The 10 Most Influential Families In Fashion
When it comes to fashion, keeping it in the family is often the name of the game. From design legacies to supermodel siblings, the fashion industry is known for its close-knit community of kindred ties. Prada, Fendi and Salvatore Ferragamo are all esteemed as top-tier luxury labels, but there are also generations of family history behind their famed names. Other families, like the Pinaults and the Arnaults, you might not know, but should.
Below, discover the 10 most important families in fashion.
Mario Prada founded his eponymous label in 1913 as a leather goods company. Upon his death in 1958, his daughter Luisa took over, before later handing over the reins to her niece and adopted daughter Miuccia Prada in 1978. Under her tenure, Prada has bought out other fashion houses such as Jil Sander, Helmut Lang and Azzedine Alaïa, and launched sister label Miu Miu, for which which Miuccia also serves as creative director.
In 1927, young shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo launched a brand in Florence, Italy that grabbed the attention of Old Hollywood stars like Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. After his death, his wife Wanda and their six children took over the family business, transforming it into the leading fashion house it is today. Rounding out the image of luxury that the label represents, the Ferragamos also established the Lungaro Collection of hotels in Italy. Today, a third generation of Ferragamos work under their namesake brand in various roles.
In 1925, Edoardo and Adele Fendi launched a small leather goods shop in Rome. Their five daughters Carla, Paola, Anna, Alda and Franca later inherited the company, which has gone on to become a well-established label on the luxury market. Silvia Venturini Fendi, daughter to Anna, joined the brand in the 1990s, working alongside Karl Lagerfeld, and remains the company's creative director to this day.
In the late 1970s, Gianni Versace launched his eponymous brand alongside his brother and sister, Santo and Donatella, in Italy. The label grew in popularity thanks to Gianni's use of bold hues and revealing cut-outs. The house of Versace is heavily credited with launching the careers of the original supermodels, including Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista. Following Gianni's assassination in 1997, Donatella took over as CEO of the company. Today, she serves as creative director, while her daughter Allegra is the majority shareholder of the company.
Ottavio and Rosita Missoni founded their knitwear workshop in 1953, and five years later, introduced the Italian house’s very first collection. Renowned for its colourful zig-zag patterns, the Missoni brand has endured for generations. After Ottavio and Rosita moved on to other endeavours in the '90s, their children took over the family business, with Vittorio becoming the marketing director, Luca acting as menswear designer and Angela overseeing womenswear. Now, Margherita, the granddaughter of Rosita and Ottavio, oversees the M Missoni diffusion line, and is largely seen as the current face of the Missoni legacy.
The Hermès family is among the wealthiest and most established in the fashion world. Founded by skilled leather craftsman Thierry Hermès in the 19th century, the luxury house has offered highly prized leather goods for over a century. Thierry was succeeded by his son Émile-Charles Hermès, who was then followed by his sons, Adolphe and Èmile-Maurice Hermès. In the mid-20th century, the fourth generation of the family took over, with Robert Dumas, grandson of Èmile-Maurice, stepping into the role of head executive and creative director. The Maison then became fashion canon under Jean-Louis Dumas, son of Robert, who introduced clothing, jewellery and the famed Birkin handbag to the label, Today, there are over a dozen heirs to the $49.2 billion Hermès fortune, with cousins Pierre-Alexis and Axel Dumas leading the brand.
Luxury conglomerate Kering owns major fashion houses including Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga. Itself a heritage company, Kering was founded as PPR in 1963 by François Pinault. His son, François-Henri Pinault joined the family business in the ‘80s, later becoming the CEO of Kering in 2000. The Pinaults also own the Christie's auction house.
The Jalou family heritage has been in fashion publishing ever since the industry began booming in the 20th century. Joining L'Officiel as artistic director in 1932, Georges Jalou transformed it from a trade magazine into a highly regarded women’s publication. Georges Jalou later established the Jalou Media group and bought over L’Officiel, which has then been passed down to his children, Laurent Jalou, Marie-José Susskind-Jalou and Maxime Jalou. Today, Marie-José acts as president of Jalou Media Group, while her son, Benjamin Eymere, is its CEO.
During her 10 years as the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Paris, Carine Roitfeld made a name for herself as one of the leading voices of the fashion industry. After her departure, Roitfeld has maintained close relationships with major designers such as the late Karl Lagerfeld and Tom Ford. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld has consulted for brands like Jean-Paul Gaultier and Miu Miu. Carine's son Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, meanwhile, is the president of CR and its subsidiary magazines.
