The Best-Dressed Designers In The World
Designers dress the men we admire. They also dress us when budget allows (or via the trickle-down trend nature of the runway). But so rarely do we channel the actual designers themselves—and we've every reason to.
In addition to being commanders-in-style, the fashion circuit—a mixture of camera-shy backstage dwellers and celebrities in their own right—have much to teach us with their own wardrobe. So much so, that we've put the best of the best-dressed into the spotlight below.
1| Marc Jacobs
'Make America Marc Again': a slogan repurposed by the designer himself, and one we fully endorse. The US clothesmaker may largely focus on womenswear, but his own personal style—a blend of statement pieces and monochrome classics—should influence gents beyond the front row.
2| Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren didn't popularize American prep. He invented it. As the king of all things Ivy League, HRH has punctuated his runway designs with an impressive wardrobe of classic denim and glove-fit tailoring. Long may he (and such clothing) reign.
3| Alessandro Sartori
Few résumés compare to that of Alessandro Sartori. As a native Italian (and therefore inherently stylish), the textile engineering grad captained the good ship Z Zegna before setting sail for Berluti, and managed to craft his own unique blend of relaxed tailoring and Riviera-worthy separates en route.
4| Nicolas Ghesquière
Nicolas Ghesquière may well be responsible for Louis Vuitton's frightening success. Though unlike his vibrant signature, the Frenchman paints a more muted—though no less stylish—picture IRL in monochrome denim and a staples throughout. Better yet, it's one you can feast on, too.
5| Haider Ackermann
Colombian-born French designer Haider Ackermann has been something of a golden boy in the industry, tipped for greatness by Karl Lagerfeld and famously declining a job with Maison Margiela. And it seems the Midas touch extends to his own style too, with the former Galliano protege responsible for a mix of effortless layers and quiet pops of print.
6| Giorgio Armani
Know the phrase 'Italians do it better'? Well, Giorgio Armani is one of said Italians, reinventing modern tailoring—and by proxy, every man's wardrobe—with an adherence to clean, classic lines well replicated in his own repertoire.
7| Serge Ruffieux
Serge Ruffieux learned the art of dressing in some hallowed halls at Dior and Carven, both of which lend themselves well to the Swiss designer's minimalist way of dressing. Think good quality knits, fail-safe denim and the odd scarf of a Parisian student circa 1972.
8| Tom Ford
2006: the year of our Ford. A year when the American designer made sex sell once more in the guise of mafia tailoring and grandstand tuxedos that he's all too happy to wear himself. In Ford we trust (and so should you).
9| Alessandro Michele
How do you follow an act like Tom Ford at Gucci? Simple. You make like Alessandro Michele in a flurry of Wes Anderson vibrance and Boogie Nights in Wonderland. Better yet, Alessandro Michele proves that it works in this dimension, too.
10| Dries Van Noten
Dries Van Noten makes clothes for those in the know; intellectual stuff, the sort you can humblebrag to fashion types. Unsurprisingly, his own wardrobe follows suit thanks to meticulous fits and left-field details upon classic pieces.
11| Simon Porte Jacquemus
Though new to menswear, Simon Porte Jacquemus—the Commes des Garçons grad behind the label of the same name—has long made a mark with his own wardrobe. Think oversized fits, bright block colors and mild experimentalism all thrown together with an impossibly French laissez-faire attitude.
12| Joseph Altuzarra
Womenswear designer Joseph Altuzarra has a lot to teach men. Namely the strengths of all-black tailoring that cleverly (and casually) omits a tie—a personal signature of the Chinese-American-French designer.
13| Virgil Abloh
Virgil Abloh's interpretation of streetwear is crucial; he lived it long before the wider world world cashed in, and the Louis Vuitton recruit still does—albeit with a pivot towards finer tailoring and simpler shapes.
14| Pierre Mahéo
As crisp as the wares he peddles, Officine Generale's Pierre Mahéo is more classic than any Christmas rerun of Gone With The Wind. Which means pleated trousers, brilliant white layering and a pair of Converse below.
15| Kim Jones
Though subjected to the French for over eight years at Louis Vuitton and Dior Homme, British designer Kim Jones keeps his Hammersmith roots alive and well. See loose-fitting sportswear and a smattering of gold jewelry for further details.
16| Public School
New York style is as much about Brooklyn streetwear as it is Wall Street finery, and it's a corner local duo Public School are keen to applaud both professionally and personally—Dao-Yi Chow with court-side appeal, and Maxwell Osbourne opting for the tailored touch.
17| Stefano Pilati
You don't score gigs with Saint Laurent and Ermenegildo Zegna without an immaculate wardrobe. Which is lucky for designer-in-chief Stefano Pilati, who boasts a vast archive of peacocking tailoring and contemporary styling. This is what the Italians mean when they call sprezzatura.
18| Luke Meier
Supreme alum Luke Meier is responsible for far more than long queues of 15-year-olds in Soho. In fact, he's quite the grown-up when it comes to heading left-field, choosing boxy silhouettes for fail-safe wardrobe staples.
This story originally appeared on Esquire.co.uk. Minor edits have been made by the Esquiremag.ph editors.
