Nicolas Ghesquière

One of fashion’s biggest names is self-taught French designer Nicolas Ghesquière. After landing his first major job as Jean-Paul Gaultier’s assistant, he became the creative director of fashion house Balenciaga in the late 1990s. Ghesquière was only 25 years old at the time, and by turning the label into one of the most sought-after, he made a name for himself as an avant-garde visionary. He stayed at the house for a total of 15 years before entering his current title as creative director at the house of Louis Vuitton, through which he has continued to build his reputation as one of the most influential fashion names of our time.