Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

11 Designers Who Had Other Careers Before Fashion

11 Designers Who Had Other Careers Before Fashion

Some of the most renowned designers pivoted to fashion after making a name for themselves in other fields.

While seeming otherworldly and even untouchable, some of the most recognizable designers didn't have a perfect start to their fashion careers. Surprisingly enough, Miuccia Prada performed as a mime for a few years, and Giorgio Armani initially pursued medicine. Even Vera Wang started as a fashion magazine editor. Among so many more, L'OFFICIEL rounds up 11 fashion designers who pivoted from other careers.

Vera Wang




Vera Wang's path to fashion is far from ordinary. Before designing custom wedding dresses for celebrities like Ariana Grande and Victoria Beckham, Wang started with a successful figure skating career. However, she shifted to a career in fashion when she failed to make it into the U.S. Olympics team. Wang cites her mother being her fashion inspiration in conjunction with her summer job at the Yves Saint Laurent store in her hometown. Wang was eventually hired at Vogue, where she became one of the youngest fashion editors during her time. After being turned down for the editor-in-chief position, Wang went on to work for Ralph Lauren for a couple of years and later opened her own independent bridal wear boutique.

Raf Simons




Currently the co-creative director of Prada and his namesake menswear brand, Raf Simons didn't have any professional training prior to launching his label and being appointed at Jil Sander, Christian Dior, and Calvin Klein. Simons studied industrial design and furniture design in the '90s, going on to begin his career as a furniture designer for numerous galleries. Inspired by the Belgian couturiers known as the Antwerp Six, he interned for Walter Van Beirendonck during college. Van Beirendonck brought Simons to his first fashion show, Maison Margiela's all-white show in 1991. This event sparked his interest in pursuing fashion design. Simons later launched his collection in 1995 after Linda Loppa, head of the fashion department at the Antwerp Royal Academy, encouraged him to do so.

Virgil Abloh




Before taking reign at one of the largest fashion brands in the world, Virgil Abloh received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and later studied architecture (with the addition of DJing). Architecture became Abloh's gateway into fashion as he began designing T-shirts and writing about fashion design for a well-known blog. Abloh eventually went on to intern at Fendi alongside his soon-to-be business partner, Kanye West. Afterward, Abloh worked at West's creative agency, Donda, where he oversaw the creative direction behind stage shows and merchandise. Fast forward a couple of years, Abloh garnered mainstream success with his label Off-White and became the artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton.

Rei Kawakubo




Founder of Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market, the anti-fashion mastermind Rei Kawakubo wasn't formally trained in fashion design. Despite studying fine arts and literature during her collegiate years, Kawakubo was exposed to the industry while working as an advertiser at a textile company. There, she was given creative freedom and was involved in curating props and costumes for photoshoots. This eventually inspired her to design her own clothing when she couldn't find suitable clothing for her work. She then took on freelance styling right before opening her first Comme des Garçons store in Tokyo during the '70s.

Tom Ford




Ford started studying art history at New York University for about a year before dropping out and focusing on acting. He later began studying interior architecture at Parsons The New School for Design and spent a year and a half interning at Chloé's press office, which sparked his interest in fashion. Ford spent his last year at Parsons studying fashion, but he graduated with a degree in architecture.

Yohji Yamamoto




Known for his masterful avant-garde tailoring and Japanese aesthetics, Yamamoto graduated with a law degree. However, he realized law wasn't his forte and decided to help out at his mother's dressmaking shop. There, he learned from the sewing assistants and went on to formally study fashion design at Bunka Fashion College due to his mother's request.

Jil Sander




German fashion designer Jil Sander is known for her luxurious and minimalist take on fashion. Sander graduated with a degree in textile-engineering and began her early career as a fashion magazine editor in New York and Germany. She later opened a boutique where she sold her own designs in addition to notable designers such as Thierry Mugler and Sonia Rykiel. In 1973, Sander presented her first collection and received praise for her neutral color palette and focus on simplicity, which highly contrasted the following trends of the '80s.

Vivienne Westwood




Before becoming the pioneer of integrating modern punk aesthetics into mainstream fashion during the '70s, Westwood initially took a jewelry and silversmith course at the University of Westminster. She left after only one term. After taking on a factory job and enrolling at a teacher-college, Westwood became a primary school teacher. She created and sold her own jewelry as a side hustle, but it wasn't until she met her second husband, Malcolm McLaren, that she became the designer we know and love today. McLaren worked as the manager of the punk-rock band the Sex Pistols and was a conceptual designer for Westwood. The two eventually garnered public attention when the band wore Westwood and McLaren's designs.

Thierry Mugler




Thierry Mugler, known for his performative and unorthodox designs during the '80s and '90s, had a background in interior design at the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts. Despite this, he was well-versed in drawing from a young age and eventually did freelance designs at a Parisian boutique and various ready-to-wear fashion houses.

Miuccia Prada




Currently the head designer of Prada and its subsidiary Miu Miu, Miuccia Prada had a unique start before becoming one of the wealthiest fashion designers to date. Prada was born into a wealthy family-her mother was an heiress to a luxury leather goods company, which Prada would eventually take over. She started as an aspiring politician and graduated with a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Milan. In addition, she trained with Teatro Piccolo to become a mime and performed for five years. Prada then entered her family business in 1970.

Giorgio Armani




Giorgio Armani didn't start off with any interests in the art field whatsoever. Instead, Armani initially wanted a career in medicine and enrolled in the Department of Medicine at the University of Milan. He stayed for about three years before going into the army. After doing so, Armani decided to change career paths and temporarily worked as a window dresser at a department store in Milan. There, he later worked as a seller and became well-versed in the marketing aspect of menswear, leading him to pursue a career in menswear design.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×