Eric Giroud laughs when presented with our challenge: design an iconic watch. “It’s not possible,” exclaims the celebrated independent watch designer, who has created pieces for Vacheron Constantin and Harry Winston, Tissot, MB&F and Romain Jerome among many others. “I have been asked to do that before, though, especially for new brands because every watch company wants to have an ‘icon’. But you can’t do it, because it’s the product of factors outside of the designer’s control”.

More on this later. Before then, to speak of an iconic watch – and the industry really does love to do that to excess – is to speak of a kind of watchmaking canon, like the greats of literature or music. It is a tacitly agreed and, through media and retail, constantly reinforced selection: among them the Omega Speedmaster and Rolex Submariner, the Cartier Tank and the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Calatrava… The selection verges on being cliché – and, yet sometimes it seems to be constantly expanding <just with Patek Philippe alone, we have not even covered the Nautilus, Aquanaut and Golden Ellipse models and that is just to begin with (– but maybe for a good reason).

That is because this is not simply about ‘timeless’ design, with its suggestion of inoffensiveness and innocuousness. A so-called timeless style can look like so many other watches. To be disruptive is harder: both to design and to sell. Certainly, many of those watches considered iconic broke a mould when launched: designer Gerald Genta’s Royal Oak reimagined stainless steel and an industrial aesthetic as luxury; Rene-Alfred Chauvot’s Reverso provided an engineering solution to protect the dial of his Reverso; Swatch built on quartz’s affordability in pop plastic. And so on. As Max Busser, founder of MB&F points out, so many watches now considered trail-blazing and iconic were so radical that they were commercial flops when launched.

Indeed, that brings us back to those other icon-defining factors that Giroud notes as being out of his hands. The first is time: iconic status is won only by having stuck around, and in the case of many watches, that means for decades. It is why, for Gisbert Brunner, watch enthusiast and the author of 100 Iconic Watches (published by teNeues last year), the ultimate watch icon is the Cartier Santos: the watch that pioneered the very idea of the purpose-designed wristwatch, “and, amazingly, the same in 2025 as it was in 1907,” he says.

Giroud’s second factor is consumer appreciation. These are mutually reinforcing, of course: arguably the more consumers demand a watch, or express their regard for it – something much more easily done since the advent of social media – the more a brand is likely to continue to manufacture it; and this, in turn, underpins appreciation. As Sebastien Gobert, the creative director of Zenith, puts it, “a brand can seek to be disruptive with a design, but once it has done that the process [of becoming an icon, or not] is completely controlled by the consumer. That’s why it’s such a risk to be disruptive in the first place”.

Busser, formerly of Jaeger-LeCoultre, says he remembers a long spell in the 1990s “when you couldn’t give a Reverso away. The line you would hear was ‘why would anyone want a watch you can flip over?’,” he recalls. “The model had spent several decades just vanished [from the watch scene] and it was only when a distributor asked for it to be remade that it was slowly re-discovered. It’s an indication of how there’s no way a brand can set out to make an icon—that’s down to the public, to those super early adopters”.

Is their appreciation all for the aesthetics of a watch? Brunner does not think so: he cites engineering innovation—the slimmest, lightest, most precise in mechanical watches – as worthy of icon status too, which is why he counts in the likes of Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive, “even though it looks like thousands of other watches out there”.

Then there is the broader cultural resonance of a watch— that it reflects a moment in history, like the famed Dirty Dozen of military watch fame, suggests Giovanni Moro, founder of Unimatic; or because it made an appearance in a film. TAG Heuer’s Monaco might have become an icon without the assistance of being worn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans, as might have the Porsche Design Chronograph One, the world’s first fully black watch, without it being worn by Tom Cruise in Top Gun – but it certainly helped. But how about the Casio CA-50 ‘calculator watch’, as worn in Back to the Future?

“There are only a handful of true icons in the watch world and I think some might have been helped on their way by resonating with the zeitgeist, in the way that the Rolex Submariner probably got a boost through its association with James Bond, or the Speedmaster did from the moon landings,” argues Angus MacFadyen, owner of the Alsta brand, whose Superautomatic was worn in Jaws, which marks its 50th anniversary this year. “This is mostly beyond the watch company’s control, of course, especially whether that film itself comes to be considered in some way iconic. But this is a balancing act for any brand: you don’t want to end up being just ‘the maker of the Jaws watch’”.

The association with film does, however, speak to the visual appeal of iconic watches—after all, ’icon’ comes from the Greek ‘eikon’, meaning ’image’. So often they have some distinctive and sometimes divisive stand-out detail – the sidewalls of the Patek Philippe Nautilus’s case, the oversized crown-guard on a Panerai Luminor, or, getting much crazier, the shape of the Cartier Crash, for example. “A shape you can identify from 25m is, I think, a key aspect of what makes a watch iconic,” reckons watch influencer Kristian Haagen. “Frankly I wouldn’t really care if my Nautilus had a Quartz movement. It’s the look I love”. Carlos Rosillo, the CEO of Bell & Ross, argues that it is this overwhelmingly visual identity that is at the heart of what makes an iconic watch, and which encourages consumers to regard it as such.

“An icon has to be aesthetically very original, different, all while respecting the values of the brand. You might be able to just look at the shape of the watch alone and know what it is, without the need for any branding at all,” he says, suggesting this to be true of Bell & Ross’s square BR-01, and seeking to prove the case in its recent, brand-free iteration, the BR-03 Astro. “The trick is in making a statement and then protecting it, having options to develop it that keeps [your audience] surprised.”

Certainly, as Giovanni Moro argues, not every watch now given “the ‘icon’ seal of approval” deserves to have it. “You see more and more watch companies trying to make an icon through marketing alone,” he laments, “while it can feel that other truly great watch designs—like the Speedmaster, which is definitely an icon—sometimes get over-written by the sheer weight of the marketing that keeps them iconic. It’s all ‘the moon, the moon, the moon!’” “But of course every watch brand wants to have an icon in their collection, or at least claim that it has an icon,” says Brunner. “When I was writing that book lots of brands contacted me to say ‘we have an icon too!’ but often what they had was more of a me-too watch.”

This is understandable from a business perspective: an icon is a reliable seller, year in, year out, with that iconic status ensuring a public profile and plenty of free promotion. It provides a financial bedrock on which sometimes other, more contemporary designs

might be built – having an iconic model that was once considered disruptive, if no more, provides some freedom to be disruptive with contemporary designs, and thus perhaps create the icons of tomorrow, says Gobert.

More than that “there is something stabilising about having an icon,” Rosillo suggests. “If you feed it well it generates a lot of power and gives the market confidence in the brand. It can give an entire brand the meaning it needs to have”. It also provides a launch-pad into a wider brand world for any would-be customer. For those who do get hooked, icons often are, as it were, the gateway drugs to a wider watch appreciation.

But that’s not to say a brand having an icon is all good. “It’s a double-edged sword,” reckons Busser. “I’d hate MB&F to have an icon because we’re all about creating something very different every time. But of course I recognise that it would be great for business”. Icons can also become brands of a sort in their own right – people don’t necessarily want a Rolex, for example, but a Daytona – overwhelming the actual brand on the dial, “and capturing all the attention,” notes Rosillo. ”It’s dangerous to become known for just that one product”. Keeping the icon fresh – recognisably itself, yet not entirely stuck in aspic either – is also no easy task. “From the design point of view an icon is a nightmare to work with,” laughs Gobert, “because you have to somehow continue its story while also working to so many limitations”.

“Every year those brands have to put a lot of effort into keeping those icons going in an interesting way,” adds Giroud, who suggests that for a brand to have one can also have the effect of dampening down a wider creativity. This is especially true of those bigger brands for which any new watch represents a huge investment. “By the same token, so much of the watch industry is all about history and legacy now, so if they have an iconic watch most companies dare not do too much with it. Kill the icon and you kill the business.”

That is all the more tricky when, well, us consumers just love those icons. From a consumer perspective, an icon is certainly, as Giroud puts it, “the easy choice, even if the industry is so much bigger now and there’s the option to make a much more personal choice. But if you’re going to spend a lot of money on a single watch, it is understandably tempting to buy what’s perceived as being a ‘classic’.” Indeed, perception is a key factor here: icons have cultural resonance beyond what might otherwise be considered a rather niche interest. Since most people are not watch nerds, the power of an icon to signal taste and status to other people – who may know nothing about watches—matters.

“That’s true of design more broadly,” argues Robert- Jan Broer, the founder of Fratello Watches. “A product that’s considered iconic represents a good [maybe the best] version of that product type. If you’re buying a watch, or a chair, a camera or a car, it’s widely accepted as having set and met some kind of standard”.

In cars think of the likes of the Ford Mustang, VW Beetle or Mini – though Broer points out that many cars continue to exist through time more as the idea of a design than the design itself. In homewares, think of the likes of the Eames lounge chair, or the Anglepoise 1227 lamp. Even coffee pots have their iconic version, in the Bialetti Moka. Like these other design icons, watches have their icon status reinforced by being endlessly copied – not to mention counterfeited outright, argues Haagen. “It’s in

part what allows the design to be accepted and respected across generations, that places it beyond just fashion,” he says.

Or, as Swatch Design Committee member Carlo Giordanetti pithily puts it: “a watch becomes an icon through repetition”. While Swatch’s high output of new models may have given it a higher icon return rate than most brands – the Gent, the Jelly, the Scuba among them – all this has come to its logical postmodern conclusion in the Moonswatch. It is a riff on a icon that looks like it might itself become an icon in time.

“The Moonswatch is like the square of an icon,” Giodanetti laughs. “The project is still young but in terms of the discussions it has started it’s been huge, and in the way it has turned things around in terms of what’s thought possible in the world of watches. We use the word ‘icon’ too much – to the point that it’s become non-descriptive. But this is certainly disruptive”.

‘Modern icon’ too makes for some lazy marketing, a seeming contradiction in terms. But perhaps, with the watch industry’s huge expansion over more recent decades, there are more icons in the making, yet to be tested over time, and – thanks to an increase in the pace of production, and the pace with which social media generates buzz – with that process in acceleration. For Busser, Richard Mille’s first watch, the RM001, potentially deserves the ‘icon’ appellation, even though it was launched only 24 years ago. For Broer, it is A. Lange & Söhne’s Lange 1—launched 31 years ago—or the Bulgari Octo Finissimo – launched 11 years ago – that are ones to watch. For Moro, it is the 13-year-old Ressence Type One.

“But I do believe we have to think about the idea of watch icons more broadly now, while carefully considering what it really means,” says Brunner, who, while limiting his book’s selection to 100 pieces, reckons he could easily have selected 200. “Naturally a lot of what makes a watch ‘iconic’ to people is just their personal opinion. It is like calling a watch ‘beautiful’. But we so often now use the word ‘iconic’ without reflection. That designation needs to be well-deserved”.

This story was first seen in WOW #78 Vision 2025 Issue

For more on the latest in luxury watch reads, click here.

In 2025, prestige in the luxury automotive industry is not just about speed or badge power — it is about provenance and painstaking detail. As electric mobility continues to reshape the industry, a new generation of high-luxury vehicles is emerging with models that marry cutting-edge technology with the kind of craftsmanship once reserved for coachbuilt classics. These are not cars made for the masses. They are engineered to evoke desire and uphold legacies decades in the making. From the debut of four-door Ferraris to the quiet confidence of an all-electric Maybach, the most aspirational cars on the market today remain resolutely aspirational.

Rolls‑Royce La Rose Noire Droptail

Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is a singular expression of coachbuilt artistry, inspired by the velvety Black Baccara rose and developed over a four-year period. At its core is a motif of abstract petals rendered in the most complex parquetry Rolls-Royce has ever produced, comprising 1,603 pieces of Black Sycamore veneer. Crafted in complete silence over nine months by a single artisan working in limited-hour shifts, the symmetrical triangles and asymmetrical red inserts resemble falling rose petals that cocoon the driver and passenger. This motif continues seamlessly across the aft deck, framed by two dramatic sail cowls that recall a yacht’s profile.

Measuring 5.3 metres long and 2 metres wide, Droptail’s roadster form is a sculptural ode to early Rolls-Royce proportions, featuring a “dropping” rear and a striking negative body line. Its exterior finish, dubbed True Love echoes the changing tones of the Black Baccara rose, from pomegranate in shadow to luminous red in light — achieved through a new paint process involving over 150 iterations and five layers of tinted lacquer. The darkened brightwork — finished in bespoke Hydroshade — mirrors natural light and adds to the car’s noir elegance. In a refined flourish, the reverse side of the grille vanes is painted in True Love red — visible only by indirect reflection.

Inside, the two-seat cabin marks a first for modern Rolls-Royce design. The fascia reveals the intricate parquetry, while the seats are trimmed in dark red Mystery leather and shimmering light red True Love leather. A low, enveloping layout reinforces the romantic character. The car offers two experiences: an open-air drive with the roof removed and a sleek coupé profile with the hardtop in place. With only four ever to be made, the La Rose Noire Droptail stands as a dramatically romantic celebration of automotive excellence.

Mercedes‑Maybach EQS SUV

With its sweeping silhouette, hand-applied two-tone paintwork and unmistakable Maybach grille, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV signals a new era of electric prestige. This is not just the brand’s first all-electric SUV — it is the amalgamation of cutting-edge innovation with the meticulous craftsmanship that the Maybach is revered for. Offering up to 635 km of all-electric range (WLTP), 658 hp of seamless power and fast-charging capabilities that take it to 80 percent in just 31 minutes.

Inside, the cabin becomes a sanctuary of sensory indulgence: sustainably produced, vegetable-tanned leather makes its debut, paired with ambient lighting, high-end entertainment systems and Maybach-exclusive trim elements. The pièce de résistance is arguably the refrigerated rear compartment with matching champagne goblets and bespoke holders, ideal for moments that call for celebration on the move. From its stainless-steel pedal system to its intelligent energy recovery technology, every detail is designed to elevate the driving experience.

Aston Martin Valhalla / Vanquish

The Aston Martin Valhalla represents a groundbreaking chapter in the marque’s 112-year legacy — a mid-engined plug-in hybrid supercar that sees road and track performance in unprecedented ways. Developed in close collaboration with Aston Martin Performance Technologies (AMPT), the Valhalla features cutting-edge innovations in dynamics, aerodynamics and materials, many drawn from Formula 1® technology. At its core is a bespoke 4.0-litre twin-turbo flat-plane crank V8 engine producing 828PS, paired with three electric motors delivering an additional 251PS — for a combined output of 1079PS and 1100Nm. It is capable of accelerating from 0–100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph).

This is Aston Martin’s first series production mid-engined supercar and also the first to feature a fully integrated plug-in hybrid system with dedicated EV range. A newly developed 8-speed Dual Clutch Transmission and an advanced all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring further to elevate its dynamic performance. The Valhalla’s design is equally striking, combining Aston Martin’s signature luxury with aerodynamic efficiency and dramatic styling cues. Limited to just 999 units, deliveries are set to begin in the second half of 2025 — marking the arrival of a true road and track masterpiece.

Lamborghini Revuelto

Unveiled on the cusp of Lamborghini’s 60th anniversary, the Revuelto marks a bold new chapter as the brand’s first HPEV (High Performance Electrified Vehicle) hybrid super sports car. Fusing the raw power of a brand-new naturally aspirated V12 with three electric motors and a groundbreaking transversal dual-clutch e-gearbox, the Revuelto delivers an astonishing 1,015 CV (747 kW). It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds and exceeds top speeds of 350 km/h.

Performance is matched with advanced aerodynamics, LDVI 2.0 driving intelligence and a carbon fibre monofuselage inspired by aeronautics — a feat that improves stiffness and reduces weight by nine kg compared to the Aventador’s front frame. Visually, the Revuelto sees tradition and futurism with sharply sculpted lines, a central silhouette and an exposed V12 engine. Inside, a driver-centric cockpit embraces Lamborghini’s “Feel Like a Pilot” philosophy, combining symmetry, hexagonal elements and futuristic tech for a fully immersive driving experience.

Bugatti La Voiture Noire

A singular homage to the long-lost Type 57 SC Atlantic, the Bugatti La Voiture Noire embodies the marque’s legacy of pioneering design and unparalleled craftsmanship. Inspired by Jean Bugatti’s missing black Atlantic, this one-off creation is an exercise in automotive haute couture. Its elongated silhouette, flowing windscreen and helmet-like windows reflect Bugatti’s artistic precision. Six tailpipes subtly signal the immense power beneath its sculptural frame: the iconic 16-cylinder engine.

With a dorsal seam that recalls the Atlantic’s legendary fin, the car is a commanding presence. As with the original Atlantics — only four of which were ever made and just three known to survive. More than a revival, it is a reimagining of a mystery, a masterpiece resurrected for a new era of connoisseurs. Bugatti’s latest Mistral closed‑top record‑setter, and the one‑of‑a‑kind La Voiture Noire hyper‑luxury model, both showcase flagship speed and exclusivity.

Bentley Flying Spur Speed

Bentley’s fourth-generation Flying Spur debuts in 2025 as the marque’s most powerful four-door to date. This super sedan is powered by the new Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain, which pairs a 600 PS 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with a 190 PS electric motor, delivering a combined 782 PS and 1,000 Nm of torque. Acceleration is staggering: 0–60 mph in just 3.3 seconds, all while achieving CO₂ emissions of only 33 g/km and an electric-only range of up to 47 miles.

Beneath its familiar but refined exterior lies Bentley’s most advanced chassis yet, equipped with Dynamic Ride, All-Wheel Steering and twin-valve dampers that allow for nuanced control between drive modes. Inside, the cabin has been elevated with new 3D diamond hide, wellness seating for all passengers and Bentley’s My App Studio, which integrates infotainment and smart services directly into the vehicle. With nearly limitless customisation options through Mulliner, a palette of 101 standard paints (plus bespoke matching) and three elite audio systems — including a Naim 2,200W 19-speaker setup — the Flying Spur is as much a feat of personal expression as it is of engineering.

Ferrari Purosangue

Marking a historic first for the marque, the Ferrari Purosangue is the brand’s inaugural four-door, four-seater vehicle — a bold move that remains rooted in the spirit of the Prancing Horse. Developed over 75 years of engineering ambition, the Purosangue delivers a seamless fusion of power, dynamic handling and refined cabin comfort. Aptly named “Purosangue” — meaning “thoroughbred” in Italian — it channels Ferrari’s racing heritage into an entirely new format, without compromising on presence or performance. Fuel consumption averages 17.3 l/100 km under the WLTP cycle, with combined CO₂ emissions at 393 g/km — a testament to Ferrari’s unapologetically potent character.

For more on the latest in luxury automobile reads, click here.

Fashion headlines in 2025 currently circle the hot-button issue of “fashion musical chairs” with creative director exits and younger designers acesnding at the helm of legendary luxury Maisons. As the fashion industry walks the fine line between managing creativity, consumer trends and profit margins, LUXUO looks back at the designers who once disrupted the system entirely. The visionaries who walked away from the spotlight on their own terms before design ambitions were at odds with TikTok virality and the next celebrity-fronted drop.

While the fashion industry in 2025 is moving faster than ever, some of fashion’s most influential figures have chosen alternative paths. Their stories are not about comeback collections or Instagram dominance but about cultural longevity. While the industry examines who is in and who is out at major houses, these legends quietly continue to build legacies elsewhere — be it through curation, collaboration, education or art. LUXUO revisits the living visionaries of both ready-to-wear and the avant-garde — from Christian Lacroix to Martin Margiela — to trace their continued influence across contemporary design, academia and creative stewardship.

Martin Margiela

Long before quiet luxury toyed with anonymity and anti-branding, Martin Margiela built an entire philosophy around disappearing from the spotlight. Martin Margiela approached fashion as a form of intellectual and cultural inquiry. His designs questioned structure, function and meaning. He used clothing as a medium to critique the system from within, creating a radical stance that redirected focus entirely to the work, not the designer. Margiela’s signature included raw seams, exposed linings and inside-out constructions, which he showcased at abandoned buildings, playgrounds or parking lots — bringing attention to overlooked urban spaces. For many, Martin Margiela is seen as someone who laid the foundation for designers like Raf Simons, Rick Owens and Vetements who came after him.

Since stepping away from his namesake label in 2008, the elusive Belgian designer has fully transitioned into the world of contemporary art. “For me, fashion in its current form has completely lost its appeal. It is now 15 years since I left my fashion house and I have never regretted the decision,” he told Dr. Jeni Fulton, for Art Basel in 2023. Margiela’s current work continues his fascination with deconstruction and the overlooked — themes that defined his fashion practice. Now working across sculpture and assemblage, he engages with found objects, fragments, silicone and materials that emphasise tactility and imperfection. A standout example: “Vanitas,” a piece composed of silicone skin spheres with embedded hairs in varying shades, reflecting aging and bodily change.

Influenced heavily by Surrealism and its presence in Belgian visual culture, Margiela’s pieces often incorporate hair, dust and discarded elements — turning the mundane into the poetic. Exhibited with Zeno X Gallery (Antwerp) and most recently shown at Art Basel Hong Kong (March 22–25, 2023), his sculptures resist completion and challenge conventional ideas of beauty, authorship and the artist’s role. His first solo exhibition was at Lafayette Anticipations in Paris, where he presented over 40 artworks. Despite his fame, Margiela has always been known for his anonymity and aversion to the public eye. He still mostly avoids interviews and photos. He was a curator for the 25th-anniversary issue of A Magazine Curated By, marking a rare return to the fashion sphere. 

Ann Demeulemeester

Ann Demeulemeester rose to prominence in the mid-1980s as part of a collective of Royal Academy of Fine Arts graduates dubbed the “Antwerp Six”. She launched her namesake label with her husband, photographer Patrick Robyn in 1985 and staged her first Paris runway show in 1991. After adding menswear in 1996, she became one of the earliest designers to present men’s and women’s collections together. Her label’s Spring/Summer 1997 collection was widely praised as the most distilled embodiment of the brand’s ethos. Known for her dark, poetic tailoring and a loyal global following, Demeulemeester stepped away from the brand in 2013, writing that it was mature enough to grow without her. The company — managed via bvba 32 in Antwerp and led long-term by managing director Anne Chapelle — continues to operate standalone stores in Antwerp, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Ann Demeulemeester has shifted her focus from fashion to interior design. Since 2019, Ann Demeulemeester has collaborated with Belgian design house Serax on an evolving universe of homeware — beginning with porcelain collections (Dé and Ra), cutlery and glassware and later expanding into sculptural lighting and luminous objects. In 2022, the partnership culminated in a full-scale furniture line comprising stools, chairs, tables, consoles and sofas crafted in a variety of expressive materials. Demeulemeester’s approach to design remains as intellectually rigorous as it is emotionally resonant — eschewing fleeting trends in favour of a world that is both deeply personal and contextually relevant. Her work continues to embody dualities: the tension between strength and delicacy, structure and ease, the poetic and the radical, the precious and the utilitarian.

In 2023, Ann Demeulemeester debuted her fragrance, “A” which she described as a deeply personal creation — a distillation of her sensibility and instinct, honed over a lifetime of intuitive exploration. Centred around her initial, “A” was brought to life through a deeply personal lens, with photography and design contributions from her husband and son. Every note of the genderless perfume was composed by the designer herself, drawing on her affinity for nature’s rawest, most elemental forms. Crafted using cold-pressed essential oils of the highest purity, the result is a poetic and enigmatic scent that mirrors the tension and balance so often found in her work — structure and serenity, mystery and clarity.

While she no longer helms the creative direction of her namesake label — now under the stewardship of Claudio Antonioli — she continues to shape its future by consulting on special projects and legacy initiatives.

Helmut Lang

Helmut Lang was once described as the original minimalist disruptor who brought uniforms and industrialism into fashion’s mainstream — and then famously quit at the peak to become an artist. With a design language rooted in minimalism, architectural clarity and an intuitive grasp of subversion, Helmut Lang played a part in shaping the fashion landscape throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. From sharp tailoring to stripped-back branding, his influence persists in the DNA of countless fashion houses today.

Lang’s approach to authorship was equally as radical as his aesthetic choices. Even after donating much of his archive to 20 global museums, his presence remains quiet yet omnipresent despite dodging the spotlight and declining the kind of cult-of-personality that defined many of his contemporaries. Preserved at the MAK in Vienna, his work has outlived its era and continues to speak in the visual grammar of today.

In 2005, Lang stepped away from the fashion industry to dedicate himself to art. The shift was a return to a long-standing calling, as he put it — visual art was his first love. It just took time — and the right rupture — to go back. Based in Long Island, Lang now works with materials that speak of transformation. Discarded rubber, foam, wax and tar — some even remnants of his former life in fashion — are reconfigured into visceral sculptures. They are abstract, yet dense with memory and imbued with the quiet violence of lived experience. In his own words, he is drawn to things with “scars and memories of a former purpose.” Much like his work in fashion, Lang was never formally trained in art. He works by intuition — letting accidents, trauma and history steer the process. Even the fire that destroyed part of his personal fashion archive became material for sculpture — destruction becoming reinvention. “Expensive compost,” he calls it.

Today, Helmut Lang works as a full-time artist, splitting his life between New York and the Hamptons. Lang’s artistic endeavors have been exhibited in various galleries and institutions, including the MAK Center for Art and Architecture in Los Angeles, The Fireplace Project in Long Island and Sperone Westwater in New York. He has also been the subject of solo exhibitions, such as “What remains behind” at the MAK Center — showcasing his sculptural works. His sculptures evoke the human body without depicting it — fractured, raw and in states of becoming. Lang remains deliberately elusive — camera-shy, media-averse, uninterested in celebrity culture. When he is not in his studio and home, he is tending to his garden — where he reflects on climate change and civil collapse. For Lang, making art is not therapeutic as much as it is an obligation and a way to wrestle with the uncertainty of the world and to give it new material shape.

Jil Sander

From the moment Jil Sander launched her Hamburg boutique in 1968 and later her first womenswear collection in 1973, Sander relentlessly refined a sartorial aesthetic rooted in modernity. Her work stood in contrast to the flamboyance of the 1980s, offering instead a quieter, more intellectual sensuality that would become her hallmark. Guided by a desire to redefine women’s fashion, Sander’s garments sought to challenge outdated gender codes. Her fragrance “Pure” — released in 1979 — embodied this philosophy both in name and design. By the 1990s, her influence had permeated the fashion industry. Despite multiple departures from her namesake brand — most notably after its acquisition by Prada in 1999 — Sander returned intermittently, leaving an imprint each time. Beyond her brand, collaborations such as the widely popular +J line for Uniqlo allowed her purist vision to reach a broader audience.

While she has stepped away from fashion as a full-time pursuit, Jil Sander has not retired from design. Instead, she has shifted her creative focus into new industries — most recently, furniture. Her latest venture sees her collaborating with the storied German brand Thonet, reimagining the renowned S 64 chair by Bauhaus designer Marcel Breuer. Sander’s design language is defined by an acute sensitivity to proportion which translates seamlessly to furniture. As she herself says, “Once you build surroundings according to your taste, every new interest will fit in.”

Now based in Hamburg, Sander works between two 19th-century villas that she renovated with the same exacting eye that once shaped her fashion collections. These serene, light-filled spaces are as much part of her creative process as her studio once was. In 2024, she released “Jil Sander by Jil Sander,” a career-spanning monograph created in collaboration with designer Irma Boom and scholar Ingeborg Harms. Unlike traditional retrospectives, the book is immersive and reflects the rhythm and complexity of a fashion show. Filled with layered imagery and personal reflections, it offers rare insight into a designer who has long avoided the spotlight. Despite stepping away from the commercial demands of the fashion industry, Sander’s presence remains as strong and influential as ever.

Donna Karan

At the height of her success, Donna Karan was not just designing clothes but a new way of dressing for modern women. When she launched her namesake brand in 1985 after working under Anne Klein, Karan brought a deeply personal vision to American fashion that acknowledged the complexities of modern womanhood. Her breakthrough concept — “Seven Easy Pieces” — was seen as both a capsule wardrobe and a sartorial philosophy. With a few interchangeable staples such as a bodysuit, tailored jacket, skirt, trousers, cashmere knit, leather layer and an evening look, Karan offered women a practical uniform that could shift effortlessly from day to night, boardroom to cocktail hour.

After decades at the forefront of fashion, Donna Karan stepped down from her brand in 2015. Though Donna Karan faced some criticism over her political views, the brand’s decline in the 2010s was largely a result of evolving consumer tastes. The empowered, career-driven woman who defined Karan’s vision in the ’80s and ’90s no longer reflected the priorities of a new generation. She shifted her focus to the creation of “Urban Zen”, a lifestyle brand and philanthropic foundation launched in 2007. Urban Zen is rooted in wellness and conscious consumerism, reflecting Karan’s belief that design should heal and empower. Through the foundation, she tackles issues like burnout in healthcare, trauma in underserved communities and the erosion of culture in post-crisis regions like Haiti.

Now in her mid-70s, Donna Karan remains a force in the wellness and philanthropic spaces. She is active on social media (@donnakaranthewoman), where she shares glimpses of her current passions: horses, healing, family and the evolution of her work through Urban Zen. Though she no longer oversees the Donna Karan New York brand, recent campaigns under the direction of G-III Apparel Group continue to embody the brand’s original spirit, updated for a new era. Karan’s wealth — estimated at USD 590 million in 2025 by Forbes — reflects not just her commercial success but the enduring relevance of her ideas.

Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein built his empire in 1968 with a line of coats and dresses, becoming a cultural force through minimalist tailoring, provocative marketing and a laser-focused understanding of the American zeitgeist. From revolutionising denim in the late ’70s to turning underwear ads into high art in the ’90s, his brand was about image, sex and confidence as much as it was about the clothes itself. Though he stepped away from the brand over two decades ago after selling it to PVH Corp., Klein’s influence remains deeply woven into the brand’s DNA.

Since the sale, Calvin Klein has not been involved in the design or business decisions of the Calvin Klein brand. Calvin Klein has been known to purchase and sell high-end properties, including homes in the Hamptons, Miami Beach and Los Angeles. Despite no longer being at the helm, Calvin Klein’s name and CK initials remain highly recognisable in the fashion world. Fragrance became another pillar of the brand’s success. Scents like “Obsession”, “Eternity” and “CK One” earned hundreds of millions annually, with “CK One” alone generating over USD 90 million a year at its peak. In 2003, Klein sold his company to PVH Corp. in a deal worth over USD 700 million, including cash, stock and royalties — securing his place among the wealthiest self-made figures in fashion.

Klein has built a personal real estate portfolio — from an East Hampton estate sold for USD 85 million to a minimalist oceanfront compound in Southampton and a modernist mansion in the Hollywood Hills, his homes reflect the same design philosophy that made him famous. Though he has largely stepped out of the spotlight, Klein still makes occasional appearances at industry events and remains active politically, especially in support of Democratic candidates, LGBTQ+ causes, AIDS research and mental health initiatives.

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier forged a five-decade-long career that redefined fashion through rebellion and a refusal to conform to industry norms. Breaking into the fashion industry at just 18 without any formal fashion education, he landed a position with Pierre Cardin after sending his sketches directly to couturiers. By 1976, he had debuted his own collection and by 1983, launched his eponymous fashion house — laying the groundwork for a legacy that would push boundaries like few others. Gaultier’s designs have always stood at the crossroads of art, activism and pop culture. Drawing inspiration from multicultural sources — ranging from Mongolian warriors to Parisian street style — his work was subversive. Throughout the ‘80s and ’90s, he forged powerful creative partnerships with cultural icons. His most famous collaboration — designing the iconic cone bra for Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour — cemented both of their reputations as provocateurs.

Jean Paul Gaultier is no longer the creative director of his namesake fashion house, having retired from that role in 2020 — selling the company to the Puig group. Following his retirement, the Jean Paul Gaultier house adopted a rotating guest designer model for the couture line. In April 2025, Duran Lantink was named the new creative director, marking a shift from the rotating designer system. While no longer designing the main collections, Gaultier remains involved in mentoring and supporting new talent, as well as overseeing the couture collections. He is involved in various other projects, including the “Fashion Freak Show” — a theatrical production inspired by his life and work and the “Cinémode” exhibition. The Jean Paul Gaultier headquarter is located at 325 Rue Saint Martin in Paris. Gaultier ended his ready-to-wear and couture lines but reimagined his legacy by inviting guest designers — from Glenn Martens to Simone Rocha — to reinterpret his archive each couture season.

Christian Lacroix

Christian Lacroix emerged in the late 20th century as one of fashion’s most distinctive voices. From the streets of Arles, France to the grand stages of Parisian fashion week, Lacroix tapped into drama, colour and historical references — challenging traditional notions of couture. His debut collection featured the now-iconic “pouf skirt,” a dramatic, voluminous silhouette that epitomised his theatrical approach. Throughout the late ’80s and ’90s, Lacroix was a mainstay in haute couture, adored for his unapologetically ornate work. Bright colours, opulent embroidery, corsetry and historical references were hallmarks of his collections.

Despite his fame and critical praise, Lacroix’s brand faced financial instability. The label struggled to turn a profit in the 1990s and in 1995 it was acquired by LVMH. Though Lacroix stayed on as creative director, he had little control over business decisions. By 2009, after years of losses and limited commercial traction, the brand declared bankruptcy. Lacroix — disillusioned with the corporate structure and mourning the loss of his creative independence— exited the fashion house. Post-bankruptcy, Lacroix returned to his roots: the world of costume design. He has since created lavish looks for opera and ballet productions across Europe, including Carmen at the Opéra Royal de Versailles and La fanciulla del West in Hamburg.

He has a long-standing collaboration with the Comédie-Française and has also worked with the Bouffes du Nord, Opéra Garnier, Opéra-Comique and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Additionally, he has a partnership with the Mediterranean brand Desigual. Freed from commercial expectations, he has embraced this stage as one where artistry thrives. While he stepped away from his namesake fashion house in 2009, he has expressed approval of the recent acquisition of the brand by Sociedad Textil Lonia (STL), according to a post on Instagram. 

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