GUCCI

Sensual, luxurious with rock-and-roll edges, under Tom Ford, Gucci became the preferred wardrobe for international high-powered women and men who believe that sex appeal is an important part of social interaction. American designer Tom Ford’s transformation of a dormant Italian luxury brand into a billion-dollar empire of interlocking Gs.

Along with Gucci’s CEO Domenico De Sole, Ford effected an astonishingly successful turnaround in a relatively short time. He started in 1990, but the breakout collection was fall 1995, where his brightly colored fitted coats over satin shirts (unbuttoned to show cleavage) and hip-hugger pants pretty much changed the way fashion looked overnight and established Ford as an international tastemaker—a role the good-looking former actor embraced enthusiastically (he once posed for an Absolut vodka ad with a bottle placed over his crotch). Ford’s contract ended in 2004, and replacing him hasn’t been easy; Alessandra Fachinetti, the first successor, quit after two seasons and was replaced by another in-house designer, Frida Ginanni, whose collections are selling well but have yet to receive Ford-level raves.