The 12 Best Fashion Designers In The World 2023

Check out our ranking of the best fashion designers in the world. What makes them to be considered the greatest fashion designers of all time? This is a much-discussed subject in fashion history courses and in the fashion world generally.

After studying the life of Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Valentino, Miuccia Prada, Giorgio Armani and many top designers we at NaijaXtremeFashion came up with a well-detailed post about them.

What makes a stylist amazing? 

The answer is simple! 

An incredible stylist is one who was able to create an aesthetic that revolutionized the fashion world and, with that, go further,  communicate and inspire through their designs.       

It is worth remembering that, when necessary, they also knew how to trust and work with new talents and new ideas, following the changes in the world, with a look beyond fashion. 

In Africa we cannot ignore the fact that Nigeria leads among the top best fashion designers in Africa, you can as well check out our content on the top best fashion designers in Nigeria.

Read Also: 8 Famous Designers Who Marked The History Of Fashion

Who are the top 12 best fashion designers in the world?

After heated discussions, follow the ones chosen by our team!

1. Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel is ranked as the best fashion designer in the world. Coco Chanel for intimates, French stylist, and founder of the Chanel brand is considered “modernist” for the time, its designs were practical and sought “luxurious simplicity”.

Chanel changed the way women dress and position themselves in society. You know that chic, clean basic black dress that saves you on many occasions, it was created by Chanel.  

She soon became one of the most important figures on the fashion scene of the 20th century, a true influencer (a little different from what we know today, but the logic is the same!).

2. Christian Dior

The second most voted was Christian Dior, the famous French designer recognized for the “New Look” aesthetic.

Their suits and dresses revolutionized the way women dressed in the post-war period, giving them the femininity and sensuality they so yearned for at that historic moment, after so many difficulties. 

It is worth mentioning the work of Maria Grazia Chiuri, former co-creative director of Valentino, who in 2016 was named Dior’s first female creative director and in just two years managed to make a big difference in the fashion world, using the shows as platform to disseminate relevant messages, such as female empowerment.  

3. Valentino Garavani

Born in Italy, Valentino began his career in Paris and only launched his brand years later in Rome. He is known as a “maestro” of fashion. 

Dressed some of the most iconic women in history, such as Jacqueline Kennedy. We cannot forget about  Valentino Red, the shade of red that he used with such personality in his creations that it was recognized as his signature.

With years of production of top-quality fashion wears and winning numerous fashion shows there is no doubt about Valentino Garavani making the list of the best fashion designers in the world.

4. Miuccia Prada

This extremely talented Italian fashion designer and one of the most admired fashion designers in the world was ranked fourth in our ranking of the best fashion designers of all time. 

Miuccia Prada surprised the world with a series of bags and backpacks in nylon, a fabric that until then was little used by luxury brands. A super innovation!

Today she is the creative director of Prada, a fashion empire, the brand is recognized for its minimalist style and the use of innovative materials. 

It is definitely a trendsetter brand, which anticipates fashion trends…even the Devil wears Prada!

5. Giorgio Armani

We couldn’t leave out the top-ranking of the best fashion designers on earth without Giorgio Armani, one of the most successful Italian designers in the world. 

He became famous for creating a new concept of men’s tailoring, which he soon began to adopt in his women’s collections. 

With that, it aroused the attention of the fashion world, falling in the taste of those professional women who made their careers in the “masculine” world. 

He proposed deconstructed women’s blazers made in traditional men’s fabrics, with shoulder pads and wide lapels, giving women a mix of power and sensuality. 

He also knew how to adapt to the changes in the world, when that 80s aesthetic of marked shoulders gave way to a more feminine one.

Giorgio Armani wasted no time and created a new blazer model, with straight shapes and less accentuated shoulders, which soon became a must-have in the wardrobe.  

6. Gianni Versace 

After a close contest, we ranked the unsurpassed Gianni Versace in sixth place, He was a daring stylist, a true superstar!

It is worth remembering that many celebrities wore the pieces created by Gianni, especially Princess Diana, who loved her pieces, some even exhibited in the permanent exhibition of her main dresses at Kensington Palace in London, where she lived.

Read Also: The 4 Fashion Capitals That You Must Know

7. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana

Seventh place, with honors, for Dolce and Gabbana. The two, a couple, created in 1985 the eponymous brand with an identity as rich as it is complex, which even today allows a lot of room for creativity. 

They started with a feminine line, in which the two designers showed their creations a great empathy with women, valuing their shapes and creating models that denoted sensuality and presence. 

Inspired by Sicily, where Domenico Dolce was born, the brand’s collections tell a story like a film and appropriate elements of tradition, inspired by the mastery of the island’s artisans.  

For Dolce & Gabbana beauty lies in opposites, traditional elements merge with modernity.

8. Yves Saint Laurent

In eighth place, the eternal Yves Saint Laurent. This remarkable French designer gained popularity by redesigning and adapting men’s fashion to women’s wardrobes. He created the unusual “female tuxedo”. 

Born in Algeria, when it was still a French colony, at the age of 21, he took over the creative direction of one of the most famous fashion houses of the time, Christian Dior. 

Years later, he founded his own company, being recognized for the refinement and precision of haute couture. 

Visionary, by making his collections “accessible” to the public, he became the precursor of ready-to-wear, as we know it today.

9. Salvatore Ferragamo

Ninth on the list of the top best fashion designers in the world is the elegant and sophisticated Salvatore Ferragamo. 

Italian fashion designer, with a scientific vision (believe it or not, he studied human anatomy, chemical engineering and mathematics!), a true nonconformist, surprised the world with shoes full of innovations, such as the platform heel.

He became famous by donning countless Hollywood superstars such as Greta Gabor, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn in his luxurious, super-stylish shoes.

10. Oscar de la Renta

Closing the tenth position, is the refined and creative Oscar de la Renta. An American, born in the Dominican Republic, he has dressed influential women for six decades, from Sarah Jessica Parker to Hilary Clinton (the first time a first lady appeared on the cover of Vogue!). 

In the fashion world, he will always be remembered as the man who knew exactly what women wanted and, more than that, what they wanted! 

A true gentleman who lived to dress women, making them feel amazing, protagonists of their own story!

11. Roberto Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli is undoubtedly one of the most acclaimed designers in the world.

Italian, born in Florence, Cavalli shocked the world with his extravagant prints, colorful leather evening dresses and denim pieces.

Exotic elegance is her signature, with her prints and bohemian glamour. 

The stylist also designed some of the most celebrated red carpet dresses and dressed celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

12. Karl Lagerfeld

Then, considered by us one of the most visionary stylists in the world, the German Karl Lagerfeld. Born in Hamburg, he has worked for several famous brands such as Chanel and Fendi. 

Known for his bold designs and constant reinvention, he can be considered a fashion phenomenon, capable of interpreting the mood of the moment and anticipating trends like no other designer has ever managed. 

Read Also: 10 Of The Best Fashion Schools In The World

Aren’t there other notable stylists?

Of course, many renowned designers were left out, such as Silvia Venturini Fendi, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Tom Ford, Pierre Balmain, Hubert de Givenchy, Isabel Marant, Stella McCartney, Alessandro Michele, Riccardo Tisci, Alexandre Herchcovitch and many others. 

Do you agree with this ranking? 

In your opinion, is there another stylist that deserves to be here among the top 12? 

What’s your favorite stylist? Give your opinion in the comment section.