Michael Kors, the New York City-born designer who defined American luxury, has spent over four decades reshaping the fashion landscape. Kors launched his eponymous label in 1981, a time when classic sportswear was making its move onto high-fashion runways. His vision? Marrying elegance with ease. From the start, the Michael Kors Collection combined the simplicity of American staples with a certain cosmopolitan glamour, making it instantly covetable for the high-powered yet laid-back jet set. Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue quickly became his first retail partners, all swept up by his polished yet accessible style.
Kors took on the role of creative director at French fashion house Celine in 1997, bringing a fresh, distinctly American edge to Parisian chic. His ready-to-wear designs and high-profile accessories rejuvenated the label until his departure in 2003, which allowed him to shift his full focus back to his growing empire. During this time, he launched not only the main Michael Kors collection but also diffusion lines like MICHAEL Michael Kors in 2004, which made the designer’s effortlessly chic aesthetic available to a broader audience—a foray into what would become a multi-billion-dollar “affordable luxury” category.
It was more than just clothes. Kors became a pop culture icon himself through his ten-season judging stint on “Project Runway” from 2004 to 2012. The designer’s witty, often blunt commentary made him a standout personality, showing a broader audience his fashion instincts and larger-than-life persona. But Kors has always been as much about business as he is about style—his brand went public in 2011, eventually growing to over 400 stores worldwide and securing its status as a dominant name in fashion. Today, Michael Kors remains synonymous with modern glamour, one that straddles uptown luxury and downtown ease, continuing to influence the ever-shifting tides of American fashion.
