened his fashion house in 1960 on which famous Rome street?

Valentino Garavani opened his house on Via Condotti in Rome in 1960, backed by his father, after training in Paris with Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche; his first international show came in Florence in 1962.

Which Paris house did Karl Lagerfeld design for in the 1970s and again 1992–97?

Karl Lagerfeld designed for Chloé from the mid-1960s until 1983 and returned from 1992 to 1997, making its romantic, fluid dresses a signature of the label.

Karl Lagerfeld's famous cat Choupette was of which breed?

Choupette, a blue-eyed Birman, came to Lagerfeld in 2011 and became a celebrity in her own right; he said in 2013 that he would marry her if it were legal.

Which house hired Marc Jacobs in 1997 to launch its first ready-to-wear line?

Louis Vuitton, until then a luggage and leather-goods house, hired Marc Jacobs in 1997 as its first creative director to launch ready-to-wear; he stayed until 2013.

Which Bronx-born designer founded his label with childhood friend Barry Schwartz in 1968?

Klein was one of several design leaders raised in the Bronx's Jewish community, along with Ralph Lauren.

Donna Karan headed the design team of which label before launching her own in 1984?

Karan was promoted to associate designer at Anne Klein in 1971 and took over after Klein's death in 1974.

Who made the pillbox hat Jacqueline Kennedy wore to the 1961 inauguration?

Halston began as a milliner and became head milliner at Bergdorf Goodman before moving into womenswear.

Which couturier, famous for Surrealist designs and 'shocking pink', opened her Paris house in 1927?

Schiaparelli collaborated with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau.

Which French designer created Madonna's cone bra for the 1990 Blond Ambition tour?

Gaultier also designed the costumes for The Fifth Element and The City of Lost Children.

Which Japanese designer was known for the technology-driven 'Pleats, Please' line?

Miyake survived the Hiroshima bombing as a child and studied graphic design before fashion.

Rei Kawakubo is the founder of which avant-garde fashion label?

The name is French for 'like the boys'; Kawakubo also founded Dover Street Market.

Anna Wintour became editor-in-chief of American Vogue in which year?

Anna Wintour became editor-in-chief of American Vogue in 1988; her first cover, November 1988, paired $50 faded jeans with a $10,000 jewelled Christian Lacroix jacket.

Anna Wintour's father Charles was editor of which London newspaper?

Charles Wintour edited the London Evening Standard for most of the years between 1959 and 1980; he reportedly consulted his teenage daughter on making the paper appeal to young readers.

Shoe designer Manolo Blahnik was born in 1942 on which island group?

Manolo Blahnik was born in 1942 on La Palma in the Canary Islands, where his mother's family owned a banana plantation; his father was Czech.

Christian Louboutin's trademark red soles were first created using what?

Christian Louboutin painted the black sole of a 1992 prototype with an assistant's red nail polish to make the shoe pop; the red sole later became a registered trademark.

Shoe designer Jimmy Choo was born in 1948 in which then-British colony?

Jimmy Choo was born in 1948 in Penang, Malaya, to a family of Hakka shoemakers, and made his first pair of shoes aged 11 before training at Cordwainers in London.

Which model became the first Black cover star of Vogue Paris in August 1988?

Naomi Campbell's August 1988 Vogue Paris cover made her the first Black model on the magazine's cover, after Yves Saint Laurent threatened to pull his advertising unless she got it.

Which English model rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the 'heroin chic' trend?

Kate Moss, scouted at 14 at JFK airport, became the face of 'heroin chic' through her waifish early-1990s Calvin Klein campaigns, including the 1992 ads with Mark Wahlberg.

Which Brazilian model topped Forbes' highest-paid models list from 2005 to 2016?

Gisele Bündchen held the top spot on the highest-paid models list for twelve straight years and is credited with ending heroin chic in 1999 and popularising the 'horse walk'.

The Met Gala was established in 1948 by which fashion publicist?

Publicist Eleanor Lambert, who also created the International Best Dressed List, started the Met Gala in 1948 as a midnight supper raising funds for the Metropolitan Museum's newly absorbed Costume Institute.

Who wrote the 2003 novel on which the film The Devil Wears Prada is based?

Lauren Weisberger, a former Vogue assistant, wrote The Devil Wears Prada (2003); the 2006 film stars Meryl Streep as the demanding editor Miranda Priestly.

A traditional trench coat is double-breasted with how many front buttons?

Other classic features are a storm flap, epaulettes and buckled cuff straps.

Which Chicago inventor's 'clasp locker' of the 1890s evolved into the modern zipper?

Whitcomb L. Judson patented his 'clasp locker' hook-and-eye fastener in 1893 and showed it at that year's Chicago World's Fair; Gideon Sundback's 1913 redesign turned it into the modern zipper.

The zipper got its name in 1923 from a brand of what?

B.F. Goodrich coined the name 'zipper' in 1923 for its rubber galoshes, which fastened with a single zip of the hand; the word then attached itself to the fastener.

Swiss engineer George de Mestral conceived Velcro after examining what?

George de Mestral studied the burdock burs clinging to his dog's fur and his trousers after a 1941 Alpine walk; Velcro blends the French velours (velvet) and crochet (hook).

Converse was founded in 1908 in which US state?

Marquis Mills Converse opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1908; its All Star basketball shoe followed in 1917.

Which sportswear giant acquired Converse in 2003?

Nike bought Converse in 2003 for about $305 million, two years after the shoemaker's bankruptcy, and kept the Chuck Taylor All Star running as a separate brand.

Dr. Martens' original 1460 boot is named for what?

The 1460 boot is named for its launch date, 1 April 1960, the first day of production at R. Griggs in Wollaston; the 1461 shoe followed in 1961.

Klaus Märtens, whose boots became Dr. Martens, was a WWII doctor for which country's forces?

He designed improvements to his boots after injuring his ankle skiing in 1945.

Birkenstock's contoured footbeds are made with cork and layers of which materials?

Birkenstock's footbed layers cork-latex between jute fibres under a suede lining; Konrad Birkenstock developed the first contoured insole in 1896, and the family firm traces its origins to 1774.

Ugg boots originated in which country?

Ugg boots originated in Australia, where sheepskin boots were worn by surfers from the 1960s; the Deckers-owned UGG brand turned them into a worldwide trend in the mid-2000s.

Cashmere fibre is obtained from which animal?

Cashmere is combed from the fine undercoat of cashmere goats; China and Mongolia are the leading producers, and the name comes from the Kashmir region.

In Scotland, tweed manufacturing is most associated with which island?

Harris Tweed, hand-woven in the Outer Hebrides and protected by the Harris Tweed Act 1993, made the Isle of Harris synonymous with the cloth; 'tweed' reportedly began as a misreading of 'tweel', Scots for twill.

Spandex, invented at DuPont in 1958, has a name that is an anagram of which word?

DuPont chemist Joseph Shivers invented spandex in 1958, and the name is an anagram of 'expands'; the fibre is called elastane in continental Europe and sold as Lycra.

Zara's founders originally planned to name the shop after which 1964 film?

Amancio Ortega wanted to call his 1975 A Coruña shop Zorba, after the film Zorba the Greek, but a bar two blocks away already used the name, so the letters were rearranged into Zara.

H&M was founded in 1947 in Sweden under what name?

Hennes is Swedish for 'hers'; the shop sold only women's clothing until Mauritz Widforss was acquired in 1968.

Nike was founded in 1964 under what name?

Blue Ribbon Sports was founded in 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight to import Onitsuka Tiger shoes; the Nike brand launched in 1971 and the company renamed itself Nike, Inc. in 1978.

Adidas founder Adolf Dassler's brother Rudolf went on to found which rival sportswear brand?

Rudolf Dassler founded Puma in Herzogenaurach in 1948 after splitting from his brother Adolf in 1947; the firm was first registered as Ruda, while Adidas was registered in 1949.

Uniqlo's name is a contraction of which phrase?

Uniqlo contracts 'Unique Clothing Warehouse', the name of its first store, opened in Hiroshima in 1984; it is a subsidiary of Fast Retailing, controlled by the Yanai family.

Crinoline was originally a stiff fabric made of cotton or linen and what?

The name comes from crin, French for horsehair; steel cage crinolines followed in 1856.

Which 19th-century undergarment added fullness at the back of women's dresses?

The bustle, a pad or wire frame worn beneath the skirt at the back, gave 1870s and 1880s dresses their rear fullness; simpler padded cushions of the same idea were called 'bum rolls' or 'cork rumps'.

Ray-Ban sunglasses were created in 1936 by which company?

Bausch & Lomb created Ray-Ban in 1936, developing anti-glare Aviator lenses for US Army Air Corps pilots, and registered the brand name in 1937.

What is the pouch worn at the front of a kilt called?

Sporran is Gaelic for 'purse'; it hangs from a chain or leather strap because the kilt itself has no pockets.

What is the fitted bodice worn with a sari called in northern India?

The choli is the short, fitted blouse worn under a sari; the sari itself is an unstitched length of cloth roughly 4.5 to 9 yards long, draped over the choli and petticoat.

What is the stiff front panel of a traditional corset called?

The busk is the rigid strip of wood, bone or steel set into the front of a corset to keep it straight; corsets were boned with whalebone or steel from the 17th to the early 20th century.

Which younger, more playful label did Prada launch in 1993?

Miu Miu, named for Miuccia Prada's childhood nickname, was launched by Prada in 1993 as a younger, more playful line; she had taken over the family luxury-goods firm in 1978.

Bridal designer Vera Wang initially pursued a career in which sport?

Vera Wang competed in figure skating, reaching the 1968 US championships in junior pairs, before working at Vogue and Ralph Lauren and opening her bridal boutique in 1990.

Which fashion designer was born in Santo Domingo and trained under Balenciaga?

Oscar de la Renta, born in Santo Domingo in 1932, apprenticed at Balenciaga's Madrid house Eisa and became known in the 1960s as one of the couturiers who dressed Jacqueline Kennedy.

Tommy Hilfiger sold his company in 2006 to Apax Partners for how much?

Apax Partners bought Tommy Hilfiger Corporation in 2006 for about $1.6 billion, then sold it to Phillips-Van Heusen in 2010 for roughly $3 billion.

Under what name was designer Michael Kors born?

Michael Kors was born Karl Anderson Jr. in 1959; after his mother married Bill Kors he took the Kors surname and chose the first name Michael himself.

Which Italian house, founded in Gallarate in 1953, is famous for zigzag knitwear?

Missoni, founded by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni in Gallarate in 1953, became famous for multicoloured zigzag and space-dyed knitwear that defined 1970s Italian style.

Which Italian shoemaker devised the cork wedge heel in the 1930s?

Salvatore Ferragamo devised the cork wedge heel in Florence in 1936, when sanctions on Italy made steel for shanks scarce, and patented it; he was known as 'shoemaker to the stars'.

Zara is the flagship brand of which Spanish retail group?

Inditex, Amancio Ortega's group, grew from the first Zara shop, opened in A Coruña in 1975; its head office is at Arteixo nearby.

Who designed Nike's Swoosh logo?

Carolyn Davidson, a Portland State graphic-design student, drew the Swoosh in 1971 and was paid $35; the company gave her stock and a diamond Swoosh ring in 1983.

Which Italian eyewear group has owned the Ray-Ban brand since 1999?

Luxottica bought Ray-Ban from Bausch & Lomb in 1999 for about $640 million and revived the brand; its Aviator began as anti-glare glasses for US Army Air Corps pilots.

Regency dandy Beau Brummell died in exile in which French city?

Beau Brummell fled his debts to Calais in 1816, became British consul at Caen in 1830 and died there in 1840 in the Bon Sauveur asylum, his mind destroyed by syphilis.

Tennis star René Lacoste's reptilian nickname stemmed partly from a 1923 bet over what prize?

Davis Cup captain Allan Muhr promised René Lacoste a crocodile-skin suitcase in 1923 if he won a key match; he lost but kept the nickname, and by 1927 wore an embroidered crocodile on his blazer.

Which Swiss family-owned group bought Lacoste outright in November 2012?

Maus Frères, the Swiss family retail group that already held a stake, bought the Lacoste family's remaining shares in November 2012; René Lacoste and knitwear maker André Gillier had founded the company in 1933.

Hugo Boss, founded in 1924, is headquartered in which town in Baden-Württemberg?

Hugo Boss has been based in Metzingen, south of Stuttgart, since Hugo Ferdinand Boss opened his clothing factory there in 1924; uniform contracts in the Nazi era preceded the move into men's suits in the 1950s.

Which fashion editor became Alexander McQueen's patron after seeing his MA graduation collection?

Isabella Blow bought Alexander McQueen's entire 1992 Central Saint Martins MA collection and championed him; his low-cut 'bumster' trousers soon made him British fashion's enfant terrible.

Dolce & Gabbana was founded in 1985 in which town near Milan?

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana founded their label in Legnano, north-west of Milan, in 1985 and showed their first womenswear collection in Milan that October.