Gloria Vanderbilt

Gloria Vanderbilt is one of the most prominent design names in the United States, well-known for its high-end denim, jewelry, shoe, and perfume lines. Gloria Vanderbilt was born in New York City to one of the country's most prestigious families in 1924. Her passion for art was cultivated in Paris after she moved with her mother to Europe following the death of her father, who had left her a multimillion-dollar trust fund. Vanderbilt worked as a fine artist for some years and began exhibiting her work in 1948. In 1968 she began designing greeting cards for Hallmark, and she also made designs for the textile manufacturer Bloomcraft. One year later, she won the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award for her textile designs. She launched the fashion company GV Ltd. in 1976 and went on to sell millions of pairs of jeans. Her signature and swan logo on each clothing item became immensely popular. Vanderbilt sold the rights to her name to the Murjani group two years later.

Aside from clothing, Vanderbilt also entered the world of fragrances in 1982 when she teamed up with L'Oreal for a perfume series. Vanderbilt for women was the first fragrance and became the designer's signature scent. Other notable fragrances include Reverie for women released in 1999 and Fatale for women released in 2002. One men's fragrance, Vanderbilt for men, was released in 2000.