A wardrobe with a name: iconic items named after the stars of Fashion

Kate Middleton is a model of elegance and femininity in clothes. The Duchess of Cambridge prefers simple, basic pieces from American and British designers and isn’t shy about wearing popular mass-produced brands. As a thank you for the royal love, they sometimes name their clothes after the royal family. So the British brand Whistles created a blouse and called it Kate. This happened after Middleton showed up at her engagement party wearing a white Whistles blouse. A similar model, named after the duchess, soon appeared on store shelves. True, very limited edition.

The looks of Kate Middleton do not escape the attention of not only journalists, but also designers. After appearing at one of the receptions in a white cashmere coat with a classic stand-up collar from MaxMar, the brand reissued the model and named it after the duchess.

According to Polina Ukhanova, head of the exhibition department of the IEC Fashion Museum, the first designers and fashion designers worked with were members of royal families, their favorites and representatives of the aristocracy. The first fashion product “named after” someone was a 17th-century floral orange bow, named after Louis XIV’s mistress, Angelique de Florange.

The designers dedicated their creations not only to the royal family. A close-fitting blouse of the linen type, which is a cross between a body and a top, was named after the actress Brigitte Bardot – Bardot. The girl appeared in a similar blouse in one of the films, and the outfit immediately became popular. The model was created by French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier. He developed several forms of blouses: with bones along the bodice line, which support the chest, and tight models without stones. In the designer’s opinion, the bardot was intended for performances on stage and could be used for evening outings. The Bardot blouse, today rather called a bustier top, has become an integral part of the wardrobe of modern fashionistas and one of the favorite pieces of clothing among designers such as the fashion house Dolce & Gabbana.

Many fashion designers dream of having a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes in their wardrobe. If you try, this wish can come true. But few can boast that an elite shoe designer will name one of his masterpieces in your honor. American actress Blake Lively was once among the privileged few. The collection of the Hollywood fashionista has about 300 pairs of shoes, 40 of which are Louboutins.

While filming Gossip Girl in Paris for the summer, Blake took a tour of the designer’s studio. The artist showed the girl a model of sandals he was working on at the time. The actress, amazed by the beauty of the shoes, admitted to the designer that she was ready to sleep with his shoes under the pillow, and unexpectedly received the answer: “Then I will name them after you!” In 2010, Christian Louboutin released a model of sandals called “The Blake” – with multi-colored straps and thin stilettos.

One of the most famous blondes of the 20th century is also a muse for many contemporary designers. The Italian shoe brand Fratelli Rossetti created pumps in 2012 in honor of Marilyn Monroe and named them Lady Brera. Shoes – a slightly modified model of the classic Brera moccasins, which has a pointed toe and a stiletto heel. The bright red color of the pumps is reminiscent of the color of Marilyn’s favorite lipstick, and the crocodile skin, which became the main material for the model’s production, attracts no less attention to the shoes than the one whose name they bear.

The unusual style and outrageousness of Lady Gaga became a source of inspiration for two well-known artists at once – Brian Atwood and Christian Louboutin dedicated their shoe creations to the singer. Designer Brian Atwood’s black leather Fame ankle boots with a gold heel insert appeared in 2012 and resembled the bottle of the perfume of the same name, which the artist released at the same time. The singer liked the spectacular 23 cm high heel and heavy platform so much that she often appeared in public in these ankle boots.

Another designer, Christian Louboutin, created shoes for Lady Gaga. “Boats” made of leather with thin heels and this time did not do without a high platform, which the performer prefers. The shoes quickly became so popular that the designer decided to add models with different finishes and colors.

Representatives of the music industry often become the owners of entire collections named after themselves. In 2014, American sports shoe brand Vans teamed up with members of The Beatles to create a collection of Yellow Submarine sneakers dedicated to the band’s song of the same name. The idea came to the company’s artists after watching the cartoon “Yellow Submarine”, which was released in 1968. The collection consists of four pairs of classic sneakers with animated portraits of the band members and various scenes from the animated film.

One of the most legendary and sought-after accessories, the bags of the fashion house Hermes, got their names in honor of women who made history, including fashion.

The idea of ​​the Birkin bag belongs to the French actress Jane Birkin. In 1984, the director of the Hermes fashion house flew with the actress on the same plane. During the interview, the girl complained about the lack of internal compartments in her handbag and said that it would be great to have a spacious and elegant model. A conversation on a plane turned the fashion industry upside down when the idea for the iconic Hermes handbag, named after actress Jane Birkin, was born. This is a model made of calfskin, the standard sizes of which are 35, 40 and 45 cm. The laconic design of the bag does not count on other decorations than a small gold or platinum buckle, as well as the company brand on the lining of the product.

The Kelly bag appeared long before its famous “sister” – in the 1890s – and was called Sac à dépêches. In 1935, the model was completed, but the bag gained world fame only in 1956, when Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco covered her stomach at one of the receptions to hide her pregnancy from the paparazzi. Photos of the celebrity appeared on the cover of Life magazine and made the bag one of the most expensive accessories. In the same year, Hermes renamed the model and gave it the official name Kelly. The bag has a trapezoidal shape and comes with one handle but with a shoulder strap. Today, the model has several options in different colors and sizes.

Like Hermes’ Kelly, Gucci’s Jackie O was not originally made for a celebrity, but thanks to its owner, it acquired a name that brought her worldwide fame. In 1947, Gucci released the Icon shoulder bag, a feminine accessory with bamboo handles and leather tassels. It was she who later received the name of the first lady of America – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

In the 1960s, Jackie often appeared at events with her favorite bag. Jacqueline was considered a style icon, so the bag she chose quickly became a favorite. Following the success of the Gucci model, the bag was renamed and named after its most famous owner – Jackie O. Practical and spacious, it looks like a truncated pyramid, has a large H-shaped buckle and a short strap. The classic Jackie O is made of checkered fabric with leather details. In 2009, Gucci updated the model – the brand released a new collection of accessories “New Jackie O”, which includes bags of different colors of medium and large sizes.