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Fashion Industry: From Middle Ages to Modern Era
“A fashion is nothing but an induced epidemic.”6 In the olden days, although the term ‘fashion’ was not in vogue, it
existed in various forms – dressing, art, literature, etc. But, mostly clothing and apparel were used synonymously with
fashion. During 1500s, dressing was ‘flamboyant’ with beautiful embroidery and other embellishments, and was confined
to the elite. In the 17th century, French king Louis XIV patronised fashion. During his regime, France set standards for
style in terms of food, arts and clothing. In the 18th century, Rose Bertin, minister of fashion to Queen Marie Antoinette,
is credited to be the first fashion designer to popularise haute couture...
The Global Fashion Houses and the Luxury Brands
Gucci is one of the leading luxury brands which designs, manufactures and distributes high-quality personal
accessories and apparel while eye wear and fragrances are manufactured under license.
The House of Gucci was founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci (Guccio). The first boutique was opened in Rome in
1938. The bamboo-handle handbag (1947) and stripped webbing (around 1950) brought popularity for Gucci.
After Guccio’s death in 1953, his sons (Vasco, Aldo, Rodolfo and Ugo) took active part in managing the company.
Gucci boutiques were opened in London, Paris and New York.With most of the Hollywood stars like Grace Kelly, Peter
Sellers apart from celebrities like Jackie Kennedy (wife of former US president) using Gucci’s products, the fashion
brand gained a mass appeal...
Estee Lauder
The US-based Estee Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of
perfumes, cosmetics, skin care and hair care products. Based in New York, it is a family-owned business found by
Estee Lauder (Lauder) in 1946 with four products: Super Rich All Purpose Creme, Creme Pack, Cleansing Oil and
Skin Lotion. The company started expanding its product range and went international in 1960. In 1964, Aramis Inc.
was established to produce fragrances and grooming products for men. In 1968, the company launched Linique,
the first dermatologist-guided, allergy-tested, fragrance-free cosmetics brand. Prescriptives, a colour authority with
an advanced collection of highly individualised products, was found in 1979...
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